Read Daniel 6
Daniel in the Den of Lions
6 It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom,2 with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. 3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5 Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”
6 So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! 7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. 8 Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 9 So King Darius put the decree in writing.
10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. 12 So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?”
The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”
13 Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah,pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” 14 When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.
15 Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.”
16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”
17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.
19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den.20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”
21 Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! 22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”
23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
24 At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
25 Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth:
“May you prosper greatly!
26 “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.
“For he is the living God
and he endures forever;
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
his dominion will never end.
27 He rescues and he saves;
he performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Go Deeper
This is a story that many of us have read before, but it is so powerful to read it again within the greater story of Daniel! Daniel lived above reproach, stood firm in the face of fear, and pointed people to the One True God. His faith was unwavering. This chapter begins with a plot against Daniel. Daniel and his friends were in exile in Babylon and gained favor with King Darius. However, people became jealous of Daniel and plotted against him. The problem was, they couldn’t find any charge against Daniel. He was, “trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent” (v. 4). The only way they could get him in trouble was if it went against the God he served. He lived above reproach in everything he did.
Daniel obeyed God as his ultimate authority, not the king’s decree, and that led him into the lion’s den. King Darius sealed it with his signet ring, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. But we know that God is sovereign, and there is no king or power on earth that can seal the fate of our life. God shut the mouths of the lions and Daniel came out unharmed. There was no wound found on him. As a result of the work of God and the faithfulness of Daniel, King Daruis issued a new decree. He was so moved by this miracle that he said, “In every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel” (v. 26). King Darius praised the Lord saying, “For he is the living God, and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions” (v. 27). Daniel’s loyalty to God in a dire circumstance led an entire nation to come to know and worship the Lord.
This story of Daniel ultimately points to Jesus! Daniel is considered to be a typology in Scripture, or a type of Christ, in numerous ways. He is called a “servant of the living God,” which is also one of the ways Jesus was described (Acts 3:26). Daniel was a righteous man who walked with God. The people couldn’t find any charge against Daniel, so his enemies manipulated the ruler to put him to death. The same is true of Jesus. The chief priests and elders couldn’t find any guilt in Jesus, but His enemies pressured Pontius Pilate to release Him to be crucified (Luke 23:4). Daniel’s enemies wanted him to bow to something other than his God, and The enemy wanted Jesus to bow down and worship him while he was tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:9).
Despite the betrayal Daniel faced, he continued in steadfast prayer and remained faithful to the One he served. In the same way, Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane prayed saying, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Neither uttered a word in self-defense and both were placed in a cave with a rock sealed over it. They were both found alive in the same place they were supposed to be dead, after a miracle took place. People came to know the one true God because of their faithfulness. They were both surrendered to the perfect will of the Father, and it led Daniel to the lion’s den and Jesus to the cross.
Proverbs 28:1 says that “the righteous are as bold as a lion.” Daniel is the epitome of boldness and fearlessness. He stared at the face of a lion and declared that his God was more powerful. In the midst of this trial, Daniel had a firm trust in the Lord. We might find ourselves in situations where we feel like we are in the lion’s den, but that gives us a greater opportunity to depend on the Lord. Regardless of our situation, we can walk boldly believing God is who He says He is. Our God is a God who shuts the mouths of lions and raises the dead to life. He is a sovereign God whose dominion will endure forever. He always has us, He’s always for us, and He’s always with us.
Questions
- Daniel lived above reproach to the point where his enemies could find no charge against him. What does it look like for you to live above reproach?
- Like Daniel, we can be walking in the perfect will of God and still end up in the lion’s den. What is a trial you have faced? Have you used a trial in your life to point people to Jesus?
- The same God who delivered Daniel from the lion’s den is still performing miracles today. What is a miracle you have seen God do? What is something that God has delivered you from? Praise Him for that today!
Keep Digging
Are you interested in diving deeper into this famous Old Testament story? Check out this article from GotQuestions.org to learn more!
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4 thoughts on “Daniel 6”
As I read this familiar story of Daniel’s miraculous deliverance from the lion’s den, I paid close attention to how Daniel lived prior to the event. He made it a point to live everyday so that he not only distinguished himself before men but also unto God. For a devout, exiled Jew living in a pagan culture, his faith would have been put to the ultimate test. The temptation to blend in would be a constant challenge. Not once does scripture record that Daniel was bitter or complaining but that “he prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God” (v10). He prepared for any challenge thrown his way by investing in prayer to the God who saves. Prayer was his lifeline to God, as it should be ours. Although he answered to King Darius, ultimately he served God. What if we used trials as a way to magnify our great God as Daniel did? What if we lived impeccable lives unto Jesus so that his name be glorified?
My take aways from reading about Daniel is to have a disciplined prayer life. Prayer is our direct lifeline to God. We should conduct our whole life above reproach, (easier said than done for me) and we will have nothing to hide. Criticism will still come, but there will be no legitimate charges if we live in this manner. God, who delivered Daniel, will deliver us. To trust God is to have immeasurable peace.
May the peace of our Lod and Savior rest in you today!
Correction, Lord.
Daniel had the fear of God/awe of God. Holiness is an outward reality in the way we live and Daniel lived that out. He never wavered in his commitment to God. He did as he always did, flung the windows open wide and prayed 3X a day consistently. His beliefs and actions of his beliefs never faltered. His life was an effective balance between grace and truth. A true holiness, fear of God in maturity. Integrity without compromise. Doing the right thing without grumbling. Not being critical of others when they are not doing the right things but showing them who God is by your actions so that they come back and say vs 26 “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.
God thank You for my commitment to You!! Thank You for my desire to be wholly and completely committed to following You. Help me to fling my windows open and pray pray pray. Guide me with grace and truth for increase in maturity. I desire to do right things and make right choices without grumbling and mummering. I desire to live outwardly with what You are doing with me inwardly in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!