Daniel 6.23 [6.24]-Daniel's Faith Delivered Him from the Lions
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday March 28, 2013
Daniel: Daniel 6:23 (6:24)-Daniel’s Faith Delivered Him from the Lions
Lesson # 193
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 6:23.
Daniel 6:1 Now, Darius the Mede received the kingdom at sixty-two years of age. 2 It was considered a good idea by Darius to establish one hundred twenty satraps over the kingdom in order that they would be in authority over the entire kingdom. 3 Also, out from, over them, three supervisors, of whom Daniel was one of them in order that these satraps would exist in the state of having to give an account to them so that the king would never be able to suffer loss. 4 Then this Daniel was distinguishing himself above the supervisors as well as satraps because an extraordinary spirit was in him. Consequently, the king intended to establish him over the entire kingdom 5 as a result, the supervisors as well as the satraps were attempting to cause a pretext to be found against Daniel with regards to governmental affairs. However, they were totally unable to cause any pretext in the form of corruption to be found because he was trustworthy. Indeed, no negligence in the form of corruption was found against him. 6 Therefore, these men concluded, “We will never be able to cause a pretext to be found against this Daniel unless we cause it be found in connection with the law originating from his God.” 7 Consequently, these supervisors as well as the satraps conspired together to the detriment of the king and said the following to the king, “King Darius, live forever! 8 Each and every one of the supervisors over the kingdom, namely the senior officials well as the satraps, that is the royal officials, in other words the governors are in agreement that the king should issue an edict. Specifically, an interdict, which should be enforced in order that whoever makes a request from any god or human being during a thirty day period except from you, O king, must be unceremoniously deposited into a lion’s den. 9 Now, please O king establish an interdict. Specifically, please sign the document into law in order that it can never be changed according to Medo-Persian law, which can never be revoked.” 10 Because of this, King Darius signed the document into law, that is, the interdict. 11 Now when Daniel was aware that the document was signed into law, he entered his home, which had windows in its upper room swung open toward Jerusalem. Then he worshipped on his knees three times during the day. Indeed, as was his custom, he prayed while giving thanks in the presence of his God just as he had been doing previously. 12 Then these men conspired together, namely, they found Daniel making request, specifically, making an earnest and urgent prayer request in the presence of his God. 13 Consequently they came into the king’s presence and posed a question with regards to the interdict issued by the king, “Did you not sign an interdict, namely that, any person who makes a request from any god or human being during a thirty day period except from you, O king, must be unceremoniously deposited into a lion’s den?” The king replied and said, “Absolutely, the decree is according to Medo-Persian law, which can never be revoked.” 14 Thus they replied in the presence of the king and said that, “Daniel, who is one of the deported people from Judah, has absolutely no respect for your command, O king, that is, for your interdict, which you signed into law. Instead, three times during the course of the day, he regularly makes his request.” 15 Consequently when the king heard the charge against him he was extremely upset. Thus, with regards to Daniel, he was determined to deliver him. Indeed, until sunset, he repeatedly made every effort to rescue him. 16 Then these men conspired together to the detriment of the king and said to the king, “Please remember, O king that with regards to Medo-Persian law, each and every interdict, specifically, edict, which the king does issue, is irrevocable.” 17 Therefore, the king issued an order for the purpose of causing Daniel to be brought in to be unceremoniously deposited into a lion’s den. The king encouraged Daniel and said, “Your God, because you yourself serve Him faithfully, will rescue you.” 18 Then a particular stone was brought for the purpose of being placed over the den’s mouth. Next, the king sealed it with his signet ring as well as with his nobles’ signet rings in order that this matter could never be altered. 19 Then the king returned to his palace. However, he spent the night fasting. Also, diversions were never ordered to be brought into his presence. Indeed, to his detriment, his sleep fled. 20 Afterward the king at dawn, at first light got up in order to return immediately to the lions’ den. 21 Consequently when he came near the den, he shouted out to Daniel with a distressed voice. The king asked a question and said to Daniel, “O Daniel, the immanent, eternal God’s servant, because you yourself serve Him faithfully, did He prevail so as to deliver you from the lion?” 22 Thus Daniel spoke to the king, “O king, live forever!” 23 My God dispatched His angel in order to shut the lions’ mouths so that they never harmed me because in my favor, I was found innocent in His judgment. Indeed, furthermore, in your judgment O king, I never committed a crime.” (My translation)
Daniel 6:23 Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. (NASB95)
“Then the king was very pleased” presents to the reader the result of Daniel’s response to the king which is recorded in Daniel 6:22 (6:23).
Therefore, this verse indicates that as a result of hearing Daniel’s voice and telling him that his God delivered him from the lions through His angel, Darius was overjoyed.
“Was very pleased” is composed of the masculine singular form of the adjective śǎg∙gî(ʾ) (שַׂגִּיא) (sag-ghee´), “very” which is modifying the third person masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active perfect form of the verb ṭeʾēḇ (טְאֵב) (teh-abe´), “pleased.”
The verb ṭeʾēḇ means “to be delighted” and is modified by the adjective śǎg∙gî(ʾ), which functions here as an adverb and means “extremely” referring to a very great degree on a scale, thus, these two words indicate that Darius was “extremely delighted” to hear that Daniel was still alive.
“And gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den” presents to the reader the next action that took place after the king was extremely delighted as a result of hearing that Daniel was still alive in the lions’ den.
“So Daniel was taken up out of the den” presents the result of Darius issuing an order to extract Daniel from the lions’ den.
“And no injury whatever was found on him” is advancing upon and intensifying the previous statement in which Daniel was extracted from the lions’ den on Darius’ orders.
The advancement and intensification is that not only was Daniel still alive but he was totally unharmed, which was a miracle since lions who were used in executions such as Daniel’s were unfed and prepared to kill.
“No injury whatever was found on him” is composed of the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), “and” which is followed by the singular construct form of the noun kōl (כֹּל) (kole) “whatever” which is modifying the masculine singular noun ḥǎḇāl (חֲבָל) (khab-al´), “injury” and then we have the negative particle lā(ʾ) (לָא) (law), “no” which is negating the meaning of the third person masculine singular hitpeʿel (Hebrew: qal) passive perfect form of the verb šeḵǎḥ (שְׁכַח) (shek-akh´), “was found” which is followed by the preposition b- (בְּ־) (beh) “on” and its object is the third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ) (הוּא) (who), “him.”
The noun ḥǎḇāl means “injury” in the sense of physical injury, which in our context, would be broken bones or lion bites.
The word is modified by the singular construct form of the noun kōl, which means “of any kind” since it denotes any one of a totality.
Therefore, these two words indicate that Darius and his subordinates found absolutely no “harm of any kind” on Daniel.
The verb šeḵǎḥ means “to find” in the sense of learning by observation.
The word’s meaning is emphatically negated by the negative particle lā(ʾ), which is a marker of emphatic negation.
Therefore, these two words indicate that Darius and his subordinates as well executioners “found absolutely no” harm of any kind on Daniel.
The third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ) means “him” referring of course to Daniel and is the object of the preposition bĕ, which is a marker of a state or condition.
Therefore, this prepositional phrase refers to the state or condition of Daniel being totally uninjured by the lions.
“Because he had trusted in his God” presents the reason why Daniel was totally unharmed by the lions as result of God sending His angel to shut the mouths of the lions.
This indicates that Daniel was totally unharmed by the lions as a result of God sending the preincarnate Christ or an elect angel to shut the mouths of the lions “because” he trusted in his God.
“He had trusted” is the masculine singular hafʿel (Hebrew: hiphil) active perfect form of the verb ʾǎmǎn (אֲמַן) (am-an´), which means “to trust, to confidently rely upon” someone or something.
Here it is used to describe Daniel trusting in his God to deliver him from the lions in the sense that he confidently relied upon his God to deliver him from death.
The word speaks of Daniel’s assured or confident reliance upon the character and nature of his God such as His omnipotence and veracity.
Daniel 6:23 (6:24) As a result, the king was extremely delighted for him. Then, he issued an order for the purpose of extracting Daniel from the den. Thus, Daniel was extracted from the den. Indeed, absolutely no injury of any kind was found on him because he confidently relied upon his God. (My translation)
Upon hearing Daniel’s voice, Darius became extremely delighted for Daniel that he did not die unjustly.
The king was undoubtedly extremely delighted for himself that he did not unjustly execute an innocent man.
The fact that the text speaks of Darius’ joy for Daniel and not for himself speaks well of the king in that he was not self absorbed but genuinely concerned for Daniel’s well being.
Immediately after discovering Daniel was in fact still alive, Darius ordered him to be extracted from the lions’ den.
Daniel was not begging to be removed or petrified of the lions or asking to be removed.
He holds a conversation with Darius as if he was not in harms way.
In fact, he was not in harms way since the Lord stood between him and the lions.
The king and his subordinates and probably the executioners examined Daniel and found that he had absolutely no injury of any kind on him.
Then, the text says that the reason why Daniel was totally unharmed is that God honored his faith in Him.
Daniel was totally unharmed because he confidently relied upon his God whom he possessed a personal, covenant relationship with.
Daniel 6:22 (6:23) records Daniel informing Darius that his God dispatched His angel in order to shut the lions’ mouths so that they never harmed him because God judged in his favor and found him innocent.
So God saved Daniel for two reasons.
The first reason was his faith and the second, he was innocent.
Faith produces courage whereas unbelief produces cowardice and so we see that the faith of Daniel produced courage in his soul so that he was able to endure being placed in a lions’ den.
Faith honors the Lord whereas unbelief dishonors the Lord because it calls into question His integrity and ability to deliver on His promises.
God honored Daniel’s faith in Him.
Faith is obedience to God’s commands and is the positive response to God’s commands and acting upon those directions.
Daniel’s obedience to God especially in the matter of praying to God despite the fact that he could be executed by Darius for disobedience demonstrated the great faith of Daniel.
Unbelief on the other hand is disobedient and is the negative response to God’s commands and as a result the failure to act upon God’s commands.
Unbelief not only occupies itself with difficulties but also magnifies and exaggerates them so that spiritual defeat (Rm. 7) rules out experiencing victory (Rm. 8).
Fear is a result of unbelief and unbelief is failure to trust that God will protect and provide for us.
So we see quite clearly that Daniel rested in the promise that the Lord would protect him and therefore, operated in faith rather than unbelief and was not occupied with this life threatening situation or magnifying it or exaggerating it.
Wiersbe writes “It was Daniel’s faith in God that delivered him (6:23; Heb. 11:33). It is amazing that he had any faith at all, after living in that idolatrous heathen land for so many years. His daily fellowship with the Lord was the secret: he had faith, and he was faithful. See Ps. 18:17–24. Christians today face many temptations to compromise, and it often appears that the ‘safest’ course is to go with the crowd. But this is the most dangerous course. The only really safe place is in the will of God. Daniel knew that it was wrong to worship the king and pray to him, because Daniel knew God’s Word. He would rather die obeying God’s Word than live outside of God’s will. Satan comes as a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8–9) and uses our enemies to try to devour us (2 Tim. 4:17), but God can deliver us if it is for His glory. It is not always God’s will to deliver His children from danger; many Christians have given their lives in the place of duty. But what a reward they receive! Read Rev. 2:10 carefully.”
Like Nebuchadnezzar, Darius the Mede has witnessed the omnipotence of God in action with this deliverance of Daniel.
In fact, Daniel’s faith appropriated the omnipotence of God, which is an attribute of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
By delivering Daniel from the mouths of the lions, God had vindicated him in the sense that by overruling Darius’ order to execute Daniel for failing to obey the law prohibiting prayer to any god or human for thirty days, God was declaring Daniel innocent and the law as evil.
Daniel was treated like a criminal by the conspirators and executed as if one.
However, God overruled this decision by saving Daniel and revealing that Daniel was the innocent party and the conspirators were in fact guilty, though they attempted to hide this fact by pretending to have the king’s interests in mind.
Darius learned through this experience with Daniel that the God of Israel is a God of deliverance.
Like Nebuchadnezzar, Darius found out through personal experience that the God of Israel is a God of deliverance.