A seal signifies the irreversible nature of the written word, command, oath, or covenant. (Esther 8:8; Daniel 6:17; Acts 2:23; Acts 4:17-28). King Ahasuerus commanded Mordecai to write as it pleased him, in the name of the king and to seal it with the king’s ring so that it could not be reversed or altered. Scripture speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ saving His people from all of His and their enemies. Heaven and earth shall pass away but the word of the Lord Jesus Christ – scripture – cannot be broken; all will come to pass; not one thing spoken by Christ will fail, because He bears the seal of His Father, who is above all and reigns indisputably.
In Daniel’s case, even though the word of king Darius could not be altered or reversed, and even though the mouth of the lion’s den was sealed, yet Daniel was delivered by God from the lions. The word of the king could not be altered. The king labored all night while Daniel was in the lion’s den, that he might be delivered. In the morning, after the king’s decree was carried out unaltered, and even though the punishment called for by the king’s word was not withheld from Daniel, yet Daniel was not hurt by the lions because before God innocency was found in him (Daniel 6:22). He fully endured the decreed punishment and curse, and he was also delivered from the lions.
In Daniel we see the Lord Jesus Christ. Because God would deliver those upon whom He set His love and chose before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-ff), He did not spare His Son, but delivered Him up for us all. The law required our punishment because we sinned. Our blessed Lord Jesus Christ faced that law undiminished and unaltered. Both the salvation of His people and the suffering and death of His only Son was the decree, the will and the purpose of God the Father. It was an eternal decree, and so from eternity, God made it His chief business to glorify His truth and grace in Christ by saving His people by Him. “Him, being delivered by the determinate council and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain (Acts 2:23).” Yet, for His innocency, Christ, as prefigured by Daniel, was delivered from hell: “…neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption (Acts 2:27). That Christ was unalterably delivered to the lion’s according to the wicked intent of the presidents, was signified in history by the king’s seal on the lion’s den. “For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determined before to be done (Acts 4:27-28)”.
The Lord Jesus was made a Surety for His people. God looked to Him for everything required of them. Before His Father, in eternity and to eternity, He took their responsibility. The soul that sinneth, it shall die. God spared not His own Son. When my blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was charged with my sin, when in consequence sin was found on Him, God did not spare Him. Yet, the great work – labor – of God, is seen in this night of Christ’s suffering, for in it we are reconciled to God and God is glorified in His wisdom, righteousness, and grace. Christ is glorified for His love for His Father in willingly taking this so great case, and enduring this curse in love to my soul. Christ was not alone in His labor. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. Reconciliation was for Christ's people. It was their sins that were not imputed to them, and it was Christ’s righteousness that is imputed to them. It was a long labor in this sense: It is an eternal covenant (Heb 13:20), it was an eternal transaction between the eternal God and His eternal Son on behalf of those who were ordained to eternal life in that covenant that was ratified by the blood of Christ and which obtained for them eternal redemption (Heb 9:12).
The seal is unalterable and irreversible. It cannot be changed because God's purpose and will are unalterable and unchangeable. Not only is God's counsel immutable, but God has added this for our strong consolation: He confirmed it by an oath. God bound Himself with an oath to fulfill the salvation of His people through the death of His own Son, and staked Himself to the oath for the comfort and confidence of His people who walk by faith in this world. I can think of nothing more unspeakably imponderable than what God has done for us in Christ's suffering in obedience unto death, and the condescending grace of God our Father in binding Himself with an oath to fulfill this covenant of grace to His people by Him.
In Daniel’s case, even though the word of king Darius could not be altered or reversed, and even though the mouth of the lion’s den was sealed, yet Daniel was delivered by God from the lions. The word of the king could not be altered. The king labored all night while Daniel was in the lion’s den, that he might be delivered. In the morning, after the king’s decree was carried out unaltered, and even though the punishment called for by the king’s word was not withheld from Daniel, yet Daniel was not hurt by the lions because before God innocency was found in him (Daniel 6:22). He fully endured the decreed punishment and curse, and he was also delivered from the lions.
In Daniel we see the Lord Jesus Christ. Because God would deliver those upon whom He set His love and chose before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-ff), He did not spare His Son, but delivered Him up for us all. The law required our punishment because we sinned. Our blessed Lord Jesus Christ faced that law undiminished and unaltered. Both the salvation of His people and the suffering and death of His only Son was the decree, the will and the purpose of God the Father. It was an eternal decree, and so from eternity, God made it His chief business to glorify His truth and grace in Christ by saving His people by Him. “Him, being delivered by the determinate council and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain (Acts 2:23).” Yet, for His innocency, Christ, as prefigured by Daniel, was delivered from hell: “…neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption (Acts 2:27). That Christ was unalterably delivered to the lion’s according to the wicked intent of the presidents, was signified in history by the king’s seal on the lion’s den. “For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determined before to be done (Acts 4:27-28)”.
The Lord Jesus was made a Surety for His people. God looked to Him for everything required of them. Before His Father, in eternity and to eternity, He took their responsibility. The soul that sinneth, it shall die. God spared not His own Son. When my blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was charged with my sin, when in consequence sin was found on Him, God did not spare Him. Yet, the great work – labor – of God, is seen in this night of Christ’s suffering, for in it we are reconciled to God and God is glorified in His wisdom, righteousness, and grace. Christ is glorified for His love for His Father in willingly taking this so great case, and enduring this curse in love to my soul. Christ was not alone in His labor. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. Reconciliation was for Christ's people. It was their sins that were not imputed to them, and it was Christ’s righteousness that is imputed to them. It was a long labor in this sense: It is an eternal covenant (Heb 13:20), it was an eternal transaction between the eternal God and His eternal Son on behalf of those who were ordained to eternal life in that covenant that was ratified by the blood of Christ and which obtained for them eternal redemption (Heb 9:12).
The seal is unalterable and irreversible. It cannot be changed because God's purpose and will are unalterable and unchangeable. Not only is God's counsel immutable, but God has added this for our strong consolation: He confirmed it by an oath. God bound Himself with an oath to fulfill the salvation of His people through the death of His own Son, and staked Himself to the oath for the comfort and confidence of His people who walk by faith in this world. I can think of nothing more unspeakably imponderable than what God has done for us in Christ's suffering in obedience unto death, and the condescending grace of God our Father in binding Himself with an oath to fulfill this covenant of grace to His people by Him.
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