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 Charta. 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!
