Daniel 6

Daniel Chapter SixVerse 1 In this chapter we have the famed story of Daniel in the lion’s den. The events of this chapter occurred at the beginning of the reign of Darius the Mede who preceded Cyrus as king of the Medo-Persian empire. The fact that profane history has no record of this Darius the Mede has, of course, led to all kinds of irresponsible and inaccurate allegations by Biblical critics. The two great errors current in such criticisms are (1) that this Darius was Darius Hystaspes, a supposition which would make the account in Daniel a gross error, and (2) the notion that the writer of Daniel here thought that a Median empire preceded the Persian empire. Neither allegation is true. Based on the sacred record, “This Median Darius was a son of Ahasuerus (Daniel 9:1), of the seed of the Medes; and according to Daniel 11:1, the angel Gabriel stood by him in his first year."[1] This would suggest that Gabriel was the mighty angel who prevented injury to Daniel in the lion’s den. This he would have done not in his own authority, but as an instrument of God. Now concerning the whole question of whether or not the Darius of this chapter is a historical person or not, many volumes have been written; and our purpose here is not to explore the multiple facets of this question. Our own view is that this Darius the Mede was none other than Cyrus’ great general Gobryas who actually captured Babylon and held the government for a couple or three years until Cyrus the real king could take over the government. During that period, Darius would have held full authority as king and would have been so addressed and honored by the citizens of Babylon. Our reasons for this preference are: (1) The resemblance in the names. The name Darius might easily have been a corruption of Gobryas, the names having the same number of syllables, and the “y” or T' sound accented in the penult in both. Also, the fact of different languages being involved increases this possibility. (2) What is definitely known of Gobryas fits what the Bible says of Darius in this chapter. "From Cyrus' annalistic tablet we know that he appointed his general Gobryas to be governor of Babylon, and that Gobryas set up sub-governors.[2] The mention of 120 satrapies in this chapter appears unreasonable to the critics; but the record defies their criticism. There were no less than 127 subdivisions of this same empire in the days of Esther (<a href="/bible/parallel/EST/1/1" class="green-link">Esther 1:1</a>); and besides, as Jeffery noted, "The Jews used the word satrap’ in a wider sense than it had in official Persian usage."3 Ptolemy’s Canon gave the reign of Cyrus the Perisan who succeeded Nabonidus (and Belshazzar) as nine years; and Xenophon referred to the reign of Cyrus as seven years.[4] The assumption is that the first two years of the nine credited to Cyrus were actually the reign of Darius. “The supposition that Darius reigned two years over Babylon is correct."5 The Babylonian kingdom was destroyed sixty-eight years after the commencement of the Exile. The seventy years of the Exile were completed in the first year of the reign of Cyrus (2 Chronicles 36:22 f; Ezra 1:1), therefore Cyrus became king two years after the overthrow of Babylon. Darius the Mede was king during the other two years. (Keil develops this carefully). (5) A gold coin called the Daric has been excavated from Babylon, and it must be identified with an older Darius than Darius Hystaspes, most likely the Darius the Mede of Daniel.6 There is even the possibility that Darius the Mede and Cyrus the Persian (Daniel 6:29) were one and the same person. It might be that the man had two titles. Wiseman suggested that we should translate Daniel 6:28 thus, “In the reign of Darius, even in the reign of Cyrus the Persian."[7] Independently of any such scholarly postulation as that of Wiseman, this writer was impressed by that same possibility, suggested by the very proximity of the two names in Daniel 6:28. “We do know that it was common for kings in those days to have two or more names."8 There is also an enigmatic passage in the profane writer Abydenus’ writings which was preserved by Eusebius: “Cyrus, after he had taken possession of Babylon, appointed him margrave of the country of Carmania. Darius the king removed him out of the land."[9] This is almost certainly a reference to Darius the Mede of this chapter. Despite our preference for the identification of Gobryas as the Darius of this chapter, there are other postulations just as reasonable. Keil, for example cited the possibility that Darius was actually Cyaxerxes, whom Cyrus visited following the fall of Babylon, and who gave Cyrus his daughter for wife. Cyrus enthroned him in Babylon for a two-year period. Keil favord this explanation, and it might be correct. In any case, it is no longer possible for critics to scream “unhistorical” when this character is mentioned. It is true, of course, that practically nothing is known of him, except what is written in this chapter, but the muddled and confused affairs of both the Medes and the Persians of that distant time make it perfectly reasonable that a short inter-regnum kingship like that of Darius would have been completely passed over by the profane histories of the period. “Therefore, the absence of all notice by Berosus, Herodotus, Ctesias, etc., can furnish no substantial ground”[10] for denying the historical facts of this chapter. Young believed that, “It is possible that Darius was some hitherto unknown figure who may have been entrusted with the kingship by Cyrus."[11] However, in the same paragraph, Young mentioned that: John C. Whitcomb (Darius the Mede, 1959), distinguishes Gubaru from Gobryas of the Behistun Inscription and holds that he and Darius are identical.[12]Our own view is that every line of the Bible is truly historical, and superior in every way to all profane writings. As Culver remarked, “The language of Dan 5:31 and Daniel 9:1 requires us to believe that Darius was sub-king under Cyrus who was king of the whole Medo-Persian empire."[13]The chapter divisions are: the new king is pleased with Daniel (Daniel 6:1-4); his fellow officers, through envy and jealousy, plot to destroy Daniel (Daniel 6:5-9); Daniel ignores the decree which the king signed (Daniel 6:11-15); Daniel is cast into the den of lions (Daniel 6:16-18); the king early the next day discovers that Daniel is unhurt (Daniel 6:19-23); Daniel’s accusers and their families are cast to the lions (Daniel 6:24); Darius publishes a decree legitimizing the Jewish religion (Daniel 6:25-27); and Daniel prospers in the reign of Darius and Cyrus (Daniel 6:28). Daniel 6:1-3“It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, who should be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one; that these satraps might give account unto them, and that the king should have no damage. Then this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.“DANIEL’S FAVOR WITH THE NEW KINGThe profane writers exhibit the most radical differences in the number of satraps Babylonian kings are said to have appointed. Xenophon stated that Cyrus appointed six over the whole realm; Herodotus said that Darius Hystaspes divided the country into twenty satrapies; other historians mention twenty-four and twenty-nine; Xerxes had 127 provinces (Esther 1:1); later in the Grecian period, there were seventy-two of these; and Josephus even claimed that there were 120 satraps for each of the three presidents, making 360 in all! Keil discusses all of this at length. We only mention this here to suggest that before the critics can criticize the number of satraps mentioned here, they should first straighten out all the profane historians on the same subject. The big point in this passage is the ability and consequent popularity of Daniel with the new king Darius. Darius was even considering the appointment of Daniel as prime minister over the whole of his realm. When Daniel’s peers learned of this, they were filled with envy and jealousy and immediately laid a trap which they hoped would lead to his destruction. “That the king should have no damage …” “The repetition of the word `king’ might imply that Darius was not the king whose loss of revenue was to be guarded against."[14] This of course would reflect the relative positions of the sub-king Darius over Babylon and of Cyrus the great king over the whole empire. It is of interest here that there is no mention of Darius having appointed Daniel as one of the three presidents; and Keil suggested that, “We may only conclude that Darius merely confirmed Daniel in the office to which Belshazzar had appointed him."[15]The mention of the age of Darius (Daniel 5:31) as sixty-two years “is the only mention of the age of a Gentile accession to a throne in all canonical records; this was probably the age of Cyrus’ general Gobryas when the Babylonian kingdom fell in 539 B.C."[16]Verse 4 “Then the presidents and the satraps sought to Find occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom; but they could find no occasion nor fault, forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God. Then these presidents and satraps assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live forever. All the presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the counselors and the governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a strong interdict, 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. Now, O king, establish the interdict, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the interdict.“THE PLOT TO DESTROY DANIELAlthough the language here might be construed as meaning that all of the persons mentioned, the presidents, satraps, counselors, etc., were consulted, such was manifestly not the case.

Daniel had not been consulted. Furthermore, it is exceedingly likely that the accusers of Daniel were quite a limited number. All of the show of unanimity here was merely window dressing to induce the king to go along with the plot. Poor old weak and unskilled Darius was an easy prey for that kind of intrigue. All of this account is absolutely reasonable and fully in keeping with the inevitable situation that always typified the kind of despotism that was fashionable in antiquity. Biblical enemies never overlook anything, no matter how trivial, as a possible grounds for complaint; and therefore it is not surprising that some would allege a disunity in Daniel on the grounds that “the fiery furnace” was the means of execution in the days of Nebuchadnezzar, while here it is “the lions’ den!” Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom was Chaldean, however; and the kingdom here is that of the Medes and Persians. “The Persians, being Zoroastrians, held fire to be sacred. Hence for them it would have been improper to cremate or execute by fire."[17]“All the presidents of the kingdom …” (Daniel 6:7).” This passage does not imply that all of the satraps, counselors, etc. were engaged in the conspiracy, but that they were all present on that occasion. Their presence as a company was due to their having been convened by the presidents (without Daniel); and the claim that all of that host had been consulted and that they had all agreed that the proposed edict should be signed was an unqualified lie. Daniel had not be consulted. Furthermore, “The Aramaic text does not indicate how many came into the presence of the king; and the Septuagint (LXX) indicates that only the other two governors (presidents) were involved."[18] If that was indeed the case, then it is likewise possible that only those two, along with their families, were cast into the lions’ den. “It was the other two presidents and the satraps … who came before the king; but they claimed to speak in the name of all classes of government."[19]“Which altereth not …” This aspect of Medo-Persian law also appeared in the edict against the Jews, as contrived by Haman (Esther 1:19; Esther 8:8). It was, of course, a stupid and unreasonable conceit which thus interpreted their laws; and some commentators have tried to soften it.

Adam Clarke, for example, thought that the irreversible aspect of their laws extended only for the first thirty days.[20] This appears to be erroneous. “The laws remained unchangeable and irrevocable, because the king was regarded and honored as the incarnation of deity, who is unerring and cannot change."[21]Critics, ever eager to discover some flaw, have alleged that such a decree was so foolish and unreasonable that it should be viewed as a fabrication by some author who made up this tale in Daniel to support “a religious truth!” This view is totally in error. Jeffery, however, is correct in stating that, “There is nothing inherently absurd in the idea of such a decree.

An ancient Sumerian king might well have issued one … a Japanese emperor at the end of the 16th century issued a somewhat similar edict![22]Another unreasonable worthless criticism is that of Owens who declared that, “The idea of keeping a lion in a pit would only be used by a writer unfamiliar with lions outside of the pages of literature."[23] The implication of such a canard is that, of course, the narrative here is an invention by someone, certainly not Daniel! The truth is that no scholar could make a complaint like that who was familiar with either the excavations of ancient Babylon or with the Word of God. The Sacred Scriptures make reference to the den of lions in the Book of Nahum; and the garden walls, as well as the avenues of approach to the palace in ancient Babylon were all beautifully decorated with magnificent bas-relief lions done in turquoise, gold, and yellow colors. The basis of the critical assault on this part of Daniel is their mistranslation of the lions’ den, reading it as “cistern” or “pit.” The translators of all acceptable versions of God’s Word reject such renditions. We do not have any detailed description of just exactly how ancient lions’ dens were constructed; and the total ignorance of the critical community on the same subject is grounds enough for rejecting their ridiculous criticisms. The citizens of ancient Babylon probably knew more about how to use lions for their national purposes than any other government of human history. The conceit that one can take the sketchy references to the lions’ den in this chapter, blow them up out of context to postulate an entire engineer’s drawing of how lions’ dens were made, and then to use that fabrication as a criticism of what is written here … that is a measure of the critic’s bias against the Verse 10 “And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem); and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. Then these men assembled together, and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s interdict, that every man that shall make petition unto any god or man within thirty days, save unto 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. Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the interdict which thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to rescue him.

Then these men assembled together unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians, that no interdict nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.“DANIEL TO BE What a feeling of exultation must have come to the conspirators against Daniel at such a complete success of their diabolical plot. They had calculated everything perfectly (so they thought).

The king, unaware of their hatred and of their evil purpose had signed the decree. True to what they knew would happen, Daniel went on in the faithful exercise of his holy religion without regard to human legislation. They were able to catch Daniel “in the act.” Daniel did not even bother to deny the charges. The king was caught in the cruel vice of his own stupid law; and these enemies of Daniel must have thought at that juncture of affairs that they had everything under control. They overlooked the will of God, which is a universal characteristic of all wicked men. WINDOWS OPEN TOWARD “Windows open toward Jerusalem …” (Daniel 6:10). “This habit of praying toward a particular point has been maintained till this day by the Mohammedans who pray in the direction of Mecca."[24]This writer feels a certain appreciation of this text, which was the basis of a sermon delivered in the Sixteenth and Decatur Streets Church in Washington, D.C. in January of 1953, attended that morning by Major General Charles I. Carpenter, Chief of the Armed Services Board of Chaplains, for the United States of America. As a result of the General’s strong approval of that sermon, he extended an invitation for this writer to spend three months in the Far East as a guest of the U.S. Military, conducting Preaching Missions throughout the Far East. Later a plan was worked out to allow a vast expansion of the number of ministers from Churches of Christ privileged to participate in the chaplaincy programs of the U.S. Military. OUTLINEIntroduction A. Daniel’s attitude:

1. Was not one of defiance (he did not kneel outdoors).
2. Was not one of cowardice (he did not hide).
3. He continued in his normal pattern. B. As he did aforetime:
4. A man’s habits are the key to his destiny.
5. It is always what one is in the habit of doing that determines the course of his actions. I. Daniel had his windows opened toward Jerusalem: A. Not open toward Babylon. B. Not opened toward the king’s palace. C. But open toward Jerusalem, from whence the Word of God came. D. Similarly people today should refuse to open the windows of their souls toward Paris (for fashions), or toward Moscow (for politics), or toward New York (for financial news), or toward Washington (for governmental support), etc. E. But let them open the windows of their souls to Jerusalem, to the word of the Lord, which alone is able to save the soul. II. Daniel was faithful: A. Without regard to personal enemies, B. Without regard to human legislation, C. Without regard to personal danger, D. Without regard to impending death. III. Daniel’s faith was rewarded: A. God heard his prayer and answered it. B. His enemies saw his faithfulness. C. The king reluctantly executed the penalty. D. The king rejoiced when Daniel was safe. IV. The purpose of God was advanced gloriously by Daniel’s rescue. A. The king’s edict B. It guaranteed for Israel their religious freedom for yet awhile. C. This was a key episode in the rescue of Israel from their second captivity (the first was in Egypt). “Three times a day …” (Daniel 6:10) Andrews gave the hours of prayer as, “the time of the morning burnt offering, the ninth hour (which was 3 p.m.), and at sunset."[25] The same writer also stated that the Jews frequently spoke of praying “before God,” instead of praying “to God.” The Talmud instructed that the Jews in foreign lands pray toward Jerusalem, and that persons in Jerusalem should pray toward the temple.[26]Commenting on the true purpose behind the ridiculous law which Daniel, in conscience, violated by his prayers three times a day, Keil pointed out that, “The fundamental principle of heathenism is that the king is the son, the representative, the living manifestation of the peoples’ gods."[27] However, it could not have been any concern for the protection of the peoples’ religious systems that prompted the presidents who initiated the movement for the law passed in this situation. The prime motivation was the desire to destroy Daniel; and all the rest of the campaign in favor of the law was pure hypocrisy. The evil strategy of Daniel’s enemies (probably the two colleagues of his in the presidency) appears in a number of particulars. (1) They first rehearsed the terms of the new law and procured the king’s agreement that it was indeed an irrevocable statute. (2) In their charge against Daniel, they left off any mention that he was one of the presidents, saying only that he was “of the children of the captivity of Judah,” a despised foreigner, of course. (3) Thomson suggested that, “The subordinate position of Darius, occupying the place of king of Babylon only for a season, instead of Cyrus, would have made it very difficult for Darius to override any constitutional maxim."[28] The king was indeed effectively trapped by his own evil law. Of course, he should have violated that law at whatever cost to himself. “Not to break a wicked promise is not firmness; it is guilty obstinacy."[29] This writer has known parents who were pressured into signing up with some church to rear their children in a certain faith, and who, upon learning “a more excellent way” of serving the Lord, nevertheless honored their prior wicked commitment by observing it. In such cases, the keeping of a wicked promise is more dishonorable than the breaking of it. “Interdict and statute are mentioned together in Daniel 6:17 as if they were two documents, as is more clearly visible in Daniel 6:9. The style of rhetoric here is called “hendiadys.” This is a device in which “two words are used to express the same idea as a single word with a qualifier."[30] There was only one document in view here, whether called a writing, a statute, or an interdict. Verse 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. 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 nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting, neither were instruments of music brought before him: and his sleep fled from him.“DANIEL CAST IN THE LIONS’ DENAny man, trapped and frustrated by his own words and deeds, is to be pitied; and Darius spent an agonizing night, no doubt realizing just what a fool his unscrupulous lords had made of him. On the other hand, they must have enjoyed a banquet of feasting and rejoicing. However, there was to be a sequel to this event which none of them could have foreseen. “A stone was brought … etc.” (Daniel 6:17). The critical picture which is imported into the text here, alleging that this “den” was a little tiny cistern with a bottle top entrance that could be easily covered up with a single stone is ridiculous. The lions were kept in commodious quarters and were fed at regular intervals and occasionally released to provide quarry in a hunt in which the king participated. No one knows exactly the dimensions, or the arrangements of those “dens.” The word “cistern” is a critical perversion of the text for the purpose of rendering it ridiculous. No reputable version of the Bible thus translates the word. “Instruments of music …” Alternative renditions of this word are “dancing girls” or “concubines” or “tables for food.” The king wanted none of the usual treatment, but he was in terrible distress and anxiety on behalf of Daniel whom he had been compelled reluctantly to condemn to death. Verse 19 “Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. And when he came near unto the den to Daniel, he cried with a lamentable voice; 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? Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live forever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not hurt me; forasmuch as before him innocence was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. Then was the king exceeding glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he had trusted in his God.“THE KING FINDS DANIEL UNHURT THE NEXT MORNING"Forasmuch as before him innocency was found …” The innocency here is in no sense absolute; and as Jamieson noted, “Therefore this passage does not justify Rome’s doctrine of works meriting salvation."[31]“God hath sent his angel …” (Daniel 6:22). Even in the current dispensation of God’s grace, it is stated that angels are “ministering spirits, sent forth to do service for them that shall inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14).

Serving the interests of God’s people is thus one of seven different functions set forth in the Bible as performed by angels. All seven are: (1) in the general sense, as here; (2) to watch over little children (Matthew 18:10); (3) to bear away the souls of the righteous in death (Luke 16:22); (4) to execute the punitive judgments of God upon the incorrigibly wicked (Acts 12:23); (5) to aid providentially in bringing sinners to hear the gospel of Christ (Acts 8:3); (6) to excercise influence over human rulers and princes as in the case of Persia (Daniel 10:20); and (7) to hold open forever the “Word of God” until the dispensation is ended (Revelation 10). Verse 24 “Then the king commanded, and they brought those men that 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, before they came to the bottom of the den.“DANIEL’S ENEMIES Critics have interpreted “the accusers of Daniel” here as meaning all of the 120 satraps, the presidents, the counselors, the governors, and the deputies, and then have alleged that the lions’ eating up that many people before they ever hit the bottom of the “den” is a monstrous absurdity; but the only real absurdity is the allegation of the critics. As Keil put it: “Those critics who thus spake have themselves fabricated the idea of throwing 122 men with their wives and children into the lions’ den … this they have done, trying to make the account absurd; but the text states no number of the condemned."[32]We have already noted that in all probability, only the two presidential colleagues of Daniel were the actual accusers of the prophet and that, accordingly, only those two with their wives and children were executed. It is extremely interesting that Josephus has supplemented the information here with a number of observations which sound much like the truth, although of course Josephus’ words never carry the authority of Scripture. “Now when his enemies saw that Daniel suffered nothing, they would not allow that he was saved by God’s providence; but they said the lions had been well fed before Daniel was cast in, and that the lions were not hungry. Therefore the king commanded that the lions should be fed a great deal of flesh; and when they had filled themselves, the king ordered Daniel’s enemies to be cast in, to learn if they would touch them or not. The lions spared them not but tore them in pieces, so the king knew that it was God who had spared Daniel."[33]Verse 25 “Then king Darius wrote unto all the peoples, nations, and languages, that dwelt in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you. I make a decree, that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and stedfast forever, 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.“DARIUS’ DECREE DANIEL’S GODThe overwhelming proof of the wonders reported in Daniel is inherent in one tremendously important historical certainty, namely, that Israel did indeed return, after a full seventy years, from their Babylonian captivity and were again settled in the land of Palestine, where they rebuilt the temple and the walls of Jerusalem. Now that undeniable fact proves that the wonders here recorded actually occurred. Otherwise, Israel would never have returned. This marvelous decree published by Darius was very similar to the edict of Nebuchadnezzar subsequent to God’s delivery of the faithful three from the fiery furnace; indeed it used some of the very terminology of that prior edict. The acute need for this very type of encouragement and protection of God’s people was far more than sufficient grounds for God’s intervention here in order to bring about the full achievement of his purpose of redemption for mankind. Biblical wonders must always be understood in their relation to the universal, worldwide purpose of God’s redemptive intention for Adam’s race. Most scholars agree that Darius did not become a monotheist by this experience. What he apparently did was to accept God as indeed the greatest of the gods, but not as the one and only true God. SUMMARYDan_6:28, So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. See the chapter introduction for a discussion of the historical difficult of these two names. One possible reading of this verse was given by Millard thus: “The reign of Darius, that is, the reign of Cyrus the Persian."[34] It is of course true that ancient kings often had more than one name; and this reading of the passage is not as far-fetched as some might think. One of these days, the whole truth about these two names may be excavated from the mud of ancient Babylon; and when this is done, the Bible will, as always, be completely supported and proved to be correct. In the meanwhile, the Bible needs no such support or corroboration from pagan sources.

Commentary On Daniel Six by Eric HallDaniel 6 Verse 1-3 1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other presidents and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. Cyrus was king of the Persians, and Darius was his governor. The “ kingdom” over which Darius ruled was thus the old Chaldean kingdom that Cyrus had just conquered. This was the kingdom that Daniel has been concerned with so far, and he continues to refer to it as “ the kingdom.” Darius’ first responsibility was to appoint administrators over his newly won territory. He appoints 120 satraps and 3 commissioners of which Daniel becomes the chairman. Edwin M. Yamauchi, in his book Persia and the Bible, wrote that “ the satrap was in charge of all aspects of provincial rule. He levied the funds necessary for his administration and provided troops for the king.” Daniel’ s character and integrity are such that Darius plans to make him his prime minister. If Darius answered only to Cyrus, then Daniel would have become third in power, which is what the late Belshazzar had promised him! Why did Darius think so highly of Daniel?

1. Daniel had a good reputation.
2. He had recently made a very successful prediction concerning Belshazzar.
3. Daniel was not a Chaldean, but he was very familiar with their system.
4. Daniel was experienced. (He was at least 83 years old at this time! Most drawings showing Daniel in the lion’ s den picture a much younger man, but he was actually in his 80’ s.) 4 Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom; but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. As with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, jealousy again rears its ugly head. Those who are jealous and envious of Daniel seek to bring him down. Nothing they could possibly do could bring Daniel down one inch. They could lie about him and effect the opinion of other men, but they could do nothing to change God’ s opinion of Daniel – and that is the only opinion that really matters. We need to remember this, particularly when faced with false accusations. God knows the truth and he will never be fooled by a false accusation. These envious men could find no fault with Daniel. They could find nothing bad to say about him. What would they do next? They decide to lie to the king and get him to pass a law that would trap Daniel. This is not the only place in scripture where this occurs. Jesus, also, was delivered up because of envy and he also faced false accusers. In Proverbs 6:17– 19 God lists seven things that he hates. Proverbs 6:17-19 There are six things which the Lord hates, seven which are an abomination to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, 19 a false witness who breathes out lies, and a man who sows discord among brothers. How many of these actions were these envious men guilty of? All seven! Not only do we see jealousy and envy at work here, but we see racism as well. Just like the Chaldeans had earlier, the Medes and the Persians looked down on the Jews as being inferior because of their captivity. Again, we need to see things the way that God sees them. Not only were the Jews not inferior, but they were the stars of this show! Note also that although racism played a part in this story, the Jews were much better off under Cyrus. As he did with many other captive people, he let the Jews return to their homeland. Ezra 1:1-4 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: 2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel – he is the God who is in Jerusalem; 4 and let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.” This proclamation may have already been issued at this time. Remember what Isaiah had to say about Cyrus by name – before he was born and 150 years before he began to rule! Isaiah 45:1-4 Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and ungird the loins of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed: 2 “I will go before you and level the mountains, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut asunder the bars of iron, 3 I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by your name. 4 For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I surname you, though you do not know me. Verse 5 5 Then these men said, “ We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.” What a compliment! Do people see us this way? If people wanted something bad to say about us, would they find it? We need to make sure that our accusers are not true accusers! These accusers knew that to succeed they would have to put Daniel in a position where he would have to choose between obedience to God and obedience to the government. While this may be true of us, does the world know that it is true? Daniel’ s life was such that these men knew he would choose God when forced to make a choice. Are our lives such that the world knows that we too will choose God when forced to make a choice? Do we choose God when we are forced to make a choice between God and the world? Problem: Persia had no law against monotheism. Solution: They would come up with a law that would look merely political to Darius, but would pose a religious issue for Daniel. Verse 6-9 6 Then these presidents and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “ O King Darius, live for ever! 7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an interdict, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the interdict and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and interdict. These envious accusers show up in a group to work their plan. Notice how this type of person also seems to travel in a pack! Darius should have noticed that Daniel was not present, but as we will soon see, Darius was completely unsuspecting. He did not know that these men were out to deprive the king of his most trusted advisor. The Proposed Law: For one month, all petitions and all prayers in the realm may be directed toward Darius only. Those who disobeyed would be cast into a den of lions. Why did Darius agree with this suggestion?
5. It was a very flattering suggestion.
6. It reinforced the idea that the empire was now under new management. It would help unify the kingdom under Darius and Cyrus.
7. It was a reasonable time limit. What harm could it cause to impose this seemingly modest requirement for only 30 days?
8. Darius was under the impression that Daniel had agreed to this plan. (Verse 7 says all the presidents of the kingdom had agreed to the plan when in fact they had not.)
9. Whereas the sanction was severe, Darius no doubt thought that it would not be needed. Who could possibly fail to follow this simple 30 day requirement? Why were offenders to be cast into a den of lions instead of into a fiery furnace? The Persians used fire in their religious ceremonies and thus would not have cast anyone into fire as a form of punishment. Edwin M. Yamauchi has written the following in this regard: (Persia and the Bible, pp. 401 and 447.) But it is especially to fire and water that they offer sacrifice. To fire they offer sacrifice by adding dry wood without the bark and by placing fat on top of it; and then they pour oil upon it and light it below, not blowing with their breath, but fanning it; and those who blow the fire with their breath or put anything dead or filthy upon it are put to death. [quote from Strabo] Fire stands at the center of the Zoroastrian cult; no ceremony can take place without fire being present. [quoting Eckehard Kulke] If Daniel were written by a second century Jew living in Palestine as some suggest, then how did such an author know about such a subtle difference between the Chaldean and Persian methods of execution? (This is the same author who they say was so badly mistaken about the well known history of the time.) Verse 10 10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem; and he got down upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. Note that verse 10 tells us plainly that Daniel at some point learned that the document had been signed. Thus, whatever he does next is not done in ignorance of the decree. He knows the new law and he knows the penalty for breaking it. Daniel’ s prayers had been his lifeline all these years under the corrupting Babylonian influences. What would he do now?
10. He could compromise and simply not pray for one month. (For many of us this would hardly be noticed!) From the world’ s standpoint this would be reasonable and prudent. This plan would have several advantages. First, it would be the most peaceful plan. Nobody would get upset. But Daniel knew that peace at any price was too costly if the price turned out to be disobedience to God. Luke 12:51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. The truth always creates a division. Some accept it and some do not. Jesus was often accused of creating division – and he never denied the charge. Second, this plan would allow Daniel to follow the path of least resistance. It would be the easy way out. But Daniel knew that the path of least resistance never intersected the path of righteousness. In fact, for Daniel, the path of righteousness was the path of most resistance! Daniel could not simply do nothing and hope for the best. He knew like James that: James 4:17 Whoever knows what is right to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. Daniel had to act. To do nothing would have been a sin.
11. He could have gone underground and prayed silently or at night when no one could see him. Sadly, many seem to have adopted this plan ourselves. God, however, has never put out a call for secret agents. We must speak out and let the world know where we stand. If we are on God’ s side then we must let the world know. This plan might appear to be the best of both worlds. Daniel could please both God and man by just praying silently. Wrong! It is not possible to please God if at the same time you are trying equally hard to please men. Galatians 1:10 Am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still pleasing men, I should not be a servant of Christ. Sometimes it is easy to just ignore what we might consider the “ little” compromises. But the little things are training for the big things! Jeremiah 12:5 If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses? And if in a safe land you fall down, how will you do in the jungle of the Jordan? The time to take a stand against the world is early before it gets a foothold because once it gets a foothold it may be too late.
12. He could have rationalized. Just think how much good he could do if he stayed in power. He had just gotten his power back after being without it for so long. God wouldn’ t want him to loose it again so quickly, would he? We too are faced with choices every day. Remember what Joshua told the people in Joshua 24. Joshua 24:14-15 “Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if you be unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” I think that we often follow the advice of that great philosopher Yogi Berra who once said “ When you come to a fork in the road, take it!” But we cannot do that. We must make a choice. Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live. God has given us a choice, and God is begging us to choose life. We must choose whose side we are on, and once we do that all of our other decisions will be easy. Should we compromise with the world or should we do what we know is right and stand with God? Listen to Paul’ s answer: Ephesians 5:11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. Isn’ t this exactly what Daniel did? Not only did he did not take part in the wicked plan, but he exposed the wicked plan.
13. He could concern himself with pleasing God instead of pleasing men and not worry about the consequences – and that is exactly what he did. The decision was easy. In fact, there was no decision to make. Daniel had made the decision to follow God long ago, and whether he was 13 or 83, he would not compromise with the world. What a wonderful example of faithfulness and loyalty to God! Why did Daniel pray toward Jerusalem? 1 Kings 8:10– 11 tells us that God’ s presence resided in the temple. 1 Kings 8:10-11 And when the priests came out of the holy place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord, 11 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. While Ezekiel 11:23 tells us that this presence left prior to the destruction of the city in 587, Ezekiel 43:2 tells us that God promised to return – and in fact Cyrus’ order to rebuild the city had probably already been given. Ezekiel 11:23 And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city. Ezekiel 43:2 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the east; and the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with his glory. What was Daniel praying for? In Daniel 9:1– 2 we will discover that since Darius had begun to reign Daniel had been reading Jeremiah with regard to the 70 year period of exile. Daniel 9:1-2 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by birth a Mede, who became king over the realm of the Chaldeans – 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years which, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. Thus Daniel knew it was time for his people to return from their exile and indeed many may have already returned. Thus, the returning captives may have been the primary item on Daniel’ s prayer list, and he could hardly stop praying for them now that they needed his prayers the most. Verse 11-12 Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. 12 Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the interdict, “ O king! Did you not sign an interdict, that any man who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered, “ The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.” This group waited around for Daniel to pray, and then went and reported to Darius as soon as he did. Notice in verse 12 the word “ you.” Suddenly this law has become the king’ s idea! Darius is reminded of his decree. Darius remembers and also points out that the law of the Medes and Persians cannot be revoked. This passage provides absolute proof that Daniel did not believe that a separate Median kingdom conquered the Chaldeans prior to the Persian kingdom under Cyrus. The late-date hypothesis that the second kingdom is Media and the third kingdom is Persia is shown to be ill-founded. Daniel treats Media and Persia as a unified kingdom – which historians tell us is what they were. Why couldn’ t the law be changed or revoked? Having a law that stood even above the despot was a very politically sophisticated system of government. Although we take it for granted, it was quite rare at the time. Although we can only speculate about the reason for this system, this same requirement provided the drama in the book of Esther after the decree went out to kill the Jews. (See Esther 1:19 and 8:8.) History tells us that it also played a role during the reign of Darius III who ruled from 336 to 331. It is said that he put a man to death who he knew was innocent because “ it was not possible to undo what had been done by royal authority.” We are about to watch God as he changes and revokes a law that cannot be changed or revoked! Verse 13-14 13 Then they answered before the king, “ That Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no heed to you, O king, or the interdict you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.” 14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed, and set his mind to deliver Daniel; and he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. The charge made against Daniel is similar to the charge made against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3:12. Daniel 3:12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no heed to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.” This was a false charge. Daniel did pay heed to the king. He just did not give his ultimate loyalty to the king – that belonged to God. Darius’ response is not what the conspirators had hoped for! When the real reason for the decree finally dawned on him, he became greatly distressed. He had been duped by Daniel’ s enemies, and I am sure he now regretted not having discussed the matter with Daniel personally. He no doubt respected Daniel for his loyalty to his God, and he tried to save his life. But there was nothing he could do. Providing Daniel with armor, or feeding the lions ahead of time would have undermined the law of the Medes and the Persians. A miracle was Daniel’ s only hope. How did Darius know so much about God? He may have learned from Cyrus. Read Ezra 1:2 again. Ezra 1:2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Cyrus seems to have known a lot about God! Perhaps he told Darius about God as well. Darius, at least, would have been familiar with the decree found in the book of Ezra. He may have heard about God from Daniel. We already know that Daniel had become a very trusted advisor. It would seem unlikely that Daniel had never talked to Darius about God. Verse 15-17 15 Then these men came by agreement to the king, and said to the king, “ Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no interdict or ordinance which the king establishes can be changed.” 16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, “ May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” 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 nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. Darius is again reminded of his decree, and finally he resigns himself to carrying it out. Still concerned, however, he goes with Daniel to the pit, and Daniel is thrown into the pit. (Recall that Daniel was at least 83 years old at this time.) Darius calls out to Daniel hoping that God would deliver him. (We often talk about the faith of Daniel, but the faith of Darius is impressive as well!) The pit is closed and sealed by Darius and the others who are present. Seals of this sort have been found. They consist of a cylinder that is rolled across a clay tablet. Why was the pit sealed? Darius may have been concerned that Daniel’ s enemies might decide to give the lions a little help. Verse 18-20 18 Then the king went to his palace, and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him. 19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 When he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish and said to Daniel, “ O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” The king returned to the palace very troubled. Darius and Pilate share some similarities. Both were forced by circumstances against their will to put someone to death who did not deserve it. However, Darius seems to have been much more concerned about his decision than Pilate was. Darius certainly never washed his hands of Daniel’ s blood. The king ate no food, enjoyed no entertainment, and could not sleep. As soon as it was light, he ran to the pit to check on Daniel. Do you think the conspirators may have been worried by the king’ s behavior? They should have been! I think they were starting to sweat. Darius refers to Daniel as the servant of the living God. To Darius, this test would determine whether or not Daniel’ s God was living. Verse 21-22 21 Then Daniel said to the king, “ O king, live for ever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not hurt me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no wrong.” Can you imagine the king’ s relief when Daniel answered! Daniel calls out and tells the king that God had sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions. He also reminds the king that this was proof of his innocence. But was he innocent? He had violated the law of the land. God, however, declared him innocent. God does not recognize as valid any law that contradicts his own. Every nation and king answers to God. He is the only supreme ruler. These verses may give us a clue as to who the fourth person was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. Recall Daniel 3:25.Daniel 3:25 He answered, “But I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” Here Daniel was delivered by an angel. This seems the most likely explanation for the deliverer in Chapter 3 as well. Again, we should note that this was a miracle. As I mentioned before, there are many who deny the miracles in the Bible and try to explain them away. Their strained attempts to believe the Bible yet remove the miracles it contains would be laughable if they were not so sad. Listen carefully to what John Crossan had to say about the resurrection of Lazarus in his book Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography. …while I do not think this event ever did or could happen, I think it is absolutely true. Let me explan…. This quote is then followed by pages of mumbo-jumbo and double speak. How would he respond to the following questions? Do you believe that the resurrection of Lazarus is absolutely true? (He would say yes.) Do you believe that the resurrection of Lazarus ever did or ever could happen? (He would say no.) Keep this example in mind when you try to pin a liberal down about what he believes!! They are very skilled at using language intended to deceive. Verse 23 23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of hurt was found upon him, because he had trusted in his God. Darius brings Daniel out and looks him over. Not a scratch is found on him. “ And no hurt was found upon him…” because Daniel was so powerful? No. because Daniel was so charismatic? No. because Daniel was so popular? No. because Daniel was so wealthy? No. because Daniel was so smart? No. because Daniel trusted in God? Yes! Daniel was delivered because Daniel was faithful to God. Indeed, he takes his place in the roll call of faith we find in Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11:32-34 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets – 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Daniel is a wonderful example of someone who absolutely refused to compromise with the world and instead remained loyal and true to God despite the earthly consequences. Verse 24 24 And the king commanded, and those men who had accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions— they, their children, and their wives; and before they reached the bottom of the den the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces. Without any trial or hearing, Darius has Daniel’ s accusers and their families paraded past Daniel and thrown into the pit. They were killed before they reached the bottom of the pit. (These lions seem to have been in a foul mood for some reason. Perhaps because they had been forced to just stare at their dinner all night…) And Daniel’ s reaction? He did not object. God has said that he will judge – and we should not get in the way when he does! What was their crime? They had lied to the king. They had tried to deprive the king of his most trusted advsior. While Darius’ actions may seem arbitrary and unjust to us, we must keep in mind that ancient despots did not generally follow the law of Moses! Deuteronomy 24:16 “The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor shall the children be put to death for the fathers; every man shall be put to death for his own sin. Indeed, even the Jews did not always follow the law of Moses. 2 Kings 10:11 tells us that Jehu killed everyone in the house of Ahab in Jezreel. Why were their families killed as well? Probably to minimize the chance of revenge. Darius wanted a secure prime minister. Verse 25-27 25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “ Peace be multiplied to you. 26 I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring for ever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. 27 He delivers and rescues, he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.” Darius makes a public proclamation as Nebuchadnezzar had done in Daniel 3:29 and 4:34. It was clear to all that God was alive and that he worked in history to bring about justice and the welfare of his people. Indeed, while this was going on, his people were as promised returning to the Holy Land under Zerubbabel. Verse 28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian. Daniel’ s usefulness to the king continued and he prospered as he had during the days of Nebuchadnezzar. This verse does not imply that Cyrus followed Darius as some suggest that it does. Instead it states (correctly) that Darius and Cyrus ruled simultaneously. He also continued to pray and study his Bible. The visions in Chapters 10– 12 were given to him during the third year of Cyrus. The book was probably written shortly after these visions were revealed, which perhaps puts its date around 532 (about 7 years after the Persians took over in 539).

“THE BOOK OF DANIEL”

Daniel In The Lions’ Den (Daniel 6:1-28)

1. The faith of Daniel has been an inspiration to many young people… a. Due to his faith as a young man, when only 15-17 years old b. In which he purposed in his heart not to defile himself - Daniel 1:8
2. Daniel should also be an inspiration to elderly people… a. As an example of service and commitment in our “golden years” b. For we can also read of his faith as old man, perhaps in his mid-eighties

[The account of elder Daniel’s faith is found in Daniel 6:1-28, involving an incident commonly referred to as “Daniel In The Lion’s Den”. The story is certainly worthy of our careful consideration, and so we begin our study by reading verse one…]

I. THE TRAP IS SET (Daniel 6:1-9) A. DANIEL IS …1. He is appointed one of three governors over the kingdom - Daniel 6:1-2a. The kingdom may be Babylon (Chaldea), recently conquered by the Medo-Persian empire - Daniel 5:30-31b. The identity of Darius the Mede is uncertain, possibly a man known as Gubara appointed by Cyrus of Persia to rule Chaldea 2. Daniel “distinguished” himself above the others - Daniel 6:3a. His success was due to his “excellent spirit”, not cunning or political maneuvering b. Proving one can be successful in business and politics without compromising character c. Darius contemplates setting Daniel over the whole realm

B. DANIEL IS ENVIED…1. His success leads to envy by others - Daniel 6:4a. Even the most godly men can have their enemies (e.g., David, Christ) b. Enemies by virtue of jealousy 2. His noble character is attested to by his enemies - Daniel 6:4a. They could make no charge against him, finding no fault or error in him b. Because he was “faithful” (i.e., trustworthy, dependable) 3. His enemies determine there is only one way to defeat him

• Daniel 6:5a. To find some conflict between the law of God and that of the land b. Which they then set out to do

C. DANIEL IS …1. The king is approached by Daniel’s enemies - Daniel 6:62. They propose a royal statute, a firm decree - Daniel 6:7a. That no petition can be made of any god or man for thirty days, except the king b. Under punishment of being cast into the den of lions 3. The king is encouraged to establish the decree - Daniel 6:8-9a. Which according to the law of the Medes and Persians, cannot be altered b. King Darius signs the decree

[Daniel’s faith in God brought him success up to this point. But now the exercise of his faith could cause him to lose it all! What would we have done in his place? As we continue to read, we see what Daniel did…]

II. THE TRAP IS SPRUNG (Daniel 6:10-17) A. DANIEL TO PRAY…1. Knowing full well that the decree had been signed - Daniel 6:102. Practicing a custom common among the Jews - Daniel 6:10a. Praying three times a day - cf. Psalms 55:17b. Praying toward Jerusalem - cf. 1 Kings 8:27-30c. Praying on his knees (a common posture for prayer) - cf. 1 Kings 8:54d. Praying with thankfulness to God, even in times of trouble

• cf. Philippians 4:63. His own custom since “early days” - Daniel 6:10a. Though great and powerful, fervent prayer was not beneath him b. Though aged, he had not grown weary of prayer

B. DANIEL IS CAUGHT…1. His enemies catch Daniel praying - Daniel 6:112. His enemies report Daniel to the king - Daniel 6:12-13a. Reminding Darius of the unalterable decree b. Accusing Daniel of disregarding the king and his decree 3. The king is forced to abide by his own decree - Daniel 6:14-15a. Displeased with himself, the king tries to deliver Daniel b. Daniel’s enemies pressure the king to abide by his decree

C. DANIEL IS THROWN INTO THE LIONS’ DEN…1. Yet the king is hopeful - Daniel 6:16a. That Daniel’s God will deliver him b. Whom Daniel had served “continually” – Would he have had such hope if Daniel was sporadic in his service to God? 2. The den is closed with a stone and sealed - Daniel 6:17a. Sealed with the signet ring of the king and his lords b. Ensuring that the purpose concerning Daniel would not be changed

[It appears Daniel’s enemies have won. He is in the lions’ den and it is sealed. Yet could any “seal” by man ever keep God from accomplishing His plans (don’t forget the “sealed” tomb! - cf. Matthew 27:62-66)? And so we read how…]

III. THE TRAP IS SPOILED (Daniel 6:18-28) A. DARIUS IS WORRIED…1. His night is restless - Daniel 6:18a. He spends the night fasting, and without musicians b. He can’t sleep 2. His concern for Daniel is evident - Daniel 6:19-20a. Rising early in the morning, going in haste to the den b. Crying to Daniel with a lamenting voice c. Wondering if God has delivered Daniel 1) A servant of the living God 2) Who serves God continually

B. DANIEL IS …1. Daniel answers the king - Daniel 6:21-22a. With respect to the king (“O king, live forever!”)

1. Despite what the king had done to him
2. An example of blessing those who persecute you b. With word of God’s great deliverance
3. Saved by an angel of God - cf. Daniel 3:282) Who shut the lions’ mouths c. With affirmation of his innocence
4. Innocent before God
5. Guilty of no wrong before the king

2. Darius removes Daniel from the den - Daniel 6:23a. The king being exceedingly glad b. Daniel with no injury found on him – Daniel is delivered from the lions, because he believed in His God (i.e., saved by faith!)

C. THE ARE …1. Cast into the same trap intended for Daniel, along with their families - Daniel 6:242. As often happens, those who set the trap get caught in it! a. Cf. Haman, hung on the gallows he built for Mordecai - Esther 7:10b. As contemplated by David, warned by Solomon - Psalms 7:14-16; Proverbs 1:10-19 D. GOD IS EXALTED…1. Darius makes a decree that the God of Daniel be feared

• Daniel 6:25-27a. He is the living God, and steadfast forever b. His kingdom is indestructible, and His dominion everlasting

2. Another pagan king comes to realize Who is really in control! a. As did Nebuchadnezzar - Daniel 4:34-35b. As did Belshazzar, only too late - Daniel 5:26-28 E. DANIEL …1. In the reign of Darius, who ruled Chaldea - Daniel 6:282. In the reign of Cyrus of Persia (who also ruled over Darius)

• cf. Daniel 1:21

1. What were the noble qualities of this aged saint? He was a man… a. With an excellent spirit - Daniel 6:3b. Without fault in his business dealings - Daniel 6:4c. Faithful to those over him - Daniel 6:4d. Committed to prayer throughout his life - Daniel 6:10e. Willing to obey God rather than man - Daniel 6:10– Putting it simply, he was a man who “believed in his God”!

• Daniel 6:23

2. “Daniel In The Lions’ Den” is a story that has thrilled many children… a. But its lessons are not just for children b. Daniel is a role model for adults as well

1. For politicians
2. For everyone involved in administrative affairs
3. For all Christians, especially older ones

May we all learn from the example of Daniel, who exemplified what it means to seek first the will of God (cf. Matthew 6:33), and to obey God rather than men (cf. Acts 5:29)!

Chapter Six Daniel’s character, conviction and courage are seen once more in this well known account of “Daniel in the lion’s den”. Despite his age (nearing ninety), Daniel serves his king with an excellent spirit and his God with unwavering faith. A plot by enemies is set to destroy him (Daniel 6:1-9) and he is cast into a den of lions (Daniel 6:10-17). God sends an angel to deliver him (Daniel 6:18-23), prompting King Darius of the Medes to praise the living God of Daniel (Daniel 6:24-28).

POINTS TO PONDER

• The excellent character and faith of Daniel, the man of God

• Daniel as a role model for young and old, statesmen and administrators

REVIEW

1. What are the main points of this chapter?- The trap against Daniel is set - Daniel 6:1-9- The trap against Daniel is sprung - Daniel 6:10-17- The trap against Daniel is spoiled - Daniel 6:18-23- King Darius honors the God of Daniel - Daniel 6:24-28
2. What position did King Darius give Daniel in his kingdom? What was the king planning to do with Daniel? Why? (1-3)- One of three governors over the kingdom

• Set him over the whole realm
• Because of his excellent spirit

3. Why did Daniel’s enemies have difficulty finding any charge against him? What trap was set against Daniel? (Daniel 6:4-9)- Because he was faithful, without any error or fault found in him

• To get Darius to make a decree that no one could petition a god or man for 30 days

4. What did Daniel do when he learned the decree had been signed? (Daniel 6:10)- He went to his room and prayed toward Jerusalem as he had done since early days

5. What was the king forced to do when he heard of Daniel’s prayers? Was the king pleased? (Daniel 6:11-17)- Cast Daniel into a den of lions; no, the king tried to save Daniel but he could not

6. How was Daniel protected from the lions? (Daniel 6:21-23)- God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths

7. What did the king do to Daniel’s enemies? What did the king do next? (Daniel 6:24-28)- Cast those who accused Daniel into the lions’ den, along with their families

• Made a decree that all should fear the God of Daniel, for He is the living God

Daniel 6:1

Daniel 6:1. We should bear in mind that historically speaking the 70year captivity ended at the same time the Babylonian Empire fell, which event was effected by the death of Belshazzar recorded in the close of the preceding chapter. That means the present chapter is at the beginning of the MedoPersian reign in Babylon. We also should distinguish between the Darius named here and the men of the same name who will be referred to later on who were Persian rulers. The present one is Darius the Median (uncle of Cyrus), named in the last verse of chapter 5, It will be very helpful for the reader if he will make frequent reference to the passages of history quoted from time to time in my comments. When Cyrus slew Belshazzar and took possession of Babylon, he seems to have turned the political affairs over to his uncle Darius, and the appointment of the 120 princes was one of his first acts.

Daniel 6:2

Daniel 6:2. These princes were more official than ttie word generally means. It is derived from a word that Strong defines, “Of Persian derivation; a satrap or governor of a main province of Persia,” These men were to manage the affairs as they pertained to the business matters, on behalf of the king, and over them were placed three men called presidents to whom they were to report their work. This was all done as an organization to see that the king would not suffer any damage or loss of any kind, Daniel was one of the three presidents and the statement is that he was first, which will prove to be very significant later on in our story.

Daniel 6:3

Daniel 6:3. Was preferred means that Daniel distinguished himself by his superior talents, and the writer of the text accounts for it by saying that an excellent spirit was in him. This was naturally brought to the attention of Darius and it made a favorable impression on him. The king had already delegated most of the business cares to the 120 princes, and now he was thinking of setting Daniel over the whole realm which means to give him a ruling authority that would have made him superior to the other presidents as well as to the princes.

Daniel 6:4

Daniel 6:4. Envy is a terrible spirit and will lead men to commit great crimes. The favorable position which Daniel acquired filled the other presidents and princes with this evil spirit and they began to plot against him. They wished to get him into trouble by some kind of disagreement or rebellion against the government. But Daniel was a lawabiding subject so that no statute could be found that he was violating.

Daniel 6:5

Daniel 6:5, These envious men admitted among themselves that no charge could be cited in connection with any of the existing laws. The only chance was to do something that would bring him into conflict through liiB religion. To do so it was necessary to have some specific statute which they knew would interfere with bis religious practice; something that could be reported as an actual performance. To do this they took notice that one of his regular religious performances was to open the windows of his room that faced in the direction of Jerusalem, and there upon his knees three times daily to pray to God, That furnished them the subject for their wicked plot.

Daniel 6:6

Daniel 6:6. With their envious motive in their wicked hearts they came before the king. They introduced themselves with the familiar salutation, King Darius, live far ever. Such a salutation was sometimes uttered out of genuine respect for a dignitary without any selfish motive prompting it. In the present case, however, we know it was for the purpose of getting the king into a favorable attitude toward them and hence it was said tn flattery.

Daniel 6:7

Daniel 6:7. There would not seem to be anything wrong with the proposition on first hearing it, only an overture for the purpose of showing honor to the king. Yet a little thought should have at least raised the suspicion of Darius. Why limit the decree to thirty days? If there was any good reason for limiting all petitions, that they should be addressed to the king only, that reason would continue after the period named. Another thing, the proposed decree made no specification as to whether the petitions involved pertained to religion or temporal matters.

Had any such distinction been made it might have at least aroused the curiosity of the king and the plot been exposed, so they chose to word it with this indefinite form so as to give it the impression of a movement Just for his honor. Daniel was accustomed to praying daily and hence thirty days may seem to be longer than necessary. But sickness or some other unavoidable circumstance could interrupt his devotions for a few days. Also, something might intervene in their own personal affairs that would make it uncertain to specify a shorter period. So the time allotted would be enough to cover all of these possible emergencies. These men evidently understood the principle of government that requires a law to have a penalty in order to be effective, hence they suggested that one be attached and even named the penalty they wished to be used.

Daniel 6:8

Daniel 6:8. Sign the writing, That it be not changed. The Persians had the foolish notion that when their king signed a decree it made it so sacred that it could not be repealed or changed even by the king himself. Had the king merely authorized the decree, there might have been some Haw discovered and it could have been set aside. That is why these abominable men induced him to put his signature io the document. The later conduct Of Darius proves that he would have repealed the decree had he not signed it, which act took the law out of his hands for ever.

Daniel 6:9

Daniel 6:9. The writing pertained to the body of the document which stipulated what the people were prohibited from doing, and the decree was the paragraph that was to place it in the class of enactments that could never be repealed, and Darius signed all.

Daniel 6:10

Daniel 6:10. When Daniel knew might be taken to mean that Daniel went to his house to pray just because he learned of the edict, and that he did it for spite. His whole life and character would forbid such a conclusion. Besides that, the verse concludes with the words as he did aforetime. This shows that he did not make any change in his practices just because of this edict. In truth, it was evidently their witnessing that pructice that caused the men to bring about that particular kind of degree. But the phrase means as if it said, “though Daniel knew,” or “notwithstanding that Daniel knew.” The point is that Daniel was not intimidated out of his regular service to God by hearing the persecuting edict of the king.

Daniel 6:11

Daniel 6:11. The men would naturally be expected to spy on Daniel to be able to report as witnesses of his conduct to the king.

Daniel 6:12

Daniel 6:12. Their speech to the king was that of a group of hypocrites. They pretended to he shocked and surprised at what they had discovered. But it might be well to remind Darius in the form of a question of the decree he had made and signed. It might have a more active effect upon him to have the edict brought fresh to his mind, and to have him verify it verbally before them.

Daniel 6:13

Daniel 6:13. Every statement these men made in this verse was true, but was uttered with a vicious motive and without regard for the context. It was true that Daniel ignored the decree of the king, but it was not because he did not respect temporal and royal government as they wished to imply. Instead, it was because the decree would hinder his religious service to God, and it has always been taught in the scripture that if a human law conflicts with the law of God. the servants of righteousness should “obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29).

Daniel 6:14

Daniel 6:14. The king realized he had been entrapped into something he would not have done had he known what these men were plotting. He had no Ut feeling against Daniel but was displeased with himself. Labored . . . to deliver him. We are not told what the king did in his “ labor,” whether he was acting the part of an unscrupulous lawyer and trying to find some technical loophole, or thought perhaps that it he would not be in too much of a burry in putting the edict into execution, something, somehow, might turn up that would release Daniel.

Daniel 6:15

Daniel 6:15. Unlike the decree concerning the image set up by Nebuchadnezzar (chapter 3: 6, 15), nothing was said in this one about the hour at which Us violation was to be punished. The delay of Darius in executing it seemed to cause the men to become uneasy lest he fail for some reason. Therefore they assembled before him and reminded him of the unobange ableness of the decree which he had signed.

Daniel 6:16

Daniel 6:16, Being thus goaded by these men, the king was Impelled, against his personal inclination, into carrying out the wicked decree. As the prophet was being thrust Into the den the king commended him to his &od whom, thou servest continually. Whether “the wish was father of the thought,” or he was malting a challenge of the issue I do not know. However, whatever the expectations of the king were, we may truly consider It a test, both of Daniel’ s faith and of the might or his God.

Daniel 6:17

Daniel 6:17. A stone was brought and laid upon the mouth, not at the mouth or door. That language is appropriate because the den was a pit dug oat in the ground. The stone was sealed with the king’ s own signet, which was a ring equipped with an engraving for making a stamp such as a notary uses today. That sealing had nothing to do with the coniinement of Daniel, but protected the place against outside interference.

Daniel 6:18

Daniel 6:18. The whole circumstance was grievous to Darius, for he thought well of Daniel, and had realized that he was the victim of a plot caused by the envy of the lords and princes. The king passed a very restless night. Musick has no separate word in the original, but the phrase instruments of musick Is from and the most that Strong says of it by way of definition is, “ probably a musical instrument (aa being struck),” and he says it is equivalent to another original word that he defines, “ a primitive root; to push down.” Young says the word is of “uncertain meaning,” Mof fatt renders the word for instruments of musick by “dancing girls,” and a footnote in the American Standard Version gives the same rendering. Another work of reference renders it “ concubines.” Prom the foregoing information we can get a reasonably clear picture of the situation. Darius was an idolater, also was a weak, pleasureloving king.

Under less serious circumstances a man unabie to sleep would pass the time in the indulgence of his appetites and passions. But the wakefulness of Darius was caused by a grief so profound that be had no desire for “ wine and women.”

Daniel 6:19

Daniel 6:19. After a sleepless night the king arose and went to the den. When one is forced to go through a night without sleep from physical causes, the morning usually finds him in a very disturbed frame of mind; how much more so when it has been caused by a feeling of guilt. The entire nervous system of Darius was shattered with remorse.

Daniel 6:20

Daniel 6:20. He approached the den with mingled feelings, torn between hope and despair. The record of Daniel’ s life was evidently known somewhat to the king, which would tend to give him hope that he would be miraculoualy protected. And yet he was net certain that Daniel’s God would see fit In this case to intervene. Lamentable is from atsab and Strong’s definition is, “to afflict.” The meaning of the passage is that Dorious cried with a voice that expressed his affliction in both mind and body. We may condense the heartrending cry to “ 0 Daniel, has thy God seen fit to preserve thee?”

Daniel 6:21

Daniel 6:21, I have no words fully to describe the suspense in which the king must have hung after uttering the foregoing, wailing cry. He could scarcely wait long enough for Daniel to respond should he be still alive, for seconds would seem like minutes or hours. And yet, even a seemingly long silence would not be quite enough time; perhaps when a reasonable pause has passed the prisoner will speak. And again my words fail me in trying to describe (he joyous relief the king must have felt when he heard the brief but respectful salutation, O king live for ever. No tinge of bitterness or resentment, but the same attitude of respect for his earthly master be had always shown.

Daniel 6:22

Daniel 6:22. In a candid but respectful manner Daniel explained to his king that his God had preserved him. He then accounted for the miraculous escape from the lions’ mouths. He had been innocent in the sight of his God, and also had done no hurt to his king. That word is defined as “crime” in Strong’s lexicon, which proves to us that Daniel was justified in his use of the word. It is true that he had disobeyed the decree of the king, but it was one that he had signed without any knowledge of the circumstances. Since Darius would not have signed the edict had he known the facts, the act of Daniel in continuing what had been his practice ail along without any disapproval of the king, constituted no deed that injured the dignity of his sovereign.

Daniel 6:23

Daniel 6:23. We are sure that whatever show of gladness the king made because of Daniel’s preservation was sincere. Not only was he preserved but he was not injured in any way. The word hurt in this verse means bodily damage. It is the writer who says that Daniel escaped all damage because he believed in his God.

Daniel 6:24

Daniel 6:24. In the ordinary sense of accuse it means to charge one with something wrong. It is a stronger word In the present case and means “to eat or consume.” The thought is that the men desired to have Daniel destroyed by being eaten by the lions. Instead of sueb a fate happening to the prophet it came upon the accusers. The,ir children and their wives were thrown into the den with them. The reason for casting these people into the den is clarified by a statement of Josephus, Antiquities, Book 10, Chapter 11, Section 6, as follows: “Now when his enemies saw that Daniel had suffered nothing which was terrible, they would not own that he was preserved by God and by his providence; but they said, that the lions had been filled full with food, and on that account it was, as they supposed, that the lions would not touch Daniel, nor come to him, and this they alleged to the king; but the king, out of an abhorrence of their wickedness, gave order that they should throw in a great deal of flesh to the lions; and when they had filled themselves, he gave further order that Daniel’ s enemies should be cast into the den that he might learn whether the lions, now they were full, would touch them or not; and it appeared plain to Darius, after the princes had been cast to the wild beasts, that it was God who preserved Daniel, for the Hons spared none of them, but tore them all to pieces, as if they had been very hungry, and wanted food.

I suppose, therefore, it was not their hunger, which had been a litile before satisfied with abundance of flesh, but the wickedness of these men that provoked them to destroy the princes. For if it so pleased God, that wickedness might by even those irrational creatures, be esteemed a plain foundation for their punishment.” No doubt these wicked enemies of Daniel thought they had a sufficient explanation of his preservation in claiming that the beasts had been previously fed to their full.

Whether Darius seriously considered their suggestion we have no way of knowing. But it was a fair test for these accusers to have the lions fed under the king’s orders before offering them these human bodies. If being filled before caused them to ignore the body of Daniel (as these men had claimed), then the same condition should work that way again. Or ever means “before ever” they reached the bottom of the cave or den. The beasts were so vicious towards these people, even though they had (heir stomachs filled with fresh meat, that they lunged up and seized them before they had a chance to alight.

Daniel 6:25

Daniel 6:25. The world empires were made up of all people, nations, and languages of the civilized world, hence a proclamation such as the king wished to be made would be sa addressed in order to reach and affect all the subjects of his realm.

Daniel 6:26

Daniel 6:26. Every dominion of my kingdom is explained by the comments on the preceding verse. Religion was a sLate affair with the ancient empires, hence it was in line with the rule for Darius to make the requirement set forth in this decree, though the Lord did not depend on the worldly governments to stipulate the form of worship that was to be offered to Him. The king made a specific mention of his reasons for issuing the decree which were true and very respectful,

Daniel 6:27

Daniel 6:27. The king continued his general remarks about the greatness of “the God of Daniel,” but he did not stop with generalities; he cited the case of Daniel’s deliverance from the power of the lions.

Daniel 6:28

Daniel 6:28. Strong defines prospered as, “ A primitive root; to push forward, in various senses (literally or figuratively, transitively or intransitively).” Cyrus is called the Persian because the Darius named in the same connection was a Mede. The Persians also had kings with that name but they will come into the history of the empire after the events of this hook. This verse is intended as a general statement covering the span of time that Daniel and his work as a prophet had recognition before the rulers of the world.