Old Testament - Daniel 6 - November 6, 2022

11/6/2022 – Daniel 6

Darius is now the ruler of Babylon. He has chosen 120 princes to watch over the entire kingdom. And he also chose 3 men to monitor these 120 princes. He chose Daniel to be the first of those 3 presidents. This presidency would gather the accounts of all the princes to be sure that “the king should have no damage.” (2)  V 3 tells us that “Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.”

It was then that the presidents and the princes all worked to discover weaknesses and mistakes that Daniel might make, “but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.” (v 4). But they conjured up a plan to use Daniel’s faithfulness against him. They went to the king with the plan to build a royal statute, and then to bring the people even closer to the king, a royal decree was sent out saying: “whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days…shall be cast into the den of lions.” (v 7) The king happily agreed with this plan, and it was set in place.

Daniel was well aware that this degree had been signed and was active. He went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.” (v 10)

The conniving men went to the king with the evidence of Daniel’s ignoring this new kingly degree. He king was upset that he had not realized how this would affect Daniel and the king “set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.” (v 14) Those who were so jealous of Daniel went to the king reminding him that Daniel must now be thrown into the lions’ den. The king knew he had to carry through with his decree. Just before Daniel was put into the lions’ den, the king spoke to him:” Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.”  

Daniel was put into the den and the door was sealed. The king went back to his palace and “passed the night fasting; neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.”  (v 18) The first thing the king did the next morning was to rush to the lions’ den. He yelled to Daniel asking him if his God “whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?” (v20) Daniel responded to his king: “My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.” (v22) 

The king was “exceedingly glad” and ordered Daniel to be brought out of the lions’ den.  The king then commanded that all the men who had accused Daniel were to be put into the lions’ den, along with all of their families.

Then the king made another degree to “all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. ….in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast fore ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.”

And the final verse (v 28) assures us that “Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius” and or Cyrus, and he had already served 3 other kings: Nebuchadnezzar, Evil-merodach, and Belshazzar. The history books tell us that “Few courtiers have had so long a reign, served so many masters without flattering any, been more successful in their management of public affairs, been so useful to the states where they were in office, or have been more owned of God, or have left such an example to posterity.”