Daniel-the lions didn’t hurt him!
Introduction: After Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians, Daniel’s life was spared and he was given a position under the new rulers. Eventually some of the other officials became jealous and conspired to have Daniel put to death—by being thrown into a den of lions. Even there, God was with Daniel and again kept him safe so that the lions didn’t even touch him! This miracle so impressed the king that he commanded everyone in the kingdom to respect the God of Daniel!
I The prologue
Text, Daniel 6:1-3, KJV: 1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; 2 And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. 3 Then this 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.
Introduction: where the events of this chapter tale place is not specified. Darius the Mede conquered Babylon (see the last few verses of chapter 5) but whether he made Babylon a capital or simply a regional headquarters, so to speak, is not certain.
What is certain is that Darius spared Daniel’s life and appointed him to one of the highest positions in the new kingdom or empire. Daniel had lived most of his life in Babylon but still remained true to the God of Israel and now he was going to be a witness for the God of Israel under the rule of the Medes and Persians.
II The problem
Text, Daniel 6:4-9, KJV: 4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. 5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. 6 Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. 7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellers, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. 9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
The problem, really, wasn’t with Daniel—according to verse 4, they couldn’t find anything to fault him with! The problem seems to be with those who were, dare I say, jealous of Daniel. And they eventually found something that wasn’t really a problem, but they used this to set a trap for Daniel. It was because he was faithful to his God.
Digressing for just a moment, when people can find your faithfulness to God a problem, that means it is their problem, not yours. After all, God had blessed Daniel for many years because Daniel had been faithful to God. Why that should be a problem to these others is a mystery.
Eventually, though, these others did come up with a plan to catch Daniel in a trap, and solve this problem, one might say. You and I don’t need to guess who was giving some hints or ideas about how to do this—the Enemy of our souls has been walking about, seeking someone to devour, long before Peter wrote of this in his first letter (1 Peter 5:8)!
And the plan they came up with was like so many others: an appeal to the king’s vanity or position (or, probably, anything else they could come up with), and an appeal to its simplicity.
Nobody in the entire kingdom, was the proposed decree, would be allowed to ask a petition of any God or man, except the king himself, for the next 30 days, would be thrown into a den of lions. Again, thinking about this, at first the request seemed reasonable (to the king, anyway)—just think, he would be enjoying absolute power over the entire kingdom! But the sheer logistics of this decree made it nearly impossible for anyone outside the immediate area to follow. Not knowing if this decree was made in Babylon or any other headquarters in the Medo-Persian Empire, it might have taken a good amount of time just to get to the king’s palace so they could make their requests!
And the king signed the decree/ This was now the law of the land for the next 30 days.
Someone was going to have to deal with this problem.
That person was Daniel himself.
III The penalty
Text, Daniel 6:10-15, KJV: 10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, 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. 11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. 12 Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. 13 Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. 14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him. 15 Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.
Once Daniel found out about the king’s (newest?) decree, he had some choices to make. None of them would be easy. He could completely stop praying in public, perhaps entering “into a closet” or secret place to pray; or, he could stop praying altogether (after all, some might rationalize, the decree was only for 30 days, so what’s the big deal? Again—some other people may have thought this); or, he could make no changes and continue to do as he had done in the past.
He chose to continue as he had always done, praying three times a day, facing Jerusalem. Apparently his open window was something people could see, and some people did indeed see Daniel praying. These were the very men who had persuaded the king to sign this decree into law, which, according to the laws of the Medes and Persians, could not be altered. Imagine this, the king was tricked into thinking only he could approve any “petition” but he was bound by the very law or decree he had signed! And the enemies of Daniel must have thought, “we’ve got him this time” because they saw Daniel praying three times a day, facing Jerusalem, as he had done so often in the past.
Verse 11 even proves this, by saying the men “assembled” and found Daniel praying. Some commentators or translations take that to mean they not only came together, but they had made an agreement to meet and confirm their “testimony” to the king. Sure enough, they came together and went directly to the king. One wonders where Daniel was when this took place. Was he even given a chance to speak in his own defense? Or did these men come to the king while Daniel was still praying?
Sure enough, they first asked the king, “Didn’t you sign a decree that for 30 days, nobody could ask anything except from you, O king (paraphrased)?” When the king said yes, that’s true, the other men, in a true “gotcha” moment, seized the opportunity to condemn Daniel by saying, “Well, king, Daniel, you know, one of those captives from Judah) isn’t paying any attention to your decree. He’s making a petition three times a day! One wonders at the intent or sarcasm in this sentence, especially because at least some of this group who accused Daniel would have had to make a “petition” to go and spy on Daniel! How else would they have known what Daniel did without arranging to get the proof or evidence?
Once the king realized that A, the law or his decree was still in effect and he couldn’t do anything about it; and B, Daniel was found guilty (why wasn’t he given a chance to defend himself? There is nothing in the text to even imply this happened) of breaking this decree; and C, under the laws of that land, the king had no choice but to force Daniel to suffer the penalty for breaking that law. The king searched for anything he could do to save Daniel but the other men assembled (again?) and reminded the king, “you can’t change or alter any law which you yourself have established.”
That was the end of the matter, and they must have thought this would be the end of Daniel. Because he obeyed God’s Law and not this decree from the king, he would have to face the penalty for this “disobedience”.
But God wasn’t done with Daniel.
Daniel was going to face the punishment, but a surprise for many people was coming soon.
IV The punishment
Text, Daniel 6:16-18, KJV: 16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. 17 And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.
The text does not say how much time took place between the accusation and the sentence, where Daniel was pronounced guilty and ordered to be thrown into the den of lions. At any rate, the king was not happy with what had happened yet gave the command. Now Daniel was to face his punishment, death in a den of lions.
But one very touching, human element is found in verse 16. The king spoke to Daniel, apparently just after Daniel had entered the lion’s den, telling him, “Your God will deliver you!” Even though the king seems not to have been a believer in the God of Daniel, he still respected the God of Daniel and trusted that Daniel’s God would deliver him, even from the den of lions.
And to make sure nothing would or could happen, humanly speaking, “a stone was brought (it is not said by whom, and it really doesn’t matter) and was laid upon the mouth of the den”. At the least this implies that the den could have been a pit or hole in the ground (see verses 23 and 24). The habitat for lions in Medo-Persia may have been different than for lions living in Africa. But the fact remains that there were at least two lions (note the plural) and they were used as executioners in certain cases, like this one.
Not only was the stone placed on the mouth of the den, it was sealed with several signet rings, including that of the king and those of his lords. This was a royal display that anyone who dared tamper with the seal or anything under the seal could face the king’s displeasure—so don’t mess with it, or else (so from several Bible teachers and authors). The sealing of the stone at first doesn’t seem necessary, because who wants to risk entering a den of lions if they didn’t have to! Further, no mention is given of Daniel’s popularity among the people. Even so, it doesn’t seem likely that any group of people, royal or otherwise, would risk either breaking the seal or dealing with the lions to get him out of there.
For the king, though. this seems to have been one of the most miserable nights he ever had to endure. The nights spent on battlefields, the burden of being a judge and ruler, and any number of things may have seemed like child’s play compared to the burden of sentencing an innocent man to death in a den of lions. Verse 18 states that he went to his palace and “passed the night fasting”—no royal dinner for him that night—and even ordered the musicians to stay away.
Worst of all, his sleep went from him. Did this mean he tried to sleep, but couldn’t? Was he afraid of any dreams, such as he had no doubt heard about? Or was he simply trying to atone for what he had done, even though it was legal? For him, the night couldn’t pass soon enough and the morning couldn’t get there fast enough. What was the morning going to reveal?
V The protection
Text, Daniel 6:19-23, KJV: 19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. 20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? 21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. 22 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. 23 Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.
Morning did eventually come, and “very early” the king went as fast as he could to the den of lions. When he got there, apparently it was quiet because he “cried with a lamentable voice” and asked “Daniel, did your God deliver you from the lions (paraphrased)?” The king had expressed a type of faith the day before, “your God will deliver you (verse 16)” Now it’s the day after and the king isn’t seeing or sensing any kind of life in the den of lions. Of note, there is no mention when the stone was rolled away from the “mouth” of the den so it could have happened before or as soon as the king arrived at the scene.
Imagine the king’s relief when Daniel called back to him, “O king live forever!” Then Daniel spoke further, saying his God had sent an angel to protect him and he had suffered no harm. After this, the king spoke, commanding them (identity unknown) to take him up from the lion’s den. You can be sure this was one command that group followed with the greatest emphasis on safety known to the ancient world!
And verse 23 summarizes this whole event: Daniel wasn’t hurt in any way because he believed in his God. In some cases, such as Daniel’s and that of his three close friends, God did allow them to survive trials. That is not always the case because sometimes even choice saints are permitted to suffer, even to the point of death, for God’s glory. We dare not take one isolated incident such as this and make a blanket or far-reaching “guarantee” that “because nothing happened to Daniel, nothing will happen to me” kind of philosophy or mind set. After all, Daniel was innocent and spent a night with the lions! He would have been a midnight snack for a lion unless God had intervened. Let us live our lives, then, faithful to our God even as Daniel did.
Even so, the story doesn’t end here.
VI The postscript
Text, Daniel 6:24-28, KJV: 24 And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den. 25 Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. 26 I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. 27 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. 28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Daniel was vindicated, even though he had been convicted of the “crime” of making a petition to someone other than the king during a 30-day period. Sentenced to death, by being thrown into a den of lions, Daniel was spared and survived that night. The king went to the den in the morning and found Daniel alive!
But the fate of those who tricked the king into signing such a terrible law was different. The king commanded and the entire families of those who had accused Daniel met the same sentence as the one passed on Daniel. This entire group was thrown into the den of lions and this time there was no protection: the lions broke all their bones before the people even reached the bottom!
And for a postscript: Darius, the king, made a much better decree: this time he decreed that everyone in the kingdom “fear and tremble” before the God of Daniel. After all, Darius had seen firsthand, as an eyewitness, the power of Daniel’s God in saving him from the lions. Did Darius ever become a believer in the God of Daniel? We may never know, but God surely did, and really the question is this: have you, dear reader, believed in the God of Daniel?
You and I can have the same assurance that Daniel had: no matter what and no matter where, our God is always with us. Daniel believed in God and so can we. Again, dear reader, have you?
Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV).
