Daniel: Faithfulness In Exile - Week 6
Daniel 6:1-28
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Daniel In The Den Of Lions
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Daniel 6:1-28 〰️ Daniel In The Den Of Lions 〰️
In Paul's letter to the Greek people of the church in Ephesus, he talks of what it means to go from death to life. Paul goes on to boast of the greatness of our Savior, Jesus, citing the miraculous display of mercy by our LORD. Paul tells the readers, "For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift— not from works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9). When we think of the Book of Daniel, the first story that comes to mind for many is Daniel and the lion's den. In this story, a quick connection between Daniel's obedience (works) and God saving him can be drawn. However, it's not Daniel's obedience or actions that saved him, but his faith in the LORD Almighty. His faith in God's goodness and mercy saved him from the lions, just as it does through Christ for us!
So, as we close our time in Daniel 1-6, we find ourselves in the story of Daniel and his encounter with the lion's den this week. When we read this passage, it's (again) tempting to try and place ourselves into the text and find how we relate to the hero, Daniel. But we'd do well to continue to seek Jesus in the passages we read, particularly in the Old Testament. As we'll remember, the Bible is one unified story that points to Jesus. Whether it's foreshadowing, fall/redemption setup, or revealing God's character, all Scripture carries value and importance in making the way for Jesus.
In Daniel 6, we pick up where we left off: Darius the Mede has just taken Babylon from Belshazzar. There's some debate among scholars as to who exactly Darius the Mede is, but some believe it to be Cyrus the Persian, as Daniel 6:28 could also be translated to "So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius, that is, the reign of Cyrus the Persian." [1] Regardless of who this king is, we know that Daniel is favorable in his eyes almost immediately. Verses 1-2 say, "Darius decided to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, stationed throughout the realm, and over them three administrators, including Daniel." Up to this point, we know that Daniel's proven character allowed him to remain in a high-ranking position in the king's government. In v5, Darius' other officials admitted that "we will never find any charge against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God." Daniel was marked by and known for his upstanding character regarding the local law, but more importantly, his faithfulness to the LORD. With that in mind, Darius' administrators and Satraps plotted against Daniel to find fault with him. They whipped up a new edict (or law) to guarantee Daniel's guilt.
The officials under Darius went out and caught Daniel in the act of praying to the LORD. After writing this mandate, it looks as if Darius is filled with regret. "As soon as the king heard this," v14 tells us, "he was very displeased; he set his mind on rescuing Daniel and made every effort until sundown to deliver him." The law of the time prevented a king from overturning the signed mandates and laws. This was most likely to avoid the haphazard writing and overturning of laws. Despite wanting to undo the law, Darius was unable to. "So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you continually serve, rescue you!" A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den." (v16-17a). We're told that the following day, Darius got up and hurried to the lion's den to see if Daniel had survived the night. Amazingly, before being retrieved from the den, Daniel gave honor to the king, the one who ultimately holds responsibility for his attempted execution. In the same breath, Daniel said, "My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths; and they haven't harmed me, for I was found innocent before him. And also before you, Your Majesty, I have not done harm." (v22). Daniel isn't saying that God saved him because of what he did, but merely that his allegiance to the LORD made him guiltless. "It was Daniel's faith in God, not his works, that brought him deliverance from the lions." [2] Ultimately, it's the LORD's mercy that saved Daniel, not Daniel's actions.
Caring greatly for Daniel, Darius is overjoyed and has him released from the den. We're then told, "The king then gave the command, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the lions' den— they, their children, and their wives. They had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones." (v24). The chapter ends with a few verses where the king praises God for rescuing Daniel, issuing a decree where all the people must bow in fear and trembling before the LORD. In previous chapters, we've seen something like this, where King Nebuchadnezzar witnessed a miracle from the LORD and wrongly applied worship or praise. It appears different here, though. Darius seems to have a grasp on worship different from Nebuchadnezzar. He doesn't worship Daniel (2:46), merely prohibit the offense toward the LORD (3:29), or "include" the LORD in the worship of his own gods (4:36-37). Instead, Darius cites what appears to be his theology of God in v26-27. In a way, this decree and praise is an excellent summary of the theology we can gather from our time in Daniel 1-6:
"For he is the living God,
and he endures forever;
his kingdom will never be destroyed,
and his dominion has no end.
He rescues and delivers;
he performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth,
for he has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions."
The LORD is the living God; he and His kingdom will last forever and cannot be defeated. God rescues and delivers, and every day is filled with signs and wonders (Romans 1:19-20) in heaven and on earth. So, as we jump into our final discussion in Daniel, we'll talk about how parts of this story foreshadow Jesus' sacrifice on the cross in the New Testament. Keep in mind that not every detail transfers, and there's a mix of parallels and contrasts! Some of them include:
In the end, we have to remember and keep in mind that Jesus is the greater Daniel. Jesus was and is fully without sin, submitted to God, and died a death that saved others, while Daniel was a sinful human who, submitting to God, did notdie at the hands of Darius for the sake of others. Walking away from this story and book, we should be 1) in awe of Jesus and His sacrifice and its eternal impact, 2) humble in light of the stories of Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar, and 3) filled with gratitude for our LORD's patience and mercy, despite our sinfulness. We can look at Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and marvel at their faith. But in the end, Jesus is the source and person of our affection, and we should be filled with joy and gratitude that His life on earth is the one that has everlasting impact.
Discussion Questions
What stood out to you from the passage?
Does anything in this passage remind you of another part of Scripture?
Do you have any questions?
How do you see Jesus in this passage?
Can you identify three things in this chapter that foreshadow the trial, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus? (Matthew 26-28) (**Hint: there are more than three, but some examples are found below...)
What does verse 22 tell us about how or why Daniel was saved?
Now read Ephesians 2:8-9. How can this serve as a reminder to us that faith in the LORD saves us, not our obedience or actions?
How would you summarize what we learn about the LORD in Daniel 1-6? How do v26-27 provide a summarized theology of God?
**a) Daniel and Jesus were conspired against (Matthew 26:1-5).
b) Daniel and Jesus were condemned despite moral innocence (Matthew 26:57-68, 27:11-14).
c) Daniel and Jesus were sealed with a stone in their "tombs" (Matthew 27:57-61).
1. Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in Daniel (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2017), 69.
2. Michael Rydelnik, Daniel in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1337.