So the administrators and high officers went to the king and said, “Long live King Darius! We are all in agreement—we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors—that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions. And now, Your Majesty, issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed, an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.” So King Darius signed the law. But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.
Daniel 6:6-10
The story is so much a part of the
fabric of culture you merely mention Daniel in the lion’s den and
heads bob up and down in acknowledgement of its meaning.
The short story is the
jealousy of the cabinet officials and governors serving a king who favors Daniel,
who was a just a boy, taken into captivity from his home after the 6th
century BC conquest of Israel by the Persians.
He grew up in Babylon and was chosen to serve in King Darius’
court. But the native officials couldn’t
stand the attention Daniel’s holy life brought.
They devised a plan to get rid of Daniel, but it backfired. Instead of feasting on Daniel’s carcass that
night, the lions fasted…that is, until the next night, when the king has the
officials thrown into the same den Daniel endured the night before. The end of the chapter tells us the
administrators and governors provided a feast for hungry lions:
The lions leaped on them and tore them apart before they even hit the floor of the den. Daniel 6:24b
What is so familiar about the story,
understandably so, is the miracle of hungry lions turning their noses up at the
thought of a tasty Daniel, but eagerly devouring the crooked politicians. Everybody loves that part! Less celebrated is the fidelity and courage
of Daniel to pray, knowing the death penalty it will bring.
The Laws of the Medes and Persians was
like our Constitution. At issue is an enigma
the king faced, knowing he could do nothing once he had signed that bill requiring
everyone to pray to him and no other “god” for thirty days. He had a disconnect of the dots when it came
to understanding it would make his most faithful servant, Daniel, an enemy of
the crown. Some kings do stupid stuff.
A bigger issue than the king’s
foolishness is the test that got dumped on Daniel’s plate. He was a faithful man, and this decree forced
a choice upon him between doing good by obeying the king, and doing the best, worshipping
God. Understanding the character of
Daniel, it isn’t hard to see why he made the choice he did; if you worship the
one, true, and living God, you cannot serve another. The Scripture tells us Daniel simply went
about honoring God and let the chips fall where they may.
Relative to Daniel’s story is what comes
out of Washington D.C. at times. Our officials,
elected to represent citizens of this country, sometimes forget that and act
like Darius’ circle of self-serving fools.
So what are God’s people supposed to do
when that happens? It’s a simple answer;
we do what Daniel did. We keep praying
and stay faithful.
People marvel, and some scoff, at the
mention of the miracle of hungry, fasting lions that night in the den. And, for some who have trouble believing in
God at all, that’s understandable. But a
God who could make time stand still for an hour, (Joshua 10:7-13) or make an ax head float, (2 Kings 6:1-7) or create this entire universe just by
speaking it into existence (Genesis 1) – THAT GOD would
have no trouble controlling the appetites of a few lions He created. Truth be told God has more trouble with his
children who claim to be believers, than any other part of his creation.
For You Today
It’s said the best time to fix a roof
is before it starts raining. That principle applies to deciding what you’ll
do the next time a ruling of the Medes and Persians comes your
way. Remember, it’s always on your plate: will the lions FAST or FEAST?
Title image: Daniel Praying in
Lion’s Den via Wikimedia W Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©
For another posts on Daniel 6 see: When the House Turns Upside Down
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