All laws in the country ought to be crafted for the benefit of the people of the state’s wellbeing and not for punishment and revenue purposes exclusively. I collected two paragraphs from an article on “AARTO” from “News24”.
The Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (AARTO) has been ruled unconstitutional and invalid by the Pretoria High Court. The court found that “the AARTO and Amendment Acts unlawfully intrude upon the exclusive executive and legislative competence of the local and provincial governments respectively and as such, the two Acts are unconstitutional.” The Automobile Association, which has previously described AARTO as unworkable and geared towards revenue collection instead of promoting road safety, says it has been a vast waste of taxpayers’ money which had done nothing to remedy South Africa’s shocking road death rate. “There is no evidence that the AARTO pilot project has saved a single life,” says the AA.
Although the battle had been long and although many suffered under these road rules, they were deemed unconstitutional. As we return to “Dare to be a Daniel”, we will see something similar taking place. There an edict and decree are issued that become constitutionally legal, according to the Laws of the Medes and Persians, but it was done out of jealousy and spite, and was wicked. However, once again we see the Sovereignty of God at play, even in what might be said to be one of the most extreme situations a person could find themselves in. Daniel chapter 5 ends with Darius the Mede becoming king over the world’s superpower of the day.
Dan 5:31 and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.
1) The king appoints his leadership team. To establish his authority as supreme leader over the known world which was under his control, king Darius appoints his own leadership team. This was a common practice then and remains today as well.
Da 6:1 It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, 2 with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss.
The kingdom was vast, not that there were 120 provinces, but that 120 satraps ought to be sufficient leadership to govern the various provinces with proficiency. Satraps were different to the leadership structures of Babylonian rule. They were chief administrative officers, overseeing provinces. Over them the king appointed three administrators to keep the satraps accountable. The kingdom was huge, covering the known and inhabited world. I would assume these three “administrators” (older versions call them presidents), would travel throughout the kingdom to “checkup” on the satraps. It would be easy because of distances to siphon off money for personal use without the king knowing. Note the wording “the king might not suffer loss”. In our day we could say … “that the government might not suffer State Capture!” As believers, we need to remember that we live under God’s rule and His Laws. We may not use the company we work for, for our personal gain and advantage. There is far too much white color crime, and some of it is done by Christians.
2) One of the top three officials was Daniel. He quickly caught the eye of the king.
Dan 6:3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
As believers we are able to understand that the good hand of God was upon Daniel. Remember that Daniel served under Nebuchadnezzar and his son Belshazzar, and God’s Spirit was upon him in a special way. It is no wonder that he “distinguished” himself and was a cut above the others leaders. A Christian carries the name of Jesus Christ and where everyone does not have the same skills, meaning that not everyone is a leader or a top management material, every believer ought to stand out in their career … working hard, being a company man, not a clock watcher, productive and always at his station. Daniel however was so spectacular and on top of his game at the office that the king identified him as one who could be in charge of the country for him.
3) The jealousy of being overlooked for a foreigner. Daniel was a despised Jew. His testimony as a “good, clean boy” was detested. He was a spoiler.
Da 6:4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.
The way he conducted government business was faultless. He was trustworthy, no corruption and never negligent. He was exemplary and a good model to be copied, but when people are jealous of your achievements, they try every trick in the book to cause your downfall. So they move to Daniel’s religion.
Da 6:5 Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”
This is very real today … when all else fails, hit the man’s religion.
4) Wicked intent can be terribly gruesome. Look at the wicked scheme they come up with. This scheme, without them realizing it is an attack upon the king’s integrity.
Da 6:6 So the administrators and the satraps went as a group to the king and said: “O King Darius, live forever! 7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. 8 Now, O king, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 9 So King Darius put the decree in writing.
Sadly Darius was naïve! It is so easy to trump up a case today in a progressive “Secular State” where Biblical Christianity has largely been sidelined. As wicked as this seems … God is sovereign and God has a plan. What we deem the end of the road for us might be God’s way of sorting out serious problems for us.
Lord, You know what is for my good. Amen.