The Lions' Den

Daniel 5: 31- 6: 28

Darius the Mede took over the kingdom in Babylon at the age of 62.

So now Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar are both gone, and a new king arises in this ancient land where the Jews are in exile.

Darius decided it would be good to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom.

This is a smart move, as one man wouldn't be able to manage this extensive realm by himself.

Over these satraps were three officials. Daniel was one of these officials. The satraps were to report to these three officials so that the king wouldn't be cheated.

These must have been three men who were either well-known to Darius or had impeccably high recommendation and reputation. It was up to them to make sure that these 120 governors were honest. 

This man, Daniel, distinguished himself among the other officials and satraps because there was an extraordinary spirit in him. The king thought about putting him in charge of the whole kingdom. 

Daniel had lived his entire adult life in this foreign land, and had served in the government virtually all that time, until he was retired after Nebuchadnezzar's reign, then was called upon again on Belshazzar's last night. Now this new king has recognized Daniel's integrity and skills, and is considering him for promotion. 

So the other officials and satraps tried to find something to accuse Daniel of in his duties for the kingdom. But they couldn't find anything wrong because he was trustworthy. No error or fault could be found. 

These other guys were envious of Daniel, and wanted to get rid of him to promote themselves. But he was honestly and meticulously doing everything he was supposed to be doing, and they couldn't find anything to accuse him of. 

These men said, "We won't find anything to accuse this man, Daniel, unless we find it in his religious practices."

They knew that he worshiped only God, not any of the idols everyone else honored. 

So these officials and satraps went to the king as a group. They said to him, "May King Darius live forever! All the officials, governors, satraps, advisors, and mayors agree that the king should make a statute and enforce a decree. The decree should state that for the next 30 days whoever asks for anything from any god or person except you, your Majesty, will be thrown into a lions' den. Your Majesty, issue this decree, and sign it. According to the law of the Medes and Persians no one could change it or repeal it." 

So Darius signed the written decree.

This is honoring King Darius as a god, appealing to his ego. 

When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went to his house. An upper room in his house had windows that opened in the direction of Jerusalem. Three times each day he got down on his knees and prayed to his God. He had always praised God this way.

This was his usual custom. He didn't change his daily routine even knowing about this new law.

One of those times the men came in as a group and found Daniel praying and pleading to his God.

They were stalking him, to catch him at prayer.

Then they went and spoke to the king about his decree. 

Didn't you? ...

Yes, I did. ... 

Well, this Daniel ... Na na na na na nah!

"Your Majesty, Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, refuses to obey your order or the decree that you signed. He prays three times each day."

Ha! We got you now, you Jew!

The king was very displeased when he heard this. He tried every way he could think of to save Daniel. Until sundown he did everything he could to rescue him.

Then Daniel's accusers gathered in front of the king. They said to him, "Remember, your Majesty, the Medes and Persians have a law that no decree or statute the king makes can be changed."

They were forcing his hand.

So the king gave the order, and Daniel was brought to him and thrown into the lions' den. The king told Daniel, "May your God, Whom you always worship, save you!"

Darius is recognizing that Daniel's trust in his God is real, but isn't really showing that Darius is trusting in God.

They closed the opening of the den with a stone, and sealed it with the king's ring, so he wouldn't be able to get out.

Then the king went to his palace and spent the night without any food or company, and he couldn't sleep, either. At the first light of dawn, the king got up quickly and went to the lions' den. As soon as he came near it, he called to Daniel with anguish in his voice, "Daniel, servant of the living God, was God Whom you always worship, able to save you from the lions?"

Daniel said to the king, "Your Majesty, may you live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths so that they couldn't hurt me. He did this because He considered me innocent. Your Majesty, I haven't committed any crime."

The king was overjoyed and had Daniel taken out of the den. When Daniel came out of the den, everyone saw that he was completely unharmed because he trusted his God.

The king ordered those men who brought charges against Daniel to be brought to him, and they suffered the fate they wished upon Daniel, and the lions ate them.

The king sure didn't appreciate these guys tricking him like that. 

Then King Darius wrote to the people of every province, nation, and language all over the world:

"I wish you peace and prosperity. 

I decree that in every part of my kingdom people should tremble with terror in front of Daniel's God, the living God Who continues forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed. His power lasts to the end of time. He saves, rescues, and does miraculous signs and amazing things in Heaven and on Earth. He saved Daniel from the lions."

This man, Daniel, prospered during the reign of Darius the Mede and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

So Daniel, even in his old age, continued to serve the different kings as they came and went, and was never fired or forced to resign as the administrations changed hands. 

Daniel obviously got along well in this foreign society by obeying all the laws there, even helping to administer these alien ideas, but he never betrayed his trust in God. This takes wisdom and discretion.

And his witness and trust in God showed this whole succession of kings Who God is, and they all had opportunity to believe Him and trust Him, too. 

This story also shows us the valid basis for civil disobedience. Only when the civil law forbids what God commands us to do, or decrees that we do what God forbids, can we ligitimately disobey, but we must do it with respect and humility. Only then will God take care of whatever consequences follow. 

O Father, Lead me wherever You would have me go, and teach me Your ways, that I will be able to have wisdom and discretion to get along in other cultures with respect and humility. And may my life and my testimony also show others Who You are, as Daniel did so long ago. 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!