Dare To Be Like Daniel - Week 4 - Faith In The Lion's Den
- 4 days ago
- 8 min read
The Lion's Den
Daniel 6:1-28
6 It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, 2 with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. 3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5 Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”
6 So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! 7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. 8 Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 9 So King Darius put the decree in writing.
10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. 12 So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?”
The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”
13 Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” 14 When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.
15 Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.”
16 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 serve continually, rescue you!”
17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.
19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”
21 Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! 22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”
23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
24 At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
25 Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth:
“May you prosper greatly!
26 “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.
“For he is the living God and he endures forever;
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
his dominion will never end.
27 He rescues and he saves;
he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”
28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus[b] the Persian.o.
Intro
Daniel 6 is perhaps the most iconic chapter in the book. It mirrors Chapter 3 in its focus on state-mandated worship but shifts the spotlight to Daniel’s personal prayer life and the consequences of a "law that cannot be changed."
I. The Target of Excellence (Verses 1–5)
The "Excellent Spirit": Daniel is now in his 80s, serving a brand-new empire (the Persians).
How did his work ethic and integrity force his political rivals to attack his faith rather than his performance?
The Search for "Dirt": The commissioners tried to find "ground for complaint" but found none.
If your coworkers or enemies did a "deep dive" into your professional and private life, what would they find?
Consistency over Time: Daniel didn’t just start being faithful; he had been consistent for 70 years.
How does a "long obedience in the same direction" prepare you for a crisis?
II. The Trap and the Decree (Verses 6–10)
The Appeal to Ego: The officials convinced King Darius to make a decree that everyone should pray only to him for 30 days.
Why are leaders (and people in general) so susceptible to this kind of flattery?
The Response of Prayer: When Daniel learned the document was signed, he went home to pray "as he had done previously" (v. 10).
Why didn’t he try to hide his prayer, or simply pray "in his heart" for 30 days to stay safe?
The Open Windows: Daniel prayed toward Jerusalem. Look up 1 Kings 8:46–49.
Was Daniel being defiant toward the King, or was he being obedient to a higher spiritual precedent?
III. The King’s Dilemma (Verses 11–18)
The Law of the Medes and Persians: Once a decree was signed, even the King couldn't change it.
How does this highlight the difference between human "unchangeable" laws and God’s ultimate authority?
The King’s Regret: Darius spent the whole day trying to deliver Daniel (v. 14).
Contrast Darius’ attitude toward Daniel with Nebuchadnezzar’s attitude toward the three friends in Chapter 3.
The Seal on the Stone: The King sealed the den with his own signet ring.
Why do you think this detail is important for the miracle that follows? (Compare this to the sealing of Jesus’ tomb in Matthew 27:66).
IV. The Rescue and the Reversal (Verses 19–24)
The Hopeful Question: Darius calls out, "Has your God... been able to deliver you?" (v. 20).
Why was the King so hopeful that Daniel’s God might actually show up?
The Source of Safety: Daniel attributes his safety to an angel who "shut the lions' mouths" (v. 22).
Why was it important for Daniel to emphasize his innocence before both God and the King?
The Harsh Reality of Judgment: In verse 24, the accusers and their families are thrown to the lions.
While this is difficult to read, what does it communicate about the consequences of trying to destroy God’s servants?
V. The New Decree & Personal Application
The Global Testimony: Darius issues a decree that people should "tremble and fear before the God of Daniel."
How can our private faithfulness lead to a public testimony for others?
The Lion of Judah: Many see Daniel in the den as a "type" or "shadow" of Jesus—an innocent man, condemned by a corrupt law, trapped behind a sealed stone, who emerges alive the next morning.
How does this story point us to the Gospel?
Modern "Lions": We may not face literal lions, but we face social "lions" (ridicule, loss of job, exclusion).
How does Daniel’s story give you the courage to keep your "windows open" to God?
Comparison: The Two Dens/Furnaces
Feature | The Fiery Furnace (Ch. 3) | The Lions' Den (Ch. 6) |
Participants | Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego | Daniel |
The Pressure | To perform (bow down) | To cease (stop praying) |
The King's Attitude | Furious and defiant | Distressed and prayerful |
The Delivery | God was in the fire with them | God sent an angel into the den |
Follow-up Question: Verse 10 says Daniel gave thanks to God after he knew the decree was signed.
How is it possible to be truly thankful when you know a "lion's den" is waiting for you?
Notes For Leaders
Historical Context and Background for Daniel
To understand the Book of Daniel, you have to look at the massive geopolitical shift that occurred at the end of the 7th century BCE. It was a "clash of titans" where the tiny Kingdom of Judah got caught in the middle.
1. The Rise of the Neo-Babylonian Empire
For centuries, the Assyrians were the "big bad" of the ancient Near East. However, by 612 BCE, the city of Nineveh fell to the Babylonians (led by Nabopolassar) and the Medes.
By the time Nabopolassar’s son, Nebuchadnezzar II, took the throne, Babylon was the undisputed superpower. He was a master builder (famous for the Hanging Gardens) and a ruthless conqueror.
2. The Three Waves of Deportation
The "Exile" didn't happen all at once. It happened in stages as Judah rebelled against Babylonian rule:
605 BCE: The first wave. Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and took the "best and brightest" youths as hostages to ensure Judah’s loyalty. Daniel and his three friends were part of this group.
597 BCE: The second wave. More elites and craftsmen were taken (including the prophet Ezekiel).
586 BCE: The final destruction. Jerusalem was burned, the Temple of Solomon was levelled, and the majority of the population was marched to Babylon.
3. The Strategy of Cultural Assimilation
The Babylonians weren't just looking for slaves; they were looking for administrators. Their strategy was to:
Select: Pick high-status, handsome, and intelligent youths from conquered nations.
Indoctrinate: Immerse them in the "literature and language of the Chaldeans" for three years.
Rename: Give them Babylonian names to sever their connection to their heritage (as we discussed with Daniel/Belteshazzar).
Employ: Place them in the royal court to help govern the diverse empire.
4. The Shift from Babylon to Persia
The book of Daniel spans a massive timeframe—nearly 70 years. It begins with the height of the Babylonian Empire and ends with its sudden collapse.
In 539 BCE, the Achaemenid Empire (Persia) under Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon in a single night.
Unlike the Babylonians, Cyrus had a policy of religious tolerance. He issued a decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. This transition is the backdrop for the famous "Daniel in the Lions' Den" story, which takes place under Persian rule.
5. Literary Styles
Historians and theologians often note that Daniel is a "tale of two halves":
Chapters 1–6: Court tales of survival and faithfulness under foreign kings.
Chapters 7–12: Apocalyptic visions regarding the future of world empires (including the rise of the Greeks under Alexander the Great and the later persecutions by Antiochus Epiphanes).