Ego The Executioner – Part 2

In Last Month’s consideration of the ego, we examined the two great divine blood laws: 1. Blood should not be eaten; 2. Blood had to be poured out at the altar. We considered how this lesson is expressed in exhortation terms throughout scripture as the refusal to indulge in life along with the pouring out of our lives before Jesus Christ. The obstacle course obstructing our performance of this principle is fabricated by our naturally self-absorbed nature, defined as ego.

The Ego Conspiracy

Ego is a manipulative tool in the schemes of godless men. If not for the grace of Yahweh, an elderly Daniel would have been lion food, condemned by an unsuspecting emperor’s ego. Daniel must have been more than 80 years old when the events of Daniel chapter six took place. The victorious Persians recognized Daniel as a man of great value. He was assigned as the first of the three presidents, just below the status of Darius, who intended to elevate Daniel even higher. This sparked a devious and intricate conspiracy, inspired by the serpent wisdom of overly ambitious politicians.

The conspirators wanted to eliminate Daniel as a political threat, therefore death was necessary. Embarrassment worthy of demotion was discovered to be impossible. Imprisonment and banishment could both be reversed. Afraid of the dangers of simply hiring an assassin, they schemed for a legal execution.

It was observed that Daniel always took time to pray to his Hebrew God a minimum of three times every day. This was probably well known because important and pressing matters requiring his attention would have to be frustratingly postponed to accommodate these daily and repetitive prayers of President Daniel. However, there could be little doubt that Daniel had many supporters. Besides being the emperor’s mentor, Daniel would have been the man to go to for a project to be funded or completed without political bargaining or bribery. Men with great personal integrity are like a magnet, drawing to them similar men while repelling the more numerous self-serving, greedy and ambitious.

The conspirators had a dilemma if they wanted to kill Daniel in front of the king and all of Daniel’s supporters, while still living to enjoy the benefits of his absence. They chose the perfect spring for their trap — the Emperor’s ego.

A devious scheme

The conspiracy is presented scriptural as wide and deep. We’re told that all the presidents, governors, counselors and captains consulted together to present this proposed law to the king about the forbidding of any petitions to anyone except the king for 30 days, under the penalty of a violent death.

This scheme doesn’t reveal how the group of conspirators grew from an initial inner circle. It isn’t difficult to see how easily they could have gained support from even the unsuspecting supporters of Daniel. If a consistently self-serving and ambitious politician came to us with a proposal to limit all petitions exclusively to the emperor over the paltry time frame of just 30 days, as an expression of our devotion to Darius, how could we oppose such a proposal? If we opposed it we would know very clearly that it would be reported to the emperor that everyone in upper and lower management, with the exception of ourselves, supported this law. After all, no one would be foolish enough to break that law, so it wouldn’t matter if a trip to the lion’s den was the punishment.

Only the inner circle of the conspirators, those who wrote the law and lobbied hardest, would know that Daniel was the true target.

Appeal to ego

Darius would surely have been flattered when this proposed legislation was presented to him. His entire management team was telling him that no one equaled his wisdom and generosity, therefore all petitions should be limited exclusively to him. It was only for 30 days. What would be the harm? Who could it hurt? If Darius refused this honor, it would be insulting to everyone. The emperor took the bait.

The conspirators knew Daniel well. They counted on his personal integrity being more important than a death sentence. All their work and personal exposure would have been meaningless if Daniel had caved in to what was politically correct. Daniel’s prayer habits didn’t change.

The conspirators sprang the trap. Darius instantly recognized he had been used. All other matters were dropped and Daniel’s freedom had the emperor’s full attention. When all legal possibilities had been exhausted, only Daniel’s execution remained.

To his great credit, the emperor did not slither away into hiding to avoid his friend’s descent into the lion’s den. Darius escorted his elderly friend to the lions.

Without doubt some of the conspirators would have almost danced along the path with the emperor, his bodyguards and Daniel — barely masking their smug satisfaction. They would definitely want to witness Daniel being fed to the lions so that some faked miracle couldn’t take place or Daniel be whisked secretly away to a hiding place. They were eagerly anticipating the hungry growling of the lions they probably had starved for the last week. They surely wanted to hear the screams of the old man that had barred their political ascent. The inner circle of conspirators would defend their presence at this state execution as the necessity of ensuring the integrity of the inviolable law of the Medes and the Persians.

The emperor’s last desperate words to Daniel betray a hint that Darius had some familiarity and respect for Daniel’s God. The conspirators were probably perplexed by the absence of violent sounds as the old man was lowered into the den but were confident their plan had come to completion. The pit was sealed. They believed Daniel’s fate was sealed. The half-starved lions would see to that sometime during the night.

Sleepless Guilt

The emperor didn’t sleep that night. How could he? He blamed himself. His ego had been used against him. He was Daniel’s true executioner, not the lions.

At first light, he dragged himself down to the lion pit. The bodyguards would not have let him go there alone and would be by his side. However, the conspirators would surely have slept soundly that night. Men like that are not early risers. They are at their best in the dark of night.

When Darius arrived and agonizingly called out to his friend, he heard a recognizable voice. Can you imagine the looks on the faces of the bodyguards? Eyes and mouths wide as they faced each other, shocked that this elderly man survived the night among a pride of lions.

When the conspirators and their families were dragged from bed to face the emperor, Daniel would have been beside him. What could they say? They had witnessed Daniel being lowered into the lion pit. Now it was their turn.

The emperor’s anger was no longer directed inside himself, but squarely focused on these evil men. The unwitting supporters of this evil legislation would surely have added their anger to the emperor’s fury. They had been used as well. The conspirators’ entire families were fed to the still hungry lions.

The miraculous nature of Daniel’s continued existence was not lost on Darius. No doubt facing bitter opposition from the many religious organizations tolerated and supported throughout the Persian Empire, the emperor still commanded everyone to fear the God of Daniel, the living God. I imagine Daniel had little to fear from court intrigues for some time after this. The serpent wisdom had been defeated by the granite integrity of a faithful old man. Ego the executioner lost this one. Faith won.

The continuing danger of ego

Ego is the enemy of self-sacrifice. A life of self-satisfaction and self-indulgence, portrayed in the eating of blood, will result in a final execution.

This is defined in scripture as the second death and is also referred to as perishing. Jesus told his disciples they would die but not a hair of their heads would perish. It is the second death, perishing, we should fear. The first death is not the death to be afraid of, unless we have served our ego instead of our Creator. The path to life eternal requires the denial of self.

This practice of self-denial and self-sacrifice is the fulfillment of pouring out the blood of life at the altar and the refusal to consume blood. We are, of course, no longer under the law. There is no bronze altar before the temple for us to ritually pour blood. It is the principle and the exhortation that remains for us to apply.

The dangers of our age

A greater level of spiritual maturity is required in the ecclesial age — an age that is almost over. Our final generation is one of incredible indulgence and self-satisfaction. Complaining has become an art form. In our generation complainers form organizations to gain influence and wealth through unions, focus groups and political organizations. The philosophy of the heart screams for us to grab all the gusto we can, to live life to the fullest, smell the roses, take the nose away from the grindstone and enjoy life. Recreation and entertainment centered industries abound and flourish.

While the cumulative voices of society combine to roar their invitation to join them and let our spirits soar, Jesus whispers that it is the poor in spirit who will inherit the kingdom. The poor in spirit are those who have emptied themselves at the feet of Christ. Their egos have been deflated through constant self-sacrifice and self-examination and sometimes severe disappointment or humiliation. This is the person in whom the Creator will invest His blessings. This is the temple where the Heavenly Father will come to reside. Isaiah powerfully and inspiring declares:

For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones (Isa. 57:•15).

It is interesting to examine this word “contrite.” The first “contrite” in this verse is translated from the Hebrew dakka. This Hebrew word is drawn from its root word daka which is translated contrite when it is used for the second time in this verse. Daka is also translated break, break in pieces, crush, bruise, oppress. This is the Hebrew word used concerning the Messiah when Isaiah says he was bruised for our iniquities and it pleased the LORD to bruise him (Isa. 53).

The High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity looks for the crushed heart and the broken ego. It is here where the relentlessly pompous and arrogant fleshly impulses have been drained away, that Yahweh will find room to reside. God offers to act as the crutches of the bruised spirit. He is the wheelchair for the broken heart and the emptied ego. This is the lesson Jesus expresses when he says “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it” (Matt. 10:39).