In Daniel chapter 6, the king is tricked into condemning Daniel to the lion’s den. God saved Daniel, and a decree was issued for all people to fear in reverence the God of Daniel.
Wes
Welcome to the Two Journeys Daniel Bible study podcast. This podcast is just one of the many resources available to you for free from Two Journeys Ministry. If you’re interested in learning more, just head over to twojourneys.org. Now on to today’s episode. This is episode seven in our Daniel Bible study podcast. This episode is entitled God Rescues Daniel from Lions, where we’ll discuss Daniel 6:1-28. I’m Wes Treadway, and I’m here with Pastor Andy Davis. Andy, what are we going to see in these verses that we’re looking at today?
Andy
Well, Daniel 6 is one of the most famous stories in the Old Testament. I think maybe one of the top 50 or 100 stories that every kid learns at some point, Daniel in the lions’ den. But really what it is, it’s part of the overall project of the Holy Spirit in the book of Daniel to show how the godly can be protected and can even prosper when government overreaches itself, when government becomes toxic or aggressive. In this particular case a king was willing to be prayed to as though he were a god, and Daniel continued his private prayer life, and you protected him.
So, this is a valuable lesson for us, especially given the fact that the Bible reveals that the end of the world will be under the dominion of the antichrist, which is going to be a toxic and deadly dangerous government overreach. And Daniel 6 will stand as a timeless reminder to the people of God there that God is able to protect them and keep them if they would retain their piety and their godliness. So, Daniel’s an example of that. Look forward to walking through this chapter with you, Wes.
Wes
Let me go ahead and read the chapter, Daniel 6, as we begin:
It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”
Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” Therefore, King Darius signed the document and injunction.
When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. Then they came near and said before the king concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.” Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”
Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”
Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.
Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O, Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions-they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.
Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree that in all my royal dominion, people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for He is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and His dominion shall be to the end. He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”
So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Andy, we concluded last time, speaking about the Medes and Persians that would overthrow the Babylonians, what does verse one here in chapter 6 teach us about the extent of the Persian empire?
Andy
It was massive. It was just massive. It went from the edge of the Bosporus, or near modern day Istanbul, down, included Egypt and went all the way over to the edge of India and even included some parts of modern day India. So, it was massive, 120 districts that were ruled over this massive kingdom.
Wes
What does verse two teach us about the administration of that empire?
Andy
Well, there was a wisdom to it. All these great empires, there was a genius to the political science, a genius to being able to run the empire so that it would be maintained, and it would be cohesive, and a lot of it dealt with communication and organization. And so, we got these 120 satraps and then you’ve got three administrators or presidents or sub rulers under the emperor. And so, Daniel was one of them.
Wes
What do we learn about Daniel’s leadership from verse three?
Andy
Well, Daniel is an exceptional administrator, and this is the whole thing with the book of Daniel. We have the themes of the sovereignty of God over the nation’s rise and fall of nations, the Babylonian empire, the Medo-Persian empire, Greek and Roman. You got all of that, and God is absolutely sovereign over all empires, over all kingdoms, large and small.
But also, we’ve got the example of the role model of Daniel within that empire, within even the halls of power, also Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to a lesser degree. And so, the lesson is, this is how a godly person can function in the midst of a gentile or a pagan empire or a pagan world, and it’s a valuable lesson. So, Daniel’s an extremely skilled administrator. He’s very good at what he does. We’re going to find out in the account he is not inept, he’s not negligent, he’s not selfish, he’s not greedy, he’s focused. He’s just a phenomenal administrator or governmental leader.
Wes
Verses four and five give us a glimpse into Daniel’s private life and his personal holiness. What do we learn, and how important is the issue of personal holiness in the Christian life?
Andy
Well, first of all, we see the jealousy of others who are jealous of his position. That’s going to happen. Everybody’s motivated for selfish reasons and one of the great intoxicating forces in the world is power. And if somebody rises to Daniel’s level of power, there are going to be others that want to try to topple him. And one of the tried-and-true methods is going to be slander, accusation, finding some dirt on the guy, some skeletons in the closet. And so, Daniel’s enemies are dedicated to finding that, but they come up empty. And so, what we learned about Daniel is he’s a pure individual. He is exactly what he appears to be, which is a completely dedicated, skillful administrator, doing the will of the king. What we find out the closer that you look at his life, however, is that there was something more important than serving the king and that was serving his God.
And so, these individuals first and foremost strike out when it comes to finding skeletons in Daniel’s closet. There’s no graft, there’s no corruption, there’s no women, there’s no addictions, there’s nothing like that. There’s just a hardworking individual who also, as we’re going to find out in verse 10, prayed three times a day on his knees toward Jerusalem. That’s the only thing they can find to accuse him. So, it’s an amazing statement of Daniel. Daniel is the number one person in the Bible, other than Jesus, about whom we know many, many things but who you never see do anything wrong. The only accusations against Daniel, he makes himself in chapter nine, where he confesses his sins and the sins of the Jewish people.
But other than that, this is an individual who lived a pure life, and so his priorities were God above everything but also faithful service to the king. And he’s going to say it at the end, look, I didn’t do anything wrong against you or against the empire. And so, his false accusers are going to pay the price with their own lives. But they’re looking very carefully at his life, and it’s a challenge to me. It’s like, can you imagine if that level of scrutiny were laid on me or on any of us? Would we come up as pure and blameless as Daniel did?
Wes
Verses six through nine give us the unfolding plot of these enemies, who are persistent, though they can find nothing wrong in Daniel’s personal life. And we actually find him to be an exemplar of personal holiness. What plot do Daniel’s enemies weave, and how does Darius’s assent show moral weakness on his part?
Andy
Sure. So, in verse five, they say, we’re never going to find any grounds for accusation against this man unless it has something to do with his religion. Daniel was very religious, and his pattern of life was consistent. Three times every day, he got down on his knees and prayed. So Daniel 6:10, I had it memorized, worked on memorizing the whole book, but 6:10 stuck out to me and I thought, if this man, who was one of the three highest rulers in a vast empire, who was undoubtedly overwhelmingly busy, found time three times a day for a quiet time, then we have no excuse if we can’t find time once a day at least for a quiet time. So, here’s this individual. Now concerning the plot, his enemies are looking to find some corruption, some dirt. They come up empty, they say in verse five, we’re never going to find anything, any accusation except that it has to do with his religion.
And so, they craft a plan. They say, look, this man likes to pray. Let’s see if we can snare him concerning his habit of prayer. And they go to the King Darius, and they ask him if he’d be willing for one month to make a law that no one in the empire pray to any God, but to you, O king. Now anyone with any kind of humility or kind of genuine piety would reject this kind of thing. But these pagans, the Greeks were like this, the Romans were like this, Alexander the Great was definitely like this. They see themselves sometimes in god-like terms. They actually take on a kind of a god-like self-conception. And so, they actually think of themselves as being worthy of receiving prayer and actually willing to risk the jealousy of the gods and goddesses in their conception to say, “Look, you all are going to have to do without any kind of prayers or sacrifices being made to you for a month because it’s all going to be toward me.”
The hubris here is overwhelming. And Darius, if he had any kind of humility or any kind of piety himself, would’ve shut this thing down in an instant. Keep in mind in Acts 12, King Herod will be struck dead because his people acclaimed him, saying, “This is the voice of a god not of a man.” And immediately, because Herod didn’t give praise and glory and honor to God, he was struck down by an angel of the Lord and eaten by worms and died. So, Darius is playing with fire here. And so, this is also I think the essence of the abomination of desolation concept, that is the man of sin. The antichrist sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be god. And that’s what we’re going to see in chapter 11 as well. That’s almost a direct quote of 11. So, these gentile rulers have god complexes, and Darius was one of them. So, he actually signs into law this rule or this law that for 30 days no one should pray to any god or to anyone except to him.
Wes
Now you alluded to verse 10 a moment ago as a challenge really to all of us to consider how we use our time and excuses we might make for not having time for things like prayer and taking in God’s word. What do verses 10 and 11 teach us about Daniel’s character and prayer life?
Andy
Yeah, so we’re looking here at the man’s root system, is what we’re looking at. Here’s a holy man, dedicated, godly, courageous, compassionate. He really cared about Nebuchadnezzar, hoped that the judgment spoken against him and by the dream in chapter four would happen only to his enemies and not to him. So, he cared about Nebuchadnezzar. He’s just a remarkable man. And here we’re staring right into the root system, which is his personal practice of piety, his prayer life. And so, this is vital. I think prayer is essential to our healthy walks with the Lord, and Jesus also gives us his role model, so does Paul. And so, we get that constancy. Also, it’s remarkable in that it’s three times a day. I don’t actually know many Christians that have three quiet times every day. Furthermore, we see the humility in that he kneeled, he knelt three times a day, he got down on his knees.
“I think prayer is essential to our healthy walks with the Lord, and Jesus also gives us his role model.”
We have the same thing in Ephesians chapter three where Paul says, for this reason I kneel before the father from whom his whole family in heaven earth drives its name. So, these are the two great kneeling passages, and there are probably some others too. And that’s what I do in my quiet time. I like to kneel when I pray, and I think many Christians do that as well. But here’s Daniel, so it’s a picture of humility before God. The three times a day shows a regular aspect that it’s going to be the most important thing he does every day.
It’s also interesting that he prayed toward Jerusalem, and we learn in chapter nine that he’s specifically praying for his destroyed city, Jerusalem, and his people who are in exile, that God would restore them and rebuild the temple. And he’s praying for God’s purposes. So, he’s still thinking about Jerusalem. He’s praying toward Jerusalem three times a day, and he gave thanks, and it says giving thanks. And then in verse 11 says, he was asking help from God. So, in verse 10, he’s giving thanks to God, in verse 11 he’s asking help from God.
Wes
How did Daniel’s enemies spring their trap in verses 12 and 13?
Andy
Well, first of all, Daniel’s praying in front of an open window, so he’s not hiding it. He’s basically saying, bring it on.
Wes
I thought that when I read the first word in verse 10 in the ESV, it’s when Daniel knew. It’s like even when you get that sense, it’s like Daniel’s unflagged by the fact that there’s this new law, he’s going to continue and persevere in his piety.
Andy
So, verse 10, he’s praying toward an open window. So, he’s easily seen. He’s not ashamed of it. He’s not doing anything wrong. And it’s similar to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego when they begin to answer for the fact that they’re not going to bow down before the king’s idol. They say, “Look, we don’t need to give an answer in this matter,” and Daniel’s about the same thing. It’s like, “I’m not going to obey what you said, it’s an unlawful command, and I’m not going to follow it.”
This is one of the great examples that we have of civil disobedience to unjust commands. And as I said in my opening comments, when government overreaches itself, when government goes into areas it has no business going into, and it does that really all through this chapter. At the end, he issues a decree that everyone should fear and reverence the God of Daniel. It’s like, no, no, I’m just too much of a Baptist to think that’s such a good thing. It’s like, all right, we’re going to punish people who won’t reverence the God of Daniel. It doesn’t make much sense. We’ll get to all that. But at any rate, here’s Daniel. And he’s praying and he has no fear, and the trap is sprung very easily because we knew it, we knew it, and sure enough, here he is, he’s praying, and so they’re going to take this whole thing back to the king.
Wes
So, his enemies spring the trap. But we learned something interesting or learned more perhaps about Darius and Daniel’s relationship. Why did Darius try so hard to rescue Daniel, and what insight do his words to Daniel give us into Daniel’s witness to the king?
Andy
So clearly Darius must have felt, “I’m an idiot. What was I thinking?” And I don’t think Daniel … Well, I don’t want to overstate. Daniel learned some things here. He’d never been through the experience of being thrown into a lions’ den before. So, he learned some things in that. But I think it was really Darius that learned something here, and that is he got humbled, and he got trapped. He did not want Daniel killed, and just kind of enlightened self-interest, he’s his best administrator because he’s so good at his job the king can rest comfortably at night, knowing that the empire is being run very well. But also, I sense that there was a similar relational affection as he cries out with an anguished cry into the sealed lions’ den, “Daniel has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”
He wants him alive. He doesn’t eat or drink anything that night. He doesn’t have any entertainment brought to him. He’s very distressed. And I think it’s because there was a relational connection. So much we learned from the book of Daniel there, how to do skillful governmental work in a pagan setting, in an anti-Christian setting without compromising, what kind of person ought you to be? And Daniel puts this on display. He was not obnoxious. He didn’t flaunt his piety over people. He was the kind of person that some people, at least I think Nebuchadnezzar and Darius, really liked and he liked them. Belshazzar was the clear exception. There was no connection at all, and Daniel had nothing but disdain for him. But for Darius, I think there was a friendship.
Wes
It seems based on verse 16 as well, that Daniel hadn’t been shy about speaking of his God in front of the king either, because the king even references in verse 16, may your God whom you serve continually deliver you. And then again, as you said, when he cries out to him, he references Daniel’s faith. Daniel was open about his belief in God, even before a king who had power over his life.
Andy
And I think you’re going to see at the end of 2 Chronicles and with Ezra and all that, the 42,000 Jews that were allowed to go back and rebuild Jerusalem under the Medes and Persians, I think Daniel had a direct influence on that, his prayers and all that. And it’s like it’s time. And after the 70 years was done, I think there was a specific influence that Daniel must have had in the halls of power in the Medo-Persian empire.
Wes
How is verse 17 and Daniel’s subsequent deliverance from the den, perhaps a type or prophetic picture of Christ’s resurrection?
Andy
Right, I didn’t think about this until I linked it to the sealing of the stone with maybe a wax seal or something like that. Jesus’s stone was sealed by Pontius Pilate, and this stone was sealed also. And I think that’s where you get that type. It’s the little details, the tiny little details. A type is an acted out prophecy. It’s not a verbally predicted prophecy. It’s something that’s acted out. And so, Daniel being put into the lions’ den is a picture of Jesus’s burial, and him coming back out a picture of his resurrection. So, this is a type similar to Samson when he put his left hand in one pillar and his right hand in the other. And so that was really a picture of a cross, of how he did more damage to the halls of wickedness, Satan’s kingdom by his death and his life, that was Samson.
“Daniel being put into the lions’ den is a picture of Jesus’s burial, and him coming back out a picture of his resurrection.”
So, these are types and they’re subtle and you’re not quite sure if it’s right or not because there’s no one that talks about it in the Bible, but it looks like a type to me. And that’s because of the sealing of the stone. And so, Daniel is thrown into the lions’ den. It’s interesting that before that Darius did everything he could to find a way to deliver Daniel, but there was no way out. And I think it was because this whole law of the Medes and Persians can’t be revoked thing. That seems like strong government, it’s actually weak. You might make a mistake, and this is a clear example of making a mistake. So, if you can’t undo, if everything’s law of Medes and Persians, that’s actually bad government right there.
Wes
Andy, just as you were mentioning the details in this, I think of how easy it can be for us as we study scripture to breeze past details, perhaps in our annual Bible reading plan. You’ve mentioned before the benefits of scripture memory for pulling out these details. I’m just curious if you remember when you made that connection, and if it was memorizing either the gospel account or this passage here?
Andy
It was almost certainly memorizing Daniel and going over it. So, in my methodology, I read a verse 10 times, say it 10 times, the next day I say it again 10 times, and then I say it once a day for a hundred days. Somewhere in those a hundred days it’s like, “Hey, wait a minute.”
Wes
“Wait a minute. I think I’ve read this.”
Andy
I feel like I’ve read this somewhere before.
Wes
And not just here in this passage over those hundred days, but somewhere else.
Andy
It’s like, what’s wrong with our minds that we don’t see things right away, but we don’t? And Jesus himself said, “I’ve much to say to you, more than you can now bear.” There are times where we’re ready to learn something. It’s time now to see something. So, it’s interesting when I do my hundred days, it could be day 28 or day 44 that I’ll see that thing. It was true all along, but I never saw it. And then suddenly, wow, that’s pretty cool. So that’s that moment of illumination or inspiration. So, I would commend to our listeners the pattern of extended memorization of scripture.
Wes
Now, what is Darius’s behavior that evening and his attitude as he hurried to the den and called out in anguish teach us about his feelings for Daniel in verses 18 through 20.
Andy
Yeah, I think there’s a lot going on here. One is, I think genuine friendship- he didn’t want Daniel to die. I think enlightened self-interest. He didn’t want one of his best administrators to be taken away from him. I think there’s also some guilt here. I think he realized he did wrong. I think if he could have changed the law, he would’ve. And so that clearly is a sense of I regret what I did, it was foolish, and I didn’t see through the plot. I should have seen their jealousy.
Even Pontius Pilate knew that it was out of jealousy that the Jews had handed Jesus over to him. Pilate had enough discernment to see that, but Darius didn’t. And that was their motive, wasn’t it? They were jealous of Daniel. They wanted to take his place. And so that night he doesn’t eat or drink anything. He doesn’t listen to entertainment. He probably can’t sleep. He gets up very, very early in the morning and rushes to the lions’ den to find out what happened. So, there’s anguish and distress, and it shows, I think, a high level of relational connection with Daniel.
Wes
You almost get the sense from his anguished tone that he’s not expecting what happens next. What must Darius have felt when Daniel answered him, and why did God use an angel to deliver Daniel?
Andy
Yeah, it’s amazing. First of all, I have to imagine that the miracles- definitely Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, they’re coming out of the fiery furnace, that story probably still was well known in that part of the world, made Darius do this. Because it’s a little weird, it’s like running to the cemetery and saying, “Are you there?” It’s like what is up with you? You really expect him to live. And so, I think fundamentally there was at least a conception of the wonder-working power of the God of Daniel. And so, the anguish though, is he doesn’t expect it, so he’s not triumphant, “Boy, this is that day we’ve been looking forward to.”
Wes
Hey, you remember when God did those things for Shadrach?
Andy
He does not expect it. And why should he? I mean the lion handlers and all that, they knew their business. And it’s pretty clear by what happens to Daniel’s enemies and their families, these lions meant business. These are 600 pound killers. And so, he’s anguished and hoping against hope that something good may come of it.
Wes
And then overjoyed, certainly when he hears Daniel’s response. Why did God use an angel to deliver Daniel?
Andy
Yeah, I don’t know. It’s just a fascinating thing. And I don’t know what the angel did. I think what the outcome was, the lions were all pacified toward Daniel. They didn’t devour him. And so, they either were put to sleep or something. You think about when Peter was rescued, again in Acts 12, that same chapter, when he was rescued, God sent an angel and there were four squads of four soldiers each. And he was bound with chains, Peter was, but a deep sleep came over the soldiers, so they didn’t stir at all. And the chains fell off Peter, and the doors flew open, and he went out, and they didn’t move. And so, they were totally asleep. And so, God has the power to put a deep sleep on human beings. And certainly it seems likely that that might’ve been what happened here. And so, God used an angel.
And here’s the thing. We learn in Hebrews 1 that, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” So, God likes to work through angels. He doesn’t need angels, he doesn’t need anybody, but he likes to send them on errands and have them go do something. Imagine being that angel. It’s like, “I got a job for you tonight.” “All right, what’s happening?” It’s like, “Love to.” So, he goes down in the lions’ den, and he just touches all these [lions]. Yes, my God sent his angel.
And I love how he answers in the usual way, “O king, live forever!” And then the protestation of innocence- he says, “Look, the reason that God sent the angel is I didn’t do anything wrong against God, first and foremost, and I was found innocent in God’s sight, but I’m also innocent toward you. I didn’t do anything toward you. So, let’s keep the priorities straight. God first, you second. But I didn’t do anything wrong in either respect.”
Wes
According to verse 23, why had God rescued Daniel? And what does this show us about the priority God places on trust and faith?
Andy
It says at the end of verse 23 that the reason that God did that was that he had trusted in God. And we have, I think this whole incident alluded to in the hall of faith in Hebrews 11, where it says, “By faith, various ones conquered kingdoms, received what was promised, administered justice and shut the mouths of lions.” And so, it was because he trusted in God. So, the faith-filled life is what’s put on display here. It is by faith that Daniel was delivered from the lions’ den.
Wes
So, you mentioned this a moment ago when we were talking about the lions and what they were capable of. What does verse 24 teach us about Darius, Daniel’s enemies, and the lions, and do you think Darius was unjust here?
Andy
Well, in a biblical sense, yes. He threw his wife and kids and everything, but that’s just what they did in the ancient Near East. The pagan kings, man, they meant business. They’d wipe out your whole family. And so that was part and parcel. And so again, I don’t think it’s right, and it was contrary to laws of Moses, but they weren’t working from the laws of Moses. So, by throwing not only the men who had falsely accused Daniel, and by the way, it’s interesting that it calls it a false accusation. They actually told the truth about Daniel, what was false then about him? What was false was that he was a bad man and needed to be removed as a threat to the kingdom. Now that was false. So, they didn’t actually lie about Daniel. He did pray and to someone other than to the king.
So, I think there’s that sense of vindication. Now as soon as they are thrown into the lions’ den, these beasts overpower them and crush them and kill them before they even reach the den floor. So, they are ravenous, powerful beasts, and that heightens the miracle. Therefore, I believe that this may have been one of the greatest nights of Daniel’s life. He must have known immediately that he was going to be delivered, instantly, based on what happened to these men. So, if you make it through two seconds, you’re going to make it through. But still, I wonder if they were completely asleep, and the Bible didn’t say that they were, that’s one thing. But if they’re kind of just right there, and they’re being held at bay all night, that’s a long night. In any case though, it’s a remarkable night and a night of vindication of Daniel’s faith. But it was also justice concerning these men who had falsely accused one of God’s choice servants.
Wes
In verses 25-28, we get Darius’s decree as a result of all that’s taken place. What effect had the miracle had on him based on what he decrees, and what do you make of his decree as you alluded to earlier, in light of freedom of conscience?
Andy
So, let’s see what he says. Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and men of every language throughout the land. So, this was a conglomerate empire. It was smaller kingdoms and smaller peoples that had been conquered militarily, first by the Babylonians, probably first before then by the Assyrians, and then Babylonians, and then the Medes and Persians. And so, it was an aggregate empire. And so, we’ve got different peoples and nations, people with different cultures who were maybe weak militarily, couldn’t stand up against the mighty Persian empire. And so they’re dominated by that.
So he sends out the decree, and if you think about it, this is exactly the same kind of scope of the Great Commission. This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world is a testimony to all nations. It’s the same thing. It’s peoples that live in different regions and all that, that they should believe in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. Darius is decreeing this to all of these different peoples and those of different languages. But look what he says after saying, “May you prosper greatly.” Then he says, “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom, people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.”
Well, I think they should, I think it would be a good thing if they did, but it’s not government’s business. First of all, how is this enforceable? How are you going to find out? It’s not just that they should never say anything against the God of Daniel. Now, that’s in chapter two. I think that’s what Nebuchadnezzar said in chapter two, but here it’s they should positively fear and reverence. Well, how are you going to measure it? You’re going to bring people in and ask them questions? And some people do that. They force religion on people. The government will force, and if you don’t sign off or if you don’t burn a pinch of incense to Caesar or something like that, they’ll kill you. And so, for me, as a baptist, I believe in a separation of church and state. And I believe that government has no business ever compelling conscience in any matter, including faith in Jesus Christ, because that’s just not how faith in Christ comes.
Faith in Christ comes by the proclamation of the word, and by the secret gift of the Holy Spirit, and the sovereign power of God, not by anything government does. Government actually gets in the way and makes it worse. So, we hear stories of formerly pagan kings in Europe, the Goths or the Franks or the Visigoths or some others, and they are converted. And then they go and win a battle against some other pagan people, and they force everyone to be baptized or die. And it’s like, well, first of all, you don’t have any theology at all. You have no training, you have no knowledge of the Bible, and you’re just doing what you always do. And you’re using religion as a cudgel to beat people into submission, only its Christianity.
That’s where so-called Christendom came from. A lot of unconverted people were baptized in rivers, mass baptisms in ways that I think are completely false. And so fundamentally, I do not agree with this. I think this is not a good idea. It does show that in his heart, that Darius feared and reverenced the God of Daniel, and that’s a good thing. But you don’t export that by government edict. Then he gives reasons why, which I think is worth walking through.
Wes
Yeah, what purpose does that decree and what he declares about God in these verses serve in the biblical account? And then maybe some final thoughts on this chapter.
Andy
Sure. Well, these things are true, and this is why I worship and love the God of the Bible. And so, the things he says are true. So, let’s set aside the governmental role, which we’ve already said they should not have done this, but these things are true about God. He is the living God. All the other gods aren’t; they don’t exist. Our God actually does exist. He is the living God. He does endure forever. Where does he get this information? Must’ve been Daniel taught him, but his kingdom endures forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed. His dominion will never end, unlike the Babylonian empire, which has now been superseded by Darius’s empire. So, he knew very well that empires came to an end. He was there when the Babylonian empire came to an end, but he knew that according to the theology of Daniel, as he told him about the King of kings and the Lord of lords, that kingdom will never end. His dominion will never come to an end.
And then God rescues and saves. He rescued Daniel from the lions’ den, and he rescued Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace. He rescues and saves. He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth, that he does, and especially through his son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And he rescued Daniel from the power of the lions. And even that, imagine this edict going out. It’s like, “Whoa, what happened?” And this story being told, I think that’s pretty cool. So, I think that it could be that it was the basis of some genuine faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That would be pretty exciting. And so, then Daniel was there, and he prospered in the reign of Darius and Cyrus the Persian. Some people wonder if those are the same individual, two different names of the same individual.
I think they were two different rulers. I think the Medes and Persians were a conglomerate kingdom, and they came together. So, I think Cyrus was somebody else. Big picture, what I get out of this is it’s more of that information that Daniel has written to give us. I think the book of Job was written to teach us to suffer well. But I think the book of Daniel is given specifically to understand God’s purposes in pagan empires, the rise and fall of pagan empires and his absolute sovereignty over that, and how we should live and flourish within it. And this is a great chapter for that.
“I think the book of Daniel is given specifically to understand God’s purposes in pagan empires, the rise and fall of pagan empires and his absolute sovereignty over that, and how we should live and flourish within it.”
Wes
Well, this has been episode seven in our Daniel Bible Study podcast. We want to invite you to join us next time for episode eight, entitled The Vision of The Son of Man, where we’ll discuss Daniel 7:1-28. If you’d like to learn more about extended scripture memorization, how you can begin that journey or perhaps find encouragement along the way, you can pick up Andy’s book, How to Memorize Scripture for Life, available now from Crossway. Thank you for listening to the Two Journeys podcast and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
If you want to learn more about scripture memorization and practical ways to do it, check out Andy Davis’s booklet, “How to Memorize Scripture for Life. “
Wes
Welcome to the Two Journeys Daniel Bible study podcast. This podcast is just one of the many resources available to you for free from Two Journeys Ministry. If you’re interested in learning more, just head over to twojourneys.org. Now on to today’s episode. This is episode seven in our Daniel Bible study podcast. This episode is entitled God Rescues Daniel from Lions, where we’ll discuss Daniel 6:1-28. I’m Wes Treadway, and I’m here with Pastor Andy Davis. Andy, what are we going to see in these verses that we’re looking at today?
Andy
Well, Daniel 6 is one of the most famous stories in the Old Testament. I think maybe one of the top 50 or 100 stories that every kid learns at some point, Daniel in the lions’ den. But really what it is, it’s part of the overall project of the Holy Spirit in the book of Daniel to show how the godly can be protected and can even prosper when government overreaches itself, when government becomes toxic or aggressive. In this particular case a king was willing to be prayed to as though he were a god, and Daniel continued his private prayer life, and you protected him.
So, this is a valuable lesson for us, especially given the fact that the Bible reveals that the end of the world will be under the dominion of the antichrist, which is going to be a toxic and deadly dangerous government overreach. And Daniel 6 will stand as a timeless reminder to the people of God there that God is able to protect them and keep them if they would retain their piety and their godliness. So, Daniel’s an example of that. Look forward to walking through this chapter with you, Wes.
Wes
Let me go ahead and read the chapter, Daniel 6, as we begin:
It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”
Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” Therefore, King Darius signed the document and injunction.
When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. Then they came near and said before the king concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.” Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”
Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”
Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.
Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O, Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions-they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.
Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree that in all my royal dominion, people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for He is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and His dominion shall be to the end. He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”
So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Andy, we concluded last time, speaking about the Medes and Persians that would overthrow the Babylonians, what does verse one here in chapter 6 teach us about the extent of the Persian empire?
Andy
It was massive. It was just massive. It went from the edge of the Bosporus, or near modern day Istanbul, down, included Egypt and went all the way over to the edge of India and even included some parts of modern day India. So, it was massive, 120 districts that were ruled over this massive kingdom.
Wes
What does verse two teach us about the administration of that empire?
Andy
Well, there was a wisdom to it. All these great empires, there was a genius to the political science, a genius to being able to run the empire so that it would be maintained, and it would be cohesive, and a lot of it dealt with communication and organization. And so, we got these 120 satraps and then you’ve got three administrators or presidents or sub rulers under the emperor. And so, Daniel was one of them.
Wes
What do we learn about Daniel’s leadership from verse three?
Andy
Well, Daniel is an exceptional administrator, and this is the whole thing with the book of Daniel. We have the themes of the sovereignty of God over the nation’s rise and fall of nations, the Babylonian empire, the Medo-Persian empire, Greek and Roman. You got all of that, and God is absolutely sovereign over all empires, over all kingdoms, large and small.
But also, we’ve got the example of the role model of Daniel within that empire, within even the halls of power, also Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to a lesser degree. And so, the lesson is, this is how a godly person can function in the midst of a gentile or a pagan empire or a pagan world, and it’s a valuable lesson. So, Daniel’s an extremely skilled administrator. He’s very good at what he does. We’re going to find out in the account he is not inept, he’s not negligent, he’s not selfish, he’s not greedy, he’s focused. He’s just a phenomenal administrator or governmental leader.
Wes
Verses four and five give us a glimpse into Daniel’s private life and his personal holiness. What do we learn, and how important is the issue of personal holiness in the Christian life?
Andy
Well, first of all, we see the jealousy of others who are jealous of his position. That’s going to happen. Everybody’s motivated for selfish reasons and one of the great intoxicating forces in the world is power. And if somebody rises to Daniel’s level of power, there are going to be others that want to try to topple him. And one of the tried-and-true methods is going to be slander, accusation, finding some dirt on the guy, some skeletons in the closet. And so, Daniel’s enemies are dedicated to finding that, but they come up empty. And so, what we learned about Daniel is he’s a pure individual. He is exactly what he appears to be, which is a completely dedicated, skillful administrator, doing the will of the king. What we find out the closer that you look at his life, however, is that there was something more important than serving the king and that was serving his God.
And so, these individuals first and foremost strike out when it comes to finding skeletons in Daniel’s closet. There’s no graft, there’s no corruption, there’s no women, there’s no addictions, there’s nothing like that. There’s just a hardworking individual who also, as we’re going to find out in verse 10, prayed three times a day on his knees toward Jerusalem. That’s the only thing they can find to accuse him. So, it’s an amazing statement of Daniel. Daniel is the number one person in the Bible, other than Jesus, about whom we know many, many things but who you never see do anything wrong. The only accusations against Daniel, he makes himself in chapter nine, where he confesses his sins and the sins of the Jewish people.
But other than that, this is an individual who lived a pure life, and so his priorities were God above everything but also faithful service to the king. And he’s going to say it at the end, look, I didn’t do anything wrong against you or against the empire. And so, his false accusers are going to pay the price with their own lives. But they’re looking very carefully at his life, and it’s a challenge to me. It’s like, can you imagine if that level of scrutiny were laid on me or on any of us? Would we come up as pure and blameless as Daniel did?
Wes
Verses six through nine give us the unfolding plot of these enemies, who are persistent, though they can find nothing wrong in Daniel’s personal life. And we actually find him to be an exemplar of personal holiness. What plot do Daniel’s enemies weave, and how does Darius’s assent show moral weakness on his part?
Andy
Sure. So, in verse five, they say, we’re never going to find any grounds for accusation against this man unless it has something to do with his religion. Daniel was very religious, and his pattern of life was consistent. Three times every day, he got down on his knees and prayed. So Daniel 6:10, I had it memorized, worked on memorizing the whole book, but 6:10 stuck out to me and I thought, if this man, who was one of the three highest rulers in a vast empire, who was undoubtedly overwhelmingly busy, found time three times a day for a quiet time, then we have no excuse if we can’t find time once a day at least for a quiet time. So, here’s this individual. Now concerning the plot, his enemies are looking to find some corruption, some dirt. They come up empty, they say in verse five, we’re never going to find anything, any accusation except that it has to do with his religion.
And so, they craft a plan. They say, look, this man likes to pray. Let’s see if we can snare him concerning his habit of prayer. And they go to the King Darius, and they ask him if he’d be willing for one month to make a law that no one in the empire pray to any God, but to you, O king. Now anyone with any kind of humility or kind of genuine piety would reject this kind of thing. But these pagans, the Greeks were like this, the Romans were like this, Alexander the Great was definitely like this. They see themselves sometimes in god-like terms. They actually take on a kind of a god-like self-conception. And so, they actually think of themselves as being worthy of receiving prayer and actually willing to risk the jealousy of the gods and goddesses in their conception to say, “Look, you all are going to have to do without any kind of prayers or sacrifices being made to you for a month because it’s all going to be toward me.”
The hubris here is overwhelming. And Darius, if he had any kind of humility or any kind of piety himself, would’ve shut this thing down in an instant. Keep in mind in Acts 12, King Herod will be struck dead because his people acclaimed him, saying, “This is the voice of a god not of a man.” And immediately, because Herod didn’t give praise and glory and honor to God, he was struck down by an angel of the Lord and eaten by worms and died. So, Darius is playing with fire here. And so, this is also I think the essence of the abomination of desolation concept, that is the man of sin. The antichrist sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be god. And that’s what we’re going to see in chapter 11 as well. That’s almost a direct quote of 11. So, these gentile rulers have god complexes, and Darius was one of them. So, he actually signs into law this rule or this law that for 30 days no one should pray to any god or to anyone except to him.
Wes
Now you alluded to verse 10 a moment ago as a challenge really to all of us to consider how we use our time and excuses we might make for not having time for things like prayer and taking in God’s word. What do verses 10 and 11 teach us about Daniel’s character and prayer life?
Andy
Yeah, so we’re looking here at the man’s root system, is what we’re looking at. Here’s a holy man, dedicated, godly, courageous, compassionate. He really cared about Nebuchadnezzar, hoped that the judgment spoken against him and by the dream in chapter four would happen only to his enemies and not to him. So, he cared about Nebuchadnezzar. He’s just a remarkable man. And here we’re staring right into the root system, which is his personal practice of piety, his prayer life. And so, this is vital. I think prayer is essential to our healthy walks with the Lord, and Jesus also gives us his role model, so does Paul. And so, we get that constancy. Also, it’s remarkable in that it’s three times a day. I don’t actually know many Christians that have three quiet times every day. Furthermore, we see the humility in that he kneeled, he knelt three times a day, he got down on his knees.
“I think prayer is essential to our healthy walks with the Lord, and Jesus also gives us his role model.”
We have the same thing in Ephesians chapter three where Paul says, for this reason I kneel before the father from whom his whole family in heaven earth drives its name. So, these are the two great kneeling passages, and there are probably some others too. And that’s what I do in my quiet time. I like to kneel when I pray, and I think many Christians do that as well. But here’s Daniel, so it’s a picture of humility before God. The three times a day shows a regular aspect that it’s going to be the most important thing he does every day.
It’s also interesting that he prayed toward Jerusalem, and we learn in chapter nine that he’s specifically praying for his destroyed city, Jerusalem, and his people who are in exile, that God would restore them and rebuild the temple. And he’s praying for God’s purposes. So, he’s still thinking about Jerusalem. He’s praying toward Jerusalem three times a day, and he gave thanks, and it says giving thanks. And then in verse 11 says, he was asking help from God. So, in verse 10, he’s giving thanks to God, in verse 11 he’s asking help from God.
Wes
How did Daniel’s enemies spring their trap in verses 12 and 13?
Andy
Well, first of all, Daniel’s praying in front of an open window, so he’s not hiding it. He’s basically saying, bring it on.
Wes
I thought that when I read the first word in verse 10 in the ESV, it’s when Daniel knew. It’s like even when you get that sense, it’s like Daniel’s unflagged by the fact that there’s this new law, he’s going to continue and persevere in his piety.
Andy
So, verse 10, he’s praying toward an open window. So, he’s easily seen. He’s not ashamed of it. He’s not doing anything wrong. And it’s similar to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego when they begin to answer for the fact that they’re not going to bow down before the king’s idol. They say, “Look, we don’t need to give an answer in this matter,” and Daniel’s about the same thing. It’s like, “I’m not going to obey what you said, it’s an unlawful command, and I’m not going to follow it.”
This is one of the great examples that we have of civil disobedience to unjust commands. And as I said in my opening comments, when government overreaches itself, when government goes into areas it has no business going into, and it does that really all through this chapter. At the end, he issues a decree that everyone should fear and reverence the God of Daniel. It’s like, no, no, I’m just too much of a Baptist to think that’s such a good thing. It’s like, all right, we’re going to punish people who won’t reverence the God of Daniel. It doesn’t make much sense. We’ll get to all that. But at any rate, here’s Daniel. And he’s praying and he has no fear, and the trap is sprung very easily because we knew it, we knew it, and sure enough, here he is, he’s praying, and so they’re going to take this whole thing back to the king.
Wes
So, his enemies spring the trap. But we learned something interesting or learned more perhaps about Darius and Daniel’s relationship. Why did Darius try so hard to rescue Daniel, and what insight do his words to Daniel give us into Daniel’s witness to the king?
Andy
So clearly Darius must have felt, “I’m an idiot. What was I thinking?” And I don’t think Daniel … Well, I don’t want to overstate. Daniel learned some things here. He’d never been through the experience of being thrown into a lions’ den before. So, he learned some things in that. But I think it was really Darius that learned something here, and that is he got humbled, and he got trapped. He did not want Daniel killed, and just kind of enlightened self-interest, he’s his best administrator because he’s so good at his job the king can rest comfortably at night, knowing that the empire is being run very well. But also, I sense that there was a similar relational affection as he cries out with an anguished cry into the sealed lions’ den, “Daniel has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”
He wants him alive. He doesn’t eat or drink anything that night. He doesn’t have any entertainment brought to him. He’s very distressed. And I think it’s because there was a relational connection. So much we learned from the book of Daniel there, how to do skillful governmental work in a pagan setting, in an anti-Christian setting without compromising, what kind of person ought you to be? And Daniel puts this on display. He was not obnoxious. He didn’t flaunt his piety over people. He was the kind of person that some people, at least I think Nebuchadnezzar and Darius, really liked and he liked them. Belshazzar was the clear exception. There was no connection at all, and Daniel had nothing but disdain for him. But for Darius, I think there was a friendship.
Wes
It seems based on verse 16 as well, that Daniel hadn’t been shy about speaking of his God in front of the king either, because the king even references in verse 16, may your God whom you serve continually deliver you. And then again, as you said, when he cries out to him, he references Daniel’s faith. Daniel was open about his belief in God, even before a king who had power over his life.
Andy
And I think you’re going to see at the end of 2 Chronicles and with Ezra and all that, the 42,000 Jews that were allowed to go back and rebuild Jerusalem under the Medes and Persians, I think Daniel had a direct influence on that, his prayers and all that. And it’s like it’s time. And after the 70 years was done, I think there was a specific influence that Daniel must have had in the halls of power in the Medo-Persian empire.
Wes
How is verse 17 and Daniel’s subsequent deliverance from the den, perhaps a type or prophetic picture of Christ’s resurrection?
Andy
Right, I didn’t think about this until I linked it to the sealing of the stone with maybe a wax seal or something like that. Jesus’s stone was sealed by Pontius Pilate, and this stone was sealed also. And I think that’s where you get that type. It’s the little details, the tiny little details. A type is an acted out prophecy. It’s not a verbally predicted prophecy. It’s something that’s acted out. And so, Daniel being put into the lions’ den is a picture of Jesus’s burial, and him coming back out a picture of his resurrection. So, this is a type similar to Samson when he put his left hand in one pillar and his right hand in the other. And so that was really a picture of a cross, of how he did more damage to the halls of wickedness, Satan’s kingdom by his death and his life, that was Samson.
“Daniel being put into the lions’ den is a picture of Jesus’s burial, and him coming back out a picture of his resurrection.”
So, these are types and they’re subtle and you’re not quite sure if it’s right or not because there’s no one that talks about it in the Bible, but it looks like a type to me. And that’s because of the sealing of the stone. And so, Daniel is thrown into the lions’ den. It’s interesting that before that Darius did everything he could to find a way to deliver Daniel, but there was no way out. And I think it was because this whole law of the Medes and Persians can’t be revoked thing. That seems like strong government, it’s actually weak. You might make a mistake, and this is a clear example of making a mistake. So, if you can’t undo, if everything’s law of Medes and Persians, that’s actually bad government right there.
Wes
Andy, just as you were mentioning the details in this, I think of how easy it can be for us as we study scripture to breeze past details, perhaps in our annual Bible reading plan. You’ve mentioned before the benefits of scripture memory for pulling out these details. I’m just curious if you remember when you made that connection, and if it was memorizing either the gospel account or this passage here?
Andy
It was almost certainly memorizing Daniel and going over it. So, in my methodology, I read a verse 10 times, say it 10 times, the next day I say it again 10 times, and then I say it once a day for a hundred days. Somewhere in those a hundred days it’s like, “Hey, wait a minute.”
Wes
“Wait a minute. I think I’ve read this.”
Andy
I feel like I’ve read this somewhere before.
Wes
And not just here in this passage over those hundred days, but somewhere else.
Andy
It’s like, what’s wrong with our minds that we don’t see things right away, but we don’t? And Jesus himself said, “I’ve much to say to you, more than you can now bear.” There are times where we’re ready to learn something. It’s time now to see something. So, it’s interesting when I do my hundred days, it could be day 28 or day 44 that I’ll see that thing. It was true all along, but I never saw it. And then suddenly, wow, that’s pretty cool. So that’s that moment of illumination or inspiration. So, I would commend to our listeners the pattern of extended memorization of scripture.
Wes
Now, what is Darius’s behavior that evening and his attitude as he hurried to the den and called out in anguish teach us about his feelings for Daniel in verses 18 through 20.
Andy
Yeah, I think there’s a lot going on here. One is, I think genuine friendship- he didn’t want Daniel to die. I think enlightened self-interest. He didn’t want one of his best administrators to be taken away from him. I think there’s also some guilt here. I think he realized he did wrong. I think if he could have changed the law, he would’ve. And so that clearly is a sense of I regret what I did, it was foolish, and I didn’t see through the plot. I should have seen their jealousy.
Even Pontius Pilate knew that it was out of jealousy that the Jews had handed Jesus over to him. Pilate had enough discernment to see that, but Darius didn’t. And that was their motive, wasn’t it? They were jealous of Daniel. They wanted to take his place. And so that night he doesn’t eat or drink anything. He doesn’t listen to entertainment. He probably can’t sleep. He gets up very, very early in the morning and rushes to the lions’ den to find out what happened. So, there’s anguish and distress, and it shows, I think, a high level of relational connection with Daniel.
Wes
You almost get the sense from his anguished tone that he’s not expecting what happens next. What must Darius have felt when Daniel answered him, and why did God use an angel to deliver Daniel?
Andy
Yeah, it’s amazing. First of all, I have to imagine that the miracles- definitely Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, they’re coming out of the fiery furnace, that story probably still was well known in that part of the world, made Darius do this. Because it’s a little weird, it’s like running to the cemetery and saying, “Are you there?” It’s like what is up with you? You really expect him to live. And so, I think fundamentally there was at least a conception of the wonder-working power of the God of Daniel. And so, the anguish though, is he doesn’t expect it, so he’s not triumphant, “Boy, this is that day we’ve been looking forward to.”
Wes
Hey, you remember when God did those things for Shadrach?
Andy
He does not expect it. And why should he? I mean the lion handlers and all that, they knew their business. And it’s pretty clear by what happens to Daniel’s enemies and their families, these lions meant business. These are 600 pound killers. And so, he’s anguished and hoping against hope that something good may come of it.
Wes
And then overjoyed, certainly when he hears Daniel’s response. Why did God use an angel to deliver Daniel?
Andy
Yeah, I don’t know. It’s just a fascinating thing. And I don’t know what the angel did. I think what the outcome was, the lions were all pacified toward Daniel. They didn’t devour him. And so, they either were put to sleep or something. You think about when Peter was rescued, again in Acts 12, that same chapter, when he was rescued, God sent an angel and there were four squads of four soldiers each. And he was bound with chains, Peter was, but a deep sleep came over the soldiers, so they didn’t stir at all. And the chains fell off Peter, and the doors flew open, and he went out, and they didn’t move. And so, they were totally asleep. And so, God has the power to put a deep sleep on human beings. And certainly it seems likely that that might’ve been what happened here. And so, God used an angel.
And here’s the thing. We learn in Hebrews 1 that, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” So, God likes to work through angels. He doesn’t need angels, he doesn’t need anybody, but he likes to send them on errands and have them go do something. Imagine being that angel. It’s like, “I got a job for you tonight.” “All right, what’s happening?” It’s like, “Love to.” So, he goes down in the lions’ den, and he just touches all these [lions]. Yes, my God sent his angel.
And I love how he answers in the usual way, “O king, live forever!” And then the protestation of innocence- he says, “Look, the reason that God sent the angel is I didn’t do anything wrong against God, first and foremost, and I was found innocent in God’s sight, but I’m also innocent toward you. I didn’t do anything toward you. So, let’s keep the priorities straight. God first, you second. But I didn’t do anything wrong in either respect.”
Wes
According to verse 23, why had God rescued Daniel? And what does this show us about the priority God places on trust and faith?
Andy
It says at the end of verse 23 that the reason that God did that was that he had trusted in God. And we have, I think this whole incident alluded to in the hall of faith in Hebrews 11, where it says, “By faith, various ones conquered kingdoms, received what was promised, administered justice and shut the mouths of lions.” And so, it was because he trusted in God. So, the faith-filled life is what’s put on display here. It is by faith that Daniel was delivered from the lions’ den.
Wes
So, you mentioned this a moment ago when we were talking about the lions and what they were capable of. What does verse 24 teach us about Darius, Daniel’s enemies, and the lions, and do you think Darius was unjust here?
Andy
Well, in a biblical sense, yes. He threw his wife and kids and everything, but that’s just what they did in the ancient Near East. The pagan kings, man, they meant business. They’d wipe out your whole family. And so that was part and parcel. And so again, I don’t think it’s right, and it was contrary to laws of Moses, but they weren’t working from the laws of Moses. So, by throwing not only the men who had falsely accused Daniel, and by the way, it’s interesting that it calls it a false accusation. They actually told the truth about Daniel, what was false then about him? What was false was that he was a bad man and needed to be removed as a threat to the kingdom. Now that was false. So, they didn’t actually lie about Daniel. He did pray and to someone other than to the king.
So, I think there’s that sense of vindication. Now as soon as they are thrown into the lions’ den, these beasts overpower them and crush them and kill them before they even reach the den floor. So, they are ravenous, powerful beasts, and that heightens the miracle. Therefore, I believe that this may have been one of the greatest nights of Daniel’s life. He must have known immediately that he was going to be delivered, instantly, based on what happened to these men. So, if you make it through two seconds, you’re going to make it through. But still, I wonder if they were completely asleep, and the Bible didn’t say that they were, that’s one thing. But if they’re kind of just right there, and they’re being held at bay all night, that’s a long night. In any case though, it’s a remarkable night and a night of vindication of Daniel’s faith. But it was also justice concerning these men who had falsely accused one of God’s choice servants.
Wes
In verses 25-28, we get Darius’s decree as a result of all that’s taken place. What effect had the miracle had on him based on what he decrees, and what do you make of his decree as you alluded to earlier, in light of freedom of conscience?
Andy
So, let’s see what he says. Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and men of every language throughout the land. So, this was a conglomerate empire. It was smaller kingdoms and smaller peoples that had been conquered militarily, first by the Babylonians, probably first before then by the Assyrians, and then Babylonians, and then the Medes and Persians. And so, it was an aggregate empire. And so, we’ve got different peoples and nations, people with different cultures who were maybe weak militarily, couldn’t stand up against the mighty Persian empire. And so they’re dominated by that.
So he sends out the decree, and if you think about it, this is exactly the same kind of scope of the Great Commission. This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world is a testimony to all nations. It’s the same thing. It’s peoples that live in different regions and all that, that they should believe in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. Darius is decreeing this to all of these different peoples and those of different languages. But look what he says after saying, “May you prosper greatly.” Then he says, “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom, people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.”
Well, I think they should, I think it would be a good thing if they did, but it’s not government’s business. First of all, how is this enforceable? How are you going to find out? It’s not just that they should never say anything against the God of Daniel. Now, that’s in chapter two. I think that’s what Nebuchadnezzar said in chapter two, but here it’s they should positively fear and reverence. Well, how are you going to measure it? You’re going to bring people in and ask them questions? And some people do that. They force religion on people. The government will force, and if you don’t sign off or if you don’t burn a pinch of incense to Caesar or something like that, they’ll kill you. And so, for me, as a baptist, I believe in a separation of church and state. And I believe that government has no business ever compelling conscience in any matter, including faith in Jesus Christ, because that’s just not how faith in Christ comes.
Faith in Christ comes by the proclamation of the word, and by the secret gift of the Holy Spirit, and the sovereign power of God, not by anything government does. Government actually gets in the way and makes it worse. So, we hear stories of formerly pagan kings in Europe, the Goths or the Franks or the Visigoths or some others, and they are converted. And then they go and win a battle against some other pagan people, and they force everyone to be baptized or die. And it’s like, well, first of all, you don’t have any theology at all. You have no training, you have no knowledge of the Bible, and you’re just doing what you always do. And you’re using religion as a cudgel to beat people into submission, only its Christianity.
That’s where so-called Christendom came from. A lot of unconverted people were baptized in rivers, mass baptisms in ways that I think are completely false. And so fundamentally, I do not agree with this. I think this is not a good idea. It does show that in his heart, that Darius feared and reverenced the God of Daniel, and that’s a good thing. But you don’t export that by government edict. Then he gives reasons why, which I think is worth walking through.
Wes
Yeah, what purpose does that decree and what he declares about God in these verses serve in the biblical account? And then maybe some final thoughts on this chapter.
Andy
Sure. Well, these things are true, and this is why I worship and love the God of the Bible. And so, the things he says are true. So, let’s set aside the governmental role, which we’ve already said they should not have done this, but these things are true about God. He is the living God. All the other gods aren’t; they don’t exist. Our God actually does exist. He is the living God. He does endure forever. Where does he get this information? Must’ve been Daniel taught him, but his kingdom endures forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed. His dominion will never end, unlike the Babylonian empire, which has now been superseded by Darius’s empire. So, he knew very well that empires came to an end. He was there when the Babylonian empire came to an end, but he knew that according to the theology of Daniel, as he told him about the King of kings and the Lord of lords, that kingdom will never end. His dominion will never come to an end.
And then God rescues and saves. He rescued Daniel from the lions’ den, and he rescued Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace. He rescues and saves. He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth, that he does, and especially through his son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And he rescued Daniel from the power of the lions. And even that, imagine this edict going out. It’s like, “Whoa, what happened?” And this story being told, I think that’s pretty cool. So, I think that it could be that it was the basis of some genuine faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That would be pretty exciting. And so, then Daniel was there, and he prospered in the reign of Darius and Cyrus the Persian. Some people wonder if those are the same individual, two different names of the same individual.
I think they were two different rulers. I think the Medes and Persians were a conglomerate kingdom, and they came together. So, I think Cyrus was somebody else. Big picture, what I get out of this is it’s more of that information that Daniel has written to give us. I think the book of Job was written to teach us to suffer well. But I think the book of Daniel is given specifically to understand God’s purposes in pagan empires, the rise and fall of pagan empires and his absolute sovereignty over that, and how we should live and flourish within it. And this is a great chapter for that.
“I think the book of Daniel is given specifically to understand God’s purposes in pagan empires, the rise and fall of pagan empires and his absolute sovereignty over that, and how we should live and flourish within it.”
Wes
Well, this has been episode seven in our Daniel Bible Study podcast. We want to invite you to join us next time for episode eight, entitled The Vision of The Son of Man, where we’ll discuss Daniel 7:1-28. If you’d like to learn more about extended scripture memorization, how you can begin that journey or perhaps find encouragement along the way, you can pick up Andy’s book, How to Memorize Scripture for Life, available now from Crossway. Thank you for listening to the Two Journeys podcast and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
If you want to learn more about scripture memorization and practical ways to do it, check out Andy Davis’s booklet, “How to Memorize Scripture for Life. “
