Salvation From The Lions

I. Introduction

Daniel 6.

Setting

This is the last of the “narrative” chapters.

This takes place shortly after the fall of Babylon to the Persians.

Who is Darius the Mede?

Not recorded as such in discovered secular history.

Several possibilities.

Cyrus the Great himself (Daniel 9:1 says no).

Cyrus’ grandfather, Astyages (Daniel 5:31 says no).

Cyrus’ uncle Cyaxares II (Daniel 9:1 says no).

Cyrus’ regional governor, Gubaru, installed as “King of Babylon” after his conquest.

Cyrus was Persian royalty by his father’s line.

He was descended from Median royalty via his mother. His mother was given to his father as a wife as part of a peace treaty between the two kingdoms.

Persia was a vassal state of Media.

When Cyrus’ maternal grandfather, Astyages, was old and getting ready to pass the crown to a successor, Cyrus rebelled and marched an overwhelming army to attack his grandfather.

The majority of the Median military leaders defected to Cyrus, adding to his superior numbers.

Astyages was quickly captured in a very brief battle and given a king’s version of house arrest.

Astyages swore allegiance as a vassal, and briefly cooperated as a puppet co-regent before his death.

Cyrus was king of the Persians for 20 years before he absorbed the Median nation.

“Darius” is a throne name that means, “He who holds to the good,” or loosely, “Peacekeeper.”

Of the three kings secular history records wearing that name, only one was born with it. Throne name.

When Cyrus conquered Babylon, he did not reside there.

He appointed a Median “king” to govern Babylon as his vassal, Gubaru.

Little is known about him, except that he was Median, of noble blood, and was known as the “King of Babylon” under Cyrus, the “King of Kings.”

It is entirely possible that he was known as “Darius the Mede” locally.

Cyrus did not reside at Babylon for 14 after capturing it, but built a new capital city to the southeast, called Pasargadae.

Would explain why Daniel 6:28 seems to make the two reigns simultaneous.

II. Body

Daniel 5:31 “And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.”

Gubaru “received” the kingdom. He was appointed to the post by Cyrus.

Called a king by Cyrus, over the province of Babylon, not the whole empire.

Daniel 6:1–3 “It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.”

This, then, is regional, not empire-wide.

We know that Gubaru divided the Province of Babylon into regions and appointed governors over them.

Later in the text, a throng of many people is seen running about the city executing their plot. If they were empire-wide princes, this wouldn’t be possible.

The text seems to imply that the full bureaucracy of 120 people is involved in the plot. Unlikely (vs 24).

Jealousy and Antisemitism are the roots of this problem.

Daniel 6:4–5 “Then the high officials 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. 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.””

The vocabulary here points to some possible kinds of corruption that they attempted to uncover.

“with regard to the kingdom.” Hebrew: from the side of the kingdom.

Possibly a reference to the queen.

Daniel couldn’t have been sexually involved with the queen, since He was likely a eunuch.

“error or fault.”

Accounting terms.

He didn’t steal from the taxes.

“The Law of his God.”

“Law” figures prominently here.

Law of the Medes and the Persians is seen as artificially rigid and harmful.

Echoed in Esther 1:19 “If it please the king, let a royal order go out from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes so that it may not be repealed, that Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus. And let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she.”

In contrast, the Law of God, which is also eternal, in this passage is seen as life-giving and perfect.

Psalm 19:7–11 “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”

Daniel 6:6–9 “Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! All the high officials 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 injunction, 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. Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.”

Obviously fraudulent. Not all the governors agreed. Daniel didn’t!

Death by lion was a well-known Persian method of execution.

Gubaru was known to be very concerned with consolidating his reign and authority. This fits with his character, but not at all with the character of Cyrus.

Daniel 6:10–13 “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. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone 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 and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.” Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.””

Daniel, who was 83 years old here, did not take a month off of his devotion to the Lord.

Some see a showiness in his devotion here. Not necessarily.

The antisemitism of the other governors is clearly seen.

Daniel 6:14–15 “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. 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 injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.””

The “Law of the Medes and the Persians” required that executions be carried out on the same day.

The king labored to find a loophole, but failed.

Daniel 6:16–18 “Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” And a stone was brought and laid on 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 spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.”

Sealed with the Kings’ ring and also the seals of other nobles. If it was only his seal, he might have broken it.

The King spends the night fasting and without “company.”

We don’t know, but Daniel probably slept much more comfortably.

Daniel 6:19–23 “Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” 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 harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.”

Darius has a change of heart.

In vs 16, Darius: “your God, whom you serve continually,”

In vs 20: “Daniel, servant of the Living God,”

Did God reveal himself to Darius more fully while he fasted?

Daniel is complimentary to the king who had ordered his death.

Daniel attributes his salvation to “an Angel.” THE Angel of the Lord? Not explicit.

Very similar to the three youth of Ch. 3, there is no injury whatsoever.

Daniel 6:24 “And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously 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.”

Persian legal code required that a false accuser receive the penalty that the accused would have received.

The lions were obviously well and hungry.

This shows that it couldn’t have been all 120 governors of Babylon. 120 families? Not enough lions for that.

Daniel 6:25–28 “Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. 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.” So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”

The decree of reverence fits the pattern of Ch 2, 3, and 4.

Gubaru’s religious convictions are unknown to history.

Vs 28 lays the foundation for a parallel reign of “Darius” and Cyrus, which supports the Gubaru theory.

Where We See Jesus

An Innocent Man Targeted by Envious Leaders

Daniel: Distinguished above others leads to jealousy without grounds for accusation: Dan 6:3-4.

Jesus:

Pilate knows that the Jews’ accusation is based on jealousy: Matt 27:18.

Pilate declares that that Jesus is innocent: John 18:38.

The faith of the accused is the focus:

Daniel: The trap focuses on prayer and loyalty to God: Dan 6:10.

Jesus:

“Crime” is faithfulness to the Father and claim of divine sonship

John 19:7.

Mark 14:61-64.

Prayer central (Garden of Gethsemane).

Reluctant ruler who knows that the accused is innocent:

Daniel: Darius seeks a way to save Daniel, but is bound by the law (vs 14-15).

Jesus: Pilate repeatedly seeks to release Jesus: Luke 23:20-25.

Condemned to death by extreme state-sponsored execution:

Daniel is cast into a den of lions (vs 16-17).

Jesus is crucified. Mark 15:20-24.

Both men have a stone sealed with the royal seal involved.

Daniel: Darius’ seal (vs 17).

Jesus: sealed with the roman seal: Matt 27:66.

The friends of the “dead” wait.

Daniel: The king spends a restless night: (vs 18).

Jesus’ followers wait during the sabbath (Luke 23:56).

Early morning discovery:

Daniel: The king rises early to check on Daniel, who is found alive (vs 19-22).

Jesus: The women, and then the disciples, arrive and find the tomb empty. Jesus is alive!

Matt 28:1.

Luke 24:1-3.

God is given credit for saving his innocent servant.

Daniel: An angel saved him because he was innocent (vs 22).

Jesus: God raised him to life because death could not hold him (Acts 2:24).

The righteous servant is unharmed, but the accusers are judged.

Daniel: verified as being without injury, but the accusers and their families are killed by lions (vs 23-24).

Jesus:

The resurrections proves that Jesus is God’s son: Rom 1:4.

The Apostles indict the Jewish leaders after the fact: Acts 2:36.

The spiritual authorities of darkness are judged by the resurrection: Col 2:15

God is worshipped throughout the earth in response:

Darius declares “international” worldwide worship of Yahweh (vs 25-27).

God’s kingdom is proclaimed to the ends of the earth: Matt 28:18-20.

Critical difference:

Daniel was preserved through the trial alive.

Jesus saved others by dying. Heb 2:14-15.

III. Conclusion/Application

God does not promise to rescue all who suffer for their love of God, but He does promise to be with them.

Matthew 5:11–12 ““Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Daniel served as one of may examples that might have been in Jesus’ mind when he said this.

If faithfulness to God were to ever cost us our lives, we can know that many others, including Jesus, have loved God to the end before us.

The Bible can be trusted, even when “the world” calls it into question.