The Bible Binge: Daniel in the Savior's Den

Paranoia

We live in a world of paranoia. Fake news seems to be created just about every day preying on people’s fears and stoking paranoia. Last year, there was a story about military veterans kicked out of a hotel to make room for immigrants. It was only a few days and the entire story began to unravel as there were no hotels providing services for immigrants in that suburb. It all boiled down to a immigration activist attempting to raise donations for her group. But the story went wild for a few days because it plays into a narrative that involves real fear. We’ve all heard the saying, “Just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you.”

Earlier this year, a couple that visited the island of Maui were carjacked and spent the night running up the side of a mountain to get away from the carjackers. They were chased by guns and even a drone… hiking to get away from the bad guys for almost 24 hours until they were found by workers at an observatory and a park ranger. Their paranoia ended up being warranted when the carjacker was finally caught… come to find out he was out of jail on bail on kidnapping charges when he carjacked their rental car. Their paranoia was real.. the threat was real.

The Book of Daniel

In our Bible Binge today, we find a story in which there really are people out to get Daniel. And in this story, it would have been very easy for Daniel to fear. To let himself drown in paranoia. But he doesn’t. We’re finishing the book of Daniel in our Bible Binge today. And the book of Daniel is primarily about Daniel and his three friends… Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego. In the book of Daniel, we find these four and other refugees from Israel living in Babylon, having been deported hundreds of miles from their homeland. The book follows these four young men as they engage the Babylonian emperor himself, King Nebuchadnezzar.

The main theme of the book of Daniel is this: Daniel 4:17 The Most High is ruler over human kingdoms. He gives them to anyone he wants.

All of the conflict around these four guys and King Nebuchadnezzar and other leaders in the book of Daniel orbits around that thought. The Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and he gives those kingdoms to anyone he wants. And as we see in Daniel, he does this personally. In fact, even Daniel’s visions and prophecies, they are looking forward to a time when the Most High will rule Himself over human kingdoms.

But there’s also this. This main theme of the Most High ruling over human kingdoms is accompanied by another main thought found in the story of the fiery furnace:

Daniel 3:17 The God we serve can rescue us.

This Most High who rules over human kingdoms is a God who rescues his people. And he does it personally. There are two big rescue stories in Daniel… both among the most popular stories in our Bibles.. the story of the fiery furnace and Daniel in the lion’s den. And it’s this second rescue that we are looking at today.

Daniel 6: They’re out to get Daniel

When Daniel 6 opens, there’s a new sheriff in town. The Persians have defeated the Babylonians. Nebuchadnezzar is long gone. And there’s a new guy… Darius. We also know him historically as Cyrus, the Persian emperor. Unlike Nebuchadnezzar, Darius likes Daniel from the start. And Daniel is given one of the three highest offices in the land. This would be like the Vice President and Secretary of State. This doesn’t go over well… a Jewish official being given one of the highest spots. There are a bunch of other politicians who are upset. They come up with a plan to trap Daniel. They know that Daniel has a habit of praying 3 times a day in a window in his house. So they get Darius to draft a law that says it’s illegal to petition anyone other than Darius for anything for a 30 day period. And whoever is caught gets thrown in the lion’s den.

Daniel at peace

What would you do if you were Daniel? Daniel is probably in his 70s when this went down. Daniel isn’t stupid. And he’s not paranoid. These guys really are out to get Daniel. And what does he do? He doesn’t change a thing. Goes right back to the window and continues praying 3 times a day in that window. In the face of the danger, Daniel prays. Daniel doesn’t rant. He doesn’t get on social media and say… they’re out to get me. He doesn’t go to Darius to expose the plot. He just minds his own business and continues doing what he always does. In contrast to the noisy enemies, Daniel is totally at peace.

Darius hopes for rescue

So, of course, they are watching Daniel. They rat Daniel out. And Darius is upset, but he keeps the law… and he throws Daniel into the lion’s den. Just like Nebuchadnezzar threw his three friends into the furnace. Only Darius is not angry at Daniel. He’s angry with the politicians who set the trap and he’s angry with himself. Here’s what Darius says:

Daniel 6:16 Darius said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you continually serve, rescue you!”

There’s that word again..rescue. On the lips of a pagan king. He’s obviously heard the story of the fiery furnace. Daniel’s life is on the line and even the pagan king is hoping that the God who showed up for the 3 guys in the fiery furnace will do it again decades later. The stone is rolled over the lion’s den… the king goes back to the palace and can’t sleep. And before the sun is even up, the king is back a the lion’s den and they roll away the stone and into the darkness of the den the king says this:

Daniel 6:20 Darius cried out in anguish to Daniel. “Daniel, has your God, whom you continually serve, been able to rescue you from the lions?”

There’s that word again. Rescue. Darius can’t let it go. And you get the sense that it’s not just Daniel’s faith on display in the story. Darius has begun to embrace the idea that the Most High, who rules over the kingdoms of the world, is also a rescuer, a savior.

The next words must have been a jolt. Out of the darkness Darius hears this:

Daniel 6:21–22 “May the king live forever. 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.”

I’ll bet Darius never heard “may the king live forever” the same way again. Can you imagine the heart shock just hearing a voice come back at you when you shout into the lion’s den? These words are a relief for anxiety. But these words are also gospel words… the import isn’t that Daniel is alive. Hurray… a miracle. God saved Daniel. Yippee. Again… that’s how this story goes down in our storybooks. God saved Daniel. end of story.

But that’s not what Daniel says.

“My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths.”

THAT is the import of the story. Remember Darius hoping upon hope for a rescue, just like the fiery furnace? He gets that rescue. Could God have snapped his fingers and saved Daniel? Of course. Could God have just disappeared the lions to save Daniel? Of course. But he doesn’t. He has something better. It’s personal. Just like the fiery furnace… the Angel of the Lord, the pre-incarnate Christ, who showed up for the 3 young guys in the furnace, has been to the lion’s den… to rescue Daniel personally. The Most High who rules over kingdoms and gives kingdoms to anyone he wants is also the Most High who shows up personally to rescue people. To save people. To bring completion to Daniel’s faith. To give sight to even Darius’ feeble faith.

Daniel in the Savior’s Den

That den is the Savior’s den. It’s not the lions’ den. It’s not the king’s den. This is the One Who owns the den. The One who owns all the dens in all the kingdoms of the world. The One who transforms the den from a den of danger to one of salvation and peace. And now we see just what it was or Who it Was giving Daniel peace instead of paranoia. Daniel continues to pray even when he knows they are out to get him because he has a Savior who rescues. Oh, there’s no guarantee that Daniel will be rescued in the lion’s den. But Daniel has a Rescuer a Savior who will rescue his soul from death and the devil. His faith and His hope is in the Most High who rescues His people from their sin.

The rest of the story tells us that Darius then throws Daniel’s enemies into the lion’s den and the lion’s do what the lion’s do. They do not enjoy the same rescue as Daniel. And this is the full salvation story in front of here in Daniel 6. You see, the Most High who shows up to rescue Daniel personally, will show up hundreds of years later as a baby in a manger. And instead of being rescued, when he’s on the cross, in his own lion’s den, he dies as one who is not innocent. That picture of what happened to Daniel’s enemies is what happened to Jesus at the cross. That is Who He is for us. He rescues us from the lions of sin, death, the devil, and hell, but in his rescue he dies at the hands of the lions. You have to wonder what was going through the mind of the Angel of the Lord that day as he is shutting the mouths of the lions for Daniel. Because he knows that one day, he will die because the mouths of the lions will not be shut… and that happens at the cross.

How are you in the face of danger? Is it paranoia or peace? How are you approaching Tuesday? Paranoia or peace? The One who Rescued Daniel is the same who can be trusted to rescue you. It’s confidence in Jesus that gives us peace no matter what kind of danger we find ourselves in.

Let’s Pray.

The Table

Our king rescues and delivers. He performs signs and wonders. And there was no greater wonder that he performed than going to the cross and dying to forgive our sins and give us eternal life. The single greatest act in human history… performed by the King who has a kingdom that will never be destroyed. This is his meal. And His promise is here for us in this meal right now. The King is for you right here. He is he to forgive. He is he to give you His life. He is here. He promised.

Benediction

Numbers 6:24–26

May the Lord bless you and protect you;

may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;

may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.