The Lions' Den

Daniel 6: 16-28

We saw yesterday how Daniel's co-workers were jealous of his abilities, and feared that he would overshadow them, so they forced the king's hand to get rid if him, and thought they'd won. 

(16) Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions' den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, "Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you." 

This king Darius already realized how valuable Daniel was as an employee, a high official over a third of his domain. And he knew that Daniel depended on his God to help him. So, even if Darius didn't believe in God, he knew that Daniel did, and he voiced his tremulous hope. 

But he still had to have him thrown into the lions' den, at about the age of eighty three. 

(17) A stone was brought and laid over the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing would be changed in regard to Daniel. 

Then when the stone was laid over the mouth of the cave, moist clay tablets were attached to the chains holding the stone in place, into which the king and the nobles rolled their cylindrical seals to make it official. 

(18) Then the king went off to his palace and spent the night fasting, and no entertainment was brought before him; and his sleep fled from him. 

Darius walked back to his palace a troubled man. Where could he find another minister of such integrity and judgment? The more he thought about Daniel's peril, the more anxious Darius became. He couldn't eat anything, and couldn't abide by any kind of entertainment at all. Then he tossed and turned in his bed, and never did get to sleep at all. 

(19) Then the king arose at dawn, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions' den. 

Finally, at the first grey light of dawn, without eating breakfast, he rushed back to the lions' pit. 

(20) When he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?" 

He must have already ordered for it to be unsealed, for by the time he got there, he immediately called to Daniel, hoping against hope for an answer. His emphasis on Daniel's God being "living" would mean that if He really existed, then He would be able to rescue Daniel. Unless He was just another unproved supposition, like all the deities everyone else worshiped. This would be the test. 

(21) Then Daniel spoke to the king, "O king, live forever! 

Then Daniel answered--he was alive! 

(22) "My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime." 

Daniel testified that God had vindicated him as innocent before both God and man, proving that God is real. 

(23) Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted his God. 

Then Darius was so relieved, he could breathe again! So he had Daniel lifted out of the den and examined thoroughly for any injuries. Not a scratch was found on him. The evidence was incontrovertible: the God Daniel had remained faithful to had kept him safe. 

So through his reliance on Yahweh, Daniel introduced his king to his God, and gained his place among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11: 33.  

(24) The king gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they cast them, their children and their wives into the lions' den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones. 

Then God caused the weapon that they had fashioned against Daniel to be turned upon his accusers (Isaiah 54: 17). 

They had no scruples against disposing of their whole families, so there would be no avengers to rise up and cause any problems later. And the starved lions made quick work of them all. 

(25) Then Darius the king wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language who were living in all the land: "May your peace abound! 

Now Darius, like Nebuchadnezzar, wrote to the whole world that was known in that day. Every people group, every nation, every language everywhere. 

(26) "I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel; 

He is commanding everyone to honor and respect Daniel's God. 

"For He is the living God and enduring forever,

He had to be alive to do what He did, so His life must last forever. 

"And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, 

He is not human, so no human could replace Him or destroy His rule. 

"And His dominion will be forever. 

God's rule is eternal and will never pass away, as do empires built by human power. 

(27) "He delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders 
"In Heaven and on Earth, 

Daniel's God is alive and shows that He lives by the way He acts in history, responding like a real Person, to the requirements of justice and the needs of His people. 

"Who has also delivered Daniel from the power of the lions." 

And God miraculously rescues His true worshipers, performing wonders both in Heaven and on Earth. He has furnished objective proof of His eternal power and Godhead, in contrast with all other deities, whose existence is at best conjectural and traditional. 

And God once again encourages His people, as He prepares them to return to their own land soon. He is still the same God that He was in the days of Moses, and He will again bring His people back home. 

(28) So this Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. 

Daniel's position as Prime Minister was now secure, and he apparently continued in it until his retirement a few years later. 

Darius was a Mede, and he "received" the royal authority (5: 31), as from one who was empowered to invest him with it, presumably, Cyrus the Persian. 

"Darius" may not have been his personal name, but rather a title of honor, as  "Caesar" became in the Roman Empire later. He could have been Gubaru, Cyrus' trusted general who he appointed official viceroy of the Medo-Persian Empire, the honorific title of "Dara" ("king" in Avestan Persian) from the Old Persian, "Darayavahush" ("The Royal One") being applied to him. 

Daniel 9: 1 states that he "was made ruler" (Hebrew: homlak) over the realm of the Chaldeans, a term never applied to one who seizes the sovereignty by force of arms but rather to one who is appointed to kingship by a higher authority. 

It would seem that after he had taken care of more pressing concerns elsewhere, Cyrus himself later returned to Babylon and formally ascended the throne in an official coronation ceremony. It was in the third year of Cyrus' reign, presumably as king of Babylon, that Daniel received the revelations in chapters 10-12. 

Yet it is also evident from cuneiform records that Gubaru continued to serve as governor of Babylon even after Cyrus' decease. 

So Daniel served Darius and Cyrus, who may have both been reigning concurrently, with Darius subordinate to Cyrus. 

After this, Daniel apparently retired again from public service and gave himself to Bible study and prayer and writing. 

O my Father, please help Your children to trust You like Daniel trusted You even when he was thrown into a den full of lions and sealed in all night. We don't see him resisting, and we see You using him even in his old age, in serving in an official capacity, then retiring to seek You even more with his increased available time. 

And You honored Daniel, and blessed him with years and service and usefulness, and You used his testimony and his witness in the lives of several kings, pagan kings who were able to know you through him. 

O Father, help Your children today to seek you as single-mindedly as Daniel did. Honor Your sons and daughters who are immersing themselves in Your word, and use them (us) as Your witnesses to the ungodly world around us, our lives and testimonies revealing You and Your ways to them. 

Father, grow Your children, and grow Your family, so we will grow up into the full stature of the Son of God. Enable us to broadcast to every living person how much You love each one of us all, and bring your gestational ones to the birth into Your own family, and let none of the rebels have any excuse for refusing Your gracious, generous gift of Salvation and Redemption. 

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Son of the Father, the Most High God, Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!