|
|
Daniel in the Lion’s
Den Daniel 6 When
they told me I got to do a lesson on Daniel in the Lion’s Den -- it was not
pleasant. Every 3 year old in
Sunday School knows the story; this
was going to be a cure for insomnia. But
I looked at it again, for the Scripture is never without new insights and
profit, no matter how many times you read it.
As you grow in Christ, so does the depth of the Bible.
Even the old and familiar can be new again.
So, let’s look at an old friend through new eyes. The Auditor {6:1}
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. -- Daniel 6:1-2 (NIV) Let’s make no mistake as to what is going on
here: it’s money.
Tax money, to be specific. These
satraps are charged with handling the king’s money, and Daniel and the other
administrators are charged with being their auditors. Hence the phrase, “the king might not suffer loss.” Isn’t it curious how things don’t change?
2500 years ago, integrity was a key requirement for government office.
Have things changed that much? Some
seem to think so. Today we have the
idea that parts of morality can be broken off and kept separate.
It’s OK to cheat on your wife, of course, as long as you don’t fudge
your tax records. We have a
president who thinks that his infidelity to his wife is irrelevant to his
presidency. Perhaps his infidelity
is irrelevant -- but his integrity (or lack of it) is not.
Integrity means a one-ness of person.
It means that you keep your promises -- whether these are made to your
wife, your government, or your small children.
Some questions to consider, for politicians today: ·
Does
character count? ·
Is morality
really made of little, separate pieces? Envy
and Corruption {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. --
Daniel 6:3-4 (NIV) Envy is the sin of the have-nots against the haves.
So said Dorothy Sayers. Here
we have a different form of envy: the
envy of integrity. Daniel has it,
and they know it. In the fashion of
those who covet that which is their neighbor’s, if they can’t have it,
they’ll make certain Daniel can’t either.
There is a Christian response to this.
I am reminded of the preacher who was faced with the fact that two nearby
churches had world famous preachers in their pulpits.
He said he had poor attendance -- until he began praying for the success
of his rivals. They were so
successful that their churches overflowed -- and the overflow filled his. We also see in this passage the basic mechanism of
corruption: group theft.
Embezzlement is done in the middle of the night and fog;
corruption is so much easier because everybody does it.
If everybody does it, then who needs to hide it?
But look what one man does to corruption -- and look what it almost costs
him. A
testimonial to clean living {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." -- Daniel 6:5 (NIV) How many of us could pass this test?
These guys, who do not believe in Daniel’s God, know quite well that he
does. They are so confident of his
belief in God that they figure it’s the only way they can trap him!
I would wonder aloud whether or not anyone would think of trapping me
this way. The
King and the Law {6}
So the administrators and the satraps went as a group to the king and said:
"O 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 man during the
next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions' den.
{8} Now, O king, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be
altered--in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be
repealed." {9} So King Darius put the decree in writing. -- Daniel 6:6-9 (NIV) Flattery is the enemy of the ruler, then and now.
We have seen in our own lifetime how the “imperial presidency” has
produced the hubris which brings men to fall.
Think how it must feel to have every one in the room, smart and able
people all, start their sentences with, “Mr. President, ...”
This does not go well with humility as a virtue.
The ancients knew this, and they faced from it a
problem which is with us today. How
do we keep the king underneath the law? Here
are some of the solutions which have achieved fame - justly or unjustly: ·
The Persian
method - the law can’t be changed, even by the king.
The law “which altereth not (KJV)” provided a security to those under
the king. In essence, the approach
is, “I can play by any rules you like -- just tell me the rules, and don’t
change them.” This passage shows
the danger of this approach. ·
The English
method -- as shown in Magna Carta. The
law is the Common Law; it exists
independently of the king, and the king is subject to it.
The king and Parliament may amplify and extend it, but it exists first
and foremost. ·
The American
method, which substitutes the Constitution, with its checks and balances, for
the Common Law. ·
The humanist
method, which holds that man is the author of right and wrong, and that these
change with the situation. Now the
whole concept of king under law is trivial -- we just change the law.
(And who better than the king? The
Fuehrer is always right!) The
habits of a Godly man {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. -- Daniel 6:10-11 (NIV) Some might ask why Daniel prayed three times a day.
This is not commanded, but is a custom of the Jews.
It seems a good number: ·
You don’t
want to pray too often, for the temptation is to trivialize prayer into “Me
and Jesus in the phone booth.” (Remember
the rabbi and the emperor). ·
But three
times a day puts God in your daily life so frequently that you notice it.
As I write this, I must sit in the hot tub three times a day, twenty
minutes each. It gets your
attention. (Should I not be praying
in the hot tub, redeeming the time?????) Note too that Daniel goes to prayer after he learns the decree is published. This is no mistake. It
is not an oversight. Daniel knows
who is sovereign, and worships him. There
is no god before Him. Note too that your “private life” is fair game
for the state -- if you’re in their way.
All this talk that religion is what you do with your solitude is
nonsense. If you are a Christian,
your prayer life will flow into your public life.
The state will not like this either. It is no surprise that Daniel is “asking God for
help.” I suspect this is not so
much specific defiance of the king’s decree as it is the acknowledgment that
Daniel needs it. The
trap sprung {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 man except to you, O king, would be thrown into the lions' den?" The
king answered, "The decree stands--in accordance with the laws 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, O
king, 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 the king and said to him,
"Remember, O king, 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!" -- Daniel 6:12-16 (NIV) {Note: The
NASV phrase the last phrase as, “Your God whom you constantly serve will
Himself deliver you.” This may be
yet another testimonial to God shining through Daniel.} The king knows when he’s been had. His conduct shows two things: ·
He know
where the right lies. He tries his
best to find a loophole to save Daniel. He
is worried and upset. ·
He also is a
prisoner of his own system. Ultimately,
he must do as he was trapped into doing. In
the Lion’s Den
{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.
-- Daniel 6:17-19 (NIV) {Note: the
signet ring and seal are done with wax or lead.
By doing this, Darius ensures that Daniel cannot be removed by mortal man
without his knowing it.} The righteousness of Darius, limited as it is, is
shown here. Some thoughts on
Darius: ·
He’s
basically a fair man, for he is sick with worry about this.
He feels guilty. ·
The first
change he gets, he’s there to help. ·
He “means
well feebly.” No command decision comes from Darius; perhaps he was not that sure of his position with Cyrus?
The commanding position of courage in character is shown once again. Daniel
Saved - by innocence and trust {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, "O 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, O king."
{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. -- Daniel 6:20-23 (NIV) Daniel is saved in the lion’s den. The Scripture gives us three reasons why God did this for
Daniel: ·
He is
innocent before God. ·
He is also
innocent before the king. How many
of us feel pious in the presence of God, but don’t really mind cheating our
boss a little? ·
He trusts
God. He goes into the lion’s den
knowing that God can save him -- even if he doesn’t know if he will save him.
Whatever his fate, it belongs to God. A
dark passage {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. -- Daniel 6:24 (NIV) This is one of those verses we’d like to skip
over. We can look this in a number
of ways: ·
The king
viewed the lion’s den as the later English would treat “trial by ordeal.”
·
The fact
that Daniel is spared means he is innocent -- and therefore his accusers must be
guilty. The sticking point is here:
why are the families thrown in too?
What did they ever do? This
is a typical American view; there
is no collective responsibility. Darius
might have made these arguments: ·
By
destroying the family, I eliminated all possibility of vengeance and
retribution. ·
By
destroying the family, I emphasize the fact that punishment is not just on the
guilty man, but on his family. This
is a greater deterrent. Think in
our own time what would happen if the parents of taggers went to jail! Daniel might have quoted the Scriptures: {18}
'The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion.
Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the
sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.' -- Numbers 14:18 (NIV) {28} For the LORD loves the just and will not
forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of
the wicked will be cut off; -- Psalms 37:28 (NIV) The Character of God
Revealed {25} Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples,
nations and men of every language throughout the land: "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.
-- Daniel 6:25-28 (NIV) It’s interesting to end this lesson with what
Darius has learned about Daniel’s God: ·
He is the
living God -- not a concept, not an ideal, not a wood and stone idol, but
living. ·
He is
eternal, living forever. ·
Not only is
He eternal, but his dominion is eternal also.
God reigns! ·
He is no far
off, cosmic concept. This is the
God who rescues and saves, who performs signs and wonders. It seems to me that Darius the Mede knew him better
than many men today! |
  
|