Daniel 6.26-27 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.” – Darius, the King
Apparently a lions’ den was fairly effective or they
wouldn’t have used it. And apparently a lions’ den was fairly fool-proof or the
lions would simply have climbed out of it. I don’t know how you get lions to be
vicious, but apparently they did, the end of the story reveals that.
Contempt, envy, and jealousy make people do weird things.
Daniel’s enemies were up to weirdness when the conspired to have him killed for
simply praying to someone other than the king, Darius. But Daniel was the real
deal. I know he was just a man, but he was a very wise man and Daniel, who
stood up to Nebuchadnezzar knew how to handle himself in front of sovereigns.
Darius was no different.
The point of the lions’ den is not Daniel’s salvation
from this pride of flea-bitten monsters; the point is what came out of Darius’
mouth when he realized God had spared
Daniel from the lions. Miracles are for the unbelieving. Miracles are for those
who need to see God in a different way than they’re used to; miracles open the
eyes of those who cannot see God.
I’m pretty sure Darius liked Daniel, but I’m also pretty
sure Darius thought Daniel a bit quirky and very religious. I’m also pretty
sure Darius suspected the Satraps were up to no good when they presented him
with a decree – that could not be altered – that no one pray to any deity but
him or be thrown into the lions’ den, for his signature. I’m also pretty sure
when Darius found that Daniel had defied his decree, that his attitude toward
the decree soured. I think Darius suspected he’d been had.
The next day when the king came a-runnin’, Daniel, bless
his heart, gave God the credit He deserved: “May
the king live forever! 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.” (Daniel 6.21,22)
Darius was overjoyed… and then subsequently angered that others had conspired
to kill his number one Gun. This time
the lions did not hold back.
King Darius did the natural thing when the unbelieving sees
a bona-fide miracle: he praised God. And
Darius praised God like this: read the
above.
What are the lions we face? Will we give them over to the
God of Daniel and watch Him save us? Or do we conspire and manipulate to get
our way? I, for one, want to be on the side of Him who stops the mouths of
lions in whatever form they appear, so that others may see and praise Him who
does the stopping…
Lord, You are both the Stopper and the Starter. You stop
men from stupidity and start them praising You! Earthly kings and their decrees
are no match for Your divine intervention. You intervene in our lives to show
us You care and that we may believe. Lord, help me believe. Amen.
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