Daniel in the lion’s den
Daniel 6:16 “Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, He will deliver thee.”
We often think of our circumstances, especially when we are in storms and troubles…that we are overly tried. That we go from “the frying pan, to the fire” sometimes.
And we think of Daniel as privileged….he was in a palace, not Jerusalem that would be destroyed…
…..he was placed in a position of authority…not in the fields and poor villages of Babylon with Ezekiel and many of the captives.
We think he had it “pretty easy”! (and often times we think others have it “easy”….when we do not necessarily see behind the scenes.)
But…
I want to first mention about Daniel…that as a young man, problably in his teens,….he was taken to Babylon. Since he was educated, for he was a prince in Israel, he was put in with others who were to become the advisors and “wisemen” to Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel prayed to God, and he and his friends, were set aside from the normal food and drink of the king’s portion which was first given to idols….
….”But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank:…”( Dan. 1:8)
Yet a while later, he was almost killed…along with all the other “wisemen”, because the king’s dream was not being retold to him. Daniel prayed, and had the dream told him….and, giving all the glory to God Who knows all things, told the dream to the king…and saved the lives of all the wisemen. (Dan.2:27-28)
Because of this, he was placed in a position of some authority and access to the king….
Some time later, another dream was given to Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel prayed, giving all the glory to God for the interpretation again…..
……and boldly told the king to stop being so proud, for God had given him all he had….and to stop being so violent or he would suffer madness. ( Dan. 4:27)
This happened….seven years of Nebuchadnezzar’s madness….where Daniel is set aside, till Nebuchadnezzar is given sanity….and his kingdom back.
When Nebuchadnezzar dies, all goes silent for Daniel…he is not consulted or called for (at least three years)…..till Belshazzar’s feast…and there Daniel boldly speaks for God and His judgment on them, for their mocking Him. Their kingdom was to end, that night….and it did. (Dan. 5:22-23, 26-28)
How old Daniel is, the scriptures do not say….yet when Darius came to power, Daniel had been at court for many years. He would have been middle-aged or “older” by then.
His life already had many ups and downs….many visions had been given to him, already….and he had become a man of prayer. Three times a day he set aside for prayer.
Then: Darius came to power in Babylon. He was a Median…older and greedy. Very much interested in the accounting of the kingdom…for his own gain, of course….so:
Daniel 6:1-3 “It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the kingdom;
And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. (He would not be cheated by having so many checks and balances!)
Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.”
(Daniel was a honest man who could be counted on. “…they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.” Dan. 6:4
And so should every Christian be….in business, in our homes and churches, with our friends and enemies,…honest and faithful.
Daniel, at this time, realized that God’s time for bringing back Israel to the land after their captivity, was coming…so he began to pray fervently for that promise Dan. 9:1-3)
Envy and jealousy are sins which cause the sinner to reject, and hate the one they are jealous of.
Hate never stands still….it moves the sinner to act against….in some way the object of their envy.
So the other princes come up with a plan….”we shall not find any occasion…except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.” (Dan. 6:5)
So they decietfully flattered the king Darius….and said that they (all his counselors, and governors and princes) have gotten together and decided that they would establish a royal decree that no one could ask a petition from any God or man….for thirty days, except from the king….you, O Darius! And they wanted him to seal it, so it could not be changed,…according to the law of the Medes and Persians.
And Darius thought:
“How flattering! And they did say all the higher-ups had agreed to it! Wow, think of it! Every one would have to come to me, Darius, to get an answer to anything!
Let me sign it right away!”
As I said, Daniel’s life was full of ups and downs….he was in a place of position…and intrigue.
But Daniel’s life was in God….therefore he let all that pomp and authority and intrigue not trouble him one bit…
…again his life was in God….in prayer for His Will done for Israel, God’s people, was a burden on his soul….and he continued to pray…
…even when he heard of the decree.
Well, we know he was arrested, brought before Darius….who was flabbergasted…and tried to save Daniel….but could not…
…for the decree could not be changed, “according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.”
Hungry lions eat anything. And Darius had to throw Daniel into the pit of hungry lions….had to.
( But notice,…and I think this is wonderful.
Daniel did nothing. Daniel said nothing. Daniel submitted to their actions….leaving all to God.
And doesn’t this remind us so much of Jesus Christ before the Sanhedrin and Pilate! )
Now the law could not be changed….
……..but God didn’t change the law….but “shut the lions mouths”!
And how many times the Lord has delivered us from “hurt”,…and from enemies,…in a different way then we thought…or even prayed for. His Way is best.
Daniel had to go through the lions den….but God’s angel was with him….not to destroy the lions, or fight with the lions….but to simply close their mouths! And God can do the same for us!
Daniel 6:19-23 “Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.
And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel:…O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliever thee from the lions?”
Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.
My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before Him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.”
“…because he believed in his God.” Let us be faithful to our God, and let us believe Him.
He has given us HIs Word to read and appropriate….to get those promises in to our lives….let us do it.
Daniel in the lions den is history we all know….but it has come to mind again and again lately.
We all must pass through….again,… “pass through” tribulations and troubles.
But God is with us….to keep us before people of position and accusors, alike….wherever they are.
Let us be faithful to God…..that it may be said of us…”we are people of prayer”…..”we believed in our God.”
(And remember…to believe is to put the full weight of ourselves, our lives on Him.)
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 