In Spite Of Appearances - Trust Series

It was common for people to build a room on top of the flat roof with windows to provide circulation. The circulation of the air made it cooler in the hot climate. The windows opened to toward Jerusalem. In Solomon’s dedication prayer of the temple in 1 Kings 8:35-36, he prayed that if God’s people should ever be away from Jerusalem, they were to face Jerusalem and pray. Solomon made it clear in his prayer that the temple did not contain God, but Jerusalem was the place God chose for His people to worship Him. Facing Jerusalem was the way a Jew would convey his longing for God’s presence and the hope that, one day, he would return to Jerusalem.

Why did Daniel pray three times? There were three times sacrifices were made at the temple: morning, noon, and evening. This practice is not required anywhere in Scripture, but Psalm 55:17 says, “Evening, morning, and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.”

The conspirators presented the king with the evidence of Daniel’s lawbreaking actions. The king spent the day trying to find a loophole in the law to spare Daniel, but he was trapped by his own unchangeable words. Interestingly, the king, who was the god of the month, could not do what he wanted. I am reminded of the scene from the move The Avengers where the Hulk takes Thor’s brother, who claims to be a god, and whops him back and forth on the ground like a doll. As the Hulk tosses him aside he says, “Puny god.”

(15) Then these men went to the king and said to him, "You as king know it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no edict or ordinance the king establishes 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. The king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing in regard to Daniel could be changed. (18) Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No diversions were brought to him, and he could not sleep.

The king of the month could not save Daniel; maybe the King of the Ages would do it. Darius was not a man of faith. His words were more a statement of hope than a statement of certainty, but still it is quite an insight that even this God may have the power to stop ravenous lions from devouring Daniel.

On the lips of this pagan was the start of the testimony of Who is really in control.

The Persian king had no interest in wine, women, or song. He was so anxious he could not eat or sleep. But, in the next scene, we see the man of God spent a peaceful night among the lions.

III. DANIEL’S PROTECTION (DANIEL 6:19-24)

(19) At the first light of dawn the king got up and hurried to the lions' den. (20) When he reached the den, he cried out in anguish to Daniel. "Daniel, servant of the living God," the king said, "has your God whom you serve continually been able to rescue you from the lions?"