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One of the great lessons God is teaching us through Daniel is God always has the last word. As bad as the world, the ruling powers, the godless culture gets, and it will get very bad, always remember that Christ rules overall and He always has the last word. He had the last word at the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, the Red Sea, Goliath, the 185,000 Assyrians, and the empty tomb. He will have the last word at the second coming, the millennium, and the great white throne judgment on a planet of rebels against their Creator. God always has the last word. You may be living with some nasty lions right now, but hang on. God has the last word and knows how to deliver His people.
We pick up the story of Daniel and his malicious accusers in verses 16 to 28. We’ll wrap our thoughts around the effect of Daniel’s plight on his king, Darius. You’ll recall from verse 3 that Darius had planned to promote Daniel to prime minister over his entire kingdom. Now Daniel has been arrested for disobeying the king’s decree not to pray to any God except Darius. He’s going to be executed for his faith, like hundreds of thousands of God’s people have been arrested and executed for their faith. But how do you handle it when you get thrown to the lions?
AN ANXIOUS KING AND A SLEEPLESS NIGHT – vv. 16-20
Daniel 6:16, 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.”
Persian law demanded that the execution be carried out on the same day of the offense, so they lost no time bringing Daniel in. Here comes Daniel, not kicking and screaming but as commentator MacLaren says, like Christ, “he was like a sheep before his shearers.”
Remember Polycarp of Sardis who refused to deny Christ? He was in his 80s also. When the officers came to arrest him for being a Christian, he had a meal prepared for them and asked if he could spend some time in prayer. He prayed for two hours. The officers were embarrassed to even take him to the place of execution. When they tied him to a stake, he wouldn’t burn very well so they stabbed him to death. Like Daniel, Polycarp was willing to die for his Lord.
As they lead Daniel to the lions’ den, Darius, obviously torn up knowing he’s an innocent and extraordinary man, tries to comfort Daniel, probably with a wish and prayer as the ESV states: “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you.” Darius had learned from Daniel about the true and living God. He knew God had worked great miracles and deliverances and now is hoping God would work a great miracle. He knew that apart from divine intervention there was no hope that Daniel could possibly survive those hungry lions in that den.
Daniel 6:1, 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.
Keil, a respected commentator, described an ancient den in Morocco as a large square cavern with a wall in the middle and a gate in the wall. The gate could be raised so they could throw food down from an opening in the top. The lions would go over to the side with the food while someone would enter from an opening in the other side to clean up the mess lions made. So here you have Daniel, probably thrown in through that side opening. A stone was rolled against the opening and sealed with clay or wax and the king’s seal plus the nobles’ seals were pressed into the soft material. They didn’t want any monkey business. Those nobles did not want Daniel to escape.
One thing is for sure, you can set all the seals and stones you want, but you can’t seal God out. God is never limited by the most powerful human authority or laws on earth. In our own nation and schools, they’ve taken Bible reading, prayer, the Ten Commandments, the fear of God out, and brought in sex education for K-12, Marxist indoctrination and worse, but never fear. Rocks and seals and laws and mandates don’t stop God from doing his work. Jesus guaranteed that the gates of hell will not over power the church or the gospel. Jesus, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, will always have the last word.
Does all this remind you of another stone rolled against another opening? There are so many parallels to the life of Christ in this story. Let’s take a few moments to name a few.
- Both men did nothing wrong. Christ had never sinned and Daniel was innocent of any crime.
- Both were hated for no reason except that than their enemies were jealous of them.
- Both were slandered and falsely accused.
- Both Darius and Pilate were put into a tight spot and took the cowardly way out by refusing to stand up for the truth.
- Both were taken out to be executed, one literally on a cross, the other figuratively in this lions’ den.
- They rolled a stone over the entrance to both the tomb and the den and put a seal on them to assure there would be no tampering.
- Great joy filled Darius’ heart and the disciples’ hearts as they found out Daniel and Christ were alive!
- Both were lifted up: Daniel by ropes from the den and ultimately to a high position under the king, and Christ was lifted up into glory to the right hand of God.
- In both cases the malicious witnesses faced justice and punishment for their crimes.
- The good news of God’s great deliverance was preached throughout the world!
Daniel 6:18, 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.
So here you have two ways to spend a night. Daniel is down there in that lions’ den. Like the three youths who suddenly knew God was at work and they weren’t burned as they entered the fiery furnace, Daniel knew God had turned those lions into purring felines. “So, down in the dark there, with the glittering eyeballs of the brutes around him, and their growls in his ears, the old man sits all night long, with peace in his heart, and looking up trustfully, through the hole in the roof, to his Protector’s stars, shining their silent message of cheer.” (Alexander MacLaren).
But what about Darius? He is wracked with guilt and remorse for condemning a wonderful and innocent man. He has no taste for entertainment tonight. No feasting, music, or dancing girls. He tossed and turned all night. He couldn’t wait for morning.
Daniel 6:19-20, Then the king arose at dawn, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions’ den. 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?”
At the crack of dawn there he goes, no time for Starbucks, his 62 year-old legs scurrying over to the lions’ den. Even before he gets there he is crying out with a troubled voice. He is hoping against hope. There is no way Daniel could have survived those hungry lions. But he is calling, crying out, “Daniel!” What an influence Daniel had on the kings he served, including this one. “Has your God.” Not just God, but “your God.” Don’t you want to be known like that? How personal that is. When your boss or kids or neighbors or fellow students think of God, do they think of “your God?” Darius has a little to learn about God’s omnipotence: “Has He been able to deliver you?” Our God is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all you can ask or think, including delivering Daniel from these lions.
A MAN’S VOICE AND A HAPPY KING vv. 21-23
Daniel 6:21-22, Then Daniel spoke to the king, “O king, live forever! 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.”
A wave of relief and great joy must have swept over the king when he heard that familiar voice. Kind of like the women’s great joy when they were told Christ had risen from that grave. “He is not here; He is risen!”
How did God deliver Daniel? Probably the same way He delivered those three fellows in the fiery furnace. Probably the same Angel. Probably the preincarnate Christ. He shut their mouths just like the lions in the millennium will be changed into tame animals. Daniel wasn’t angry with the king. Instead, Daniel assured him he’d done nothing wrong. Just like us, he had simply not been able to obey the law when the law meant disobeying God. So Daniel spent the night with the angel and those lions snoring contentedly through the night. I wonder if he thought about Psalm 34:7, “The angel of the Lord camps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.”
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Daniel 6:23, 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 in his God.
It was a new day for Darius. Up comes Daniel, probably with ropes like they lifted Jeremiah out of the muddy cistern. They examined him carefully and found not one cat scratch anywhere on him.
Notice the “cause clause” at the end of verse 23 – “Because he had trusted in his God.” We’ll come back to that in a few moments.
JUSTICE AND A VINDICATED KING v. 24
Daniel 6:24, The king then 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.
Most commentators think these evil rascals were the ringleaders of this conspiracy to get rid of Daniel. It may have been the other two commissioners and their families. In they go, one by one. Before they even hit the ground those fierce lions caught them and crushed and destroyed them. A lion’s swipe of his paw is like 400 pounds hitting you. Their bite carries the force of 650 pounds per square inch. No wonder they are king of the jungle!
But why their whole families? It was common for ancient kings to kill everyone related to someone who had betrayed the king. Wiersbe notes it was easier to bury corpses than keep an eye on potential assassins. These were bad guys and Darius knows it. These men were guilty of murdering an innocent man and betraying the king. They couldn’t be trusted for anything. This would also put fear in others. So justice was served. The evil Jews who delivered Christ to Pilate also paid dearly, as 40 or so years after the crucifixion those Roman hordes came into Jerusalem and utterly demolished it and killed perhaps a million Jews. God always has the last word.
A GREAT ANNOUNCEMENT AND A PRAISING KING vv. 25-28
Daniel 6:25-28, 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! 26 “I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel; For He is the living God and enduring forever, And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, And His dominion will be forever. 27 “He delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has also delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.” 28 So this Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Darius is so overwhelmed with thankfulness that he wants everyone else to know about Daniel’s God who can actually deliver a man from the mouths of lions. He wants everyone to fear and tremble before Daniel’s God. Is Darius converted? I don’t know. Most of the commentators I read don’t think so. Alexander MacLaren is amazed how far a man can go in grasping the truth about God and yet remain a pagan believer in his own gods.
Darius sent this message to his entire kingdom, up the Fertile Crescent and down toward Egypt. How about if President Biden stood up for his state of the union speech and give this message, changing “Daniel” to “Bible-believing Christians.” “Their God is living, not a dead stone or piece of wood or figment of someone’s imagination. He’s eternal, self-existing, creating the heavens and the earth. Evolution has been a huge fraud. He has a kingdom coming that will never end. He is sovereign over all the earth. He is able to do miraculous signs and wonders. Fear and tremble before him, my fellow Americans. Get a Bible and learn about Him and be sure to be in church this Sunday!” Well, this probably won’t happen, but it did with Darius.
In verse 28 Daniel continues to serve in high levels of government until he rests his soul and body in God’s eternal hands. Pray for God’s people of conviction who serve in high places in our own land.
SO WHAT?
Go back to verse 23 and notice the cause clause: “because he had trusted in his God.” Hebrews 11:33 says the prophets by faith “shut the mouths of lions.” You may be facing a den of lions right now. Instead of being full of anxiety or resentful or afraid because of the issues you’re living with, join Daniel in trusting in his God.
Isaiah 26:3-4, The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You. 4 Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.
A while back I came up with an acrostic for “TRUST” that I want to leave with you. This is what you do when you face scary lions and you don’t know what is going to happen.
T – Talk to God about the scary things or people in your life. Daniel prayed after the law was passed. He probably talked with God about those nasty hungry lions. In Psalm 35:17 David prayed, “Rescue my soul from the lion.”
R – Rest in God’s promises. God never said it would be easy or pain free or even no death. We don’t know what evil stalks. But God did say in Isaiah 41:10 “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
U – Understand God’s purpose in this trouble you are facing. God wants you to glorify Him through the trials. And His purpose is always to refine you and transform you to become more and more like Christ, who faced those demonic lions and trusted in His God.
S – Submit to God’s sovereign hand in this trouble. Daniel could have taken matters into his own hands, gotten angry, taken revenge, any number of things. Trusting means laying down your fists, turning from fear, worry, and anxiety, and like Christ, praying, “Never the less, not my will but thine be done.”
T – Tell of God’s wonderful love and power and sufficiency for handling these lions. Imagine Daniel’s testimony after this night with the lions? Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:17, “I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth.”
God is able to deliver His people, but you may be here without Christ. You may have never believed in Christ who suffered the horrible death of the cross, bearing God’s wrath against sin. Your first responsibility is to put your trust in Christ for eternal life and forgiveness of your sins. God who closed the lions’ mouths can also open your heart to trust in His Son. Bow your heart to Him right now.