“The Lion in Daniel’s Den”
Daniel 6
Dr. Madison Sarratt taught Math at Vanderbilt for many years. Before each test he liked to put things into perspective so he would say these words to the class. “Today i am giving two exams, one in math and the other in honesty. I hope you will pas both tests. There are many good people in the world who cannot pass math but there are no good people who cannot pass the test of honesty.
While I was in seminary I was required to read the Bible completely through during the first two semesters. On any given day we could be tested over a reading assignment from the night before. This sometimes involved reading over 25 chapters in an evening. Then we would arrive the next morning for class and we might hear those dreaded words .... take out a sheet of paper and number to 5. The professor would then ask us just 5 questions about our reading from the night before. We never knew until we got to class whether there would be a quiz or not. I figured our right away that i didn’t like pop quizzes.
It doesn’t take long to realize that the really important tests in life come long after school is out. Many of these tests are painful. And sometimes they are like a pop quiz ... they takes us by surprise. That is perhaps why Peter wrote these words... “dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering as though something strange were happening to you.” 1st Peter 4:12. Then in referring to these trials Peter also said these trails have come so that your faith will be made stronger.
This morning we will look at a prophet named Daniel who is probably facing the greatest test of his lifetime. The setting is that Daniel was now serving under a new king, King Darius. This king like the ones before him recognized that Daniel had a lot of integrity and they recognized that he was very wise. Daniel was almost 90 at this time and Darius chose Daniel to be one of 3 men who would govern the kingdom. Daniel did such a good job that Darius got rid of the other two and placed Daniel in charge of the entire government. As you can imagine this did not go over very well with the other officials. They became jealous so they decided they would go out and dig up some dirt from Daniel’s past. Problem was they couldn’t find any. So they moved to plan B. They decided to try and trap Daniel. They knew Daniel was a very religious man so they tried to use his faith against him.
So they went to the king and said we challenge you to issue a royal decree, one that cannot be altered and the decree should say that anyone in the kingdom who prays to any god other than the king ... that person would be executed. So the King issued the decree. He declared that anyone who prayed to a god other than the king ... that person would be executed. So the king issued the decree. He declared that anyone who prayed to anyone other than him would be thrown into the lion’s den. What he didn’t realize is that this decree was going to endanger the life of his good friend Daniel.
Well Daniel was truly a man of prayer so it did not take long to find him guilty of praying to his heavenly father. Now Daniel this great prophet is thrown into the Lion’s den simply because he was doing the right thing. Now comes the greatest test Daniel would ever have to face and if we are attentive, if we pay attention here then we will get to the other side of our difficulties just as Daniel did.
1st Truth. God’s tests are often designed to remind us of our limitations. From a purely human perspective there was no hope for Daniel. I see at least 3 factors here that would hold anyone back.
(1) The law of that day. It is referred to in v. 15 as the law of the Medes and the Persians. The law said that once a king issued a decree nothing about it could ever be changed, not even by the King himself.
(2) The stone placed over the den. Verse 17 describes a large stone that was placed over the den to make absolutely sure certain that no one could escape.
(3) The seals placed on the den. V. 17. The king and his men took moist clay and sealed it over the stone, then they pressed their rings into the clay. The rings had an insignia on them that showed that this was authorized by the king. If someone were to try and rescue Daniel they would have had to break the seals and the penalty for doing that was that they would be executed.
So this is the way it is. No one could rescue Daniel. Including the King. Daniel was good friends with the King it made no difference whatsoever.
Now in v. 16 we read that the king said to Daniel, “may your God whom you serve continuously, rescue you!” Now that’s quite a statement. Somehow even though the king was not a believer the King basically said, Daniel your God will see you through this.
Then in v. 18 we see that after the king said this that he returned to his palace and spent the night without eating, no entertainment for the evening and the Bible says that he could not sleep. Every one of us has had that experience at one time or another. You are so deeply troubled and worried over something that you simply cannot sleep. Daniel was a close friend with the most influential man, the most powerful man in the nation, the King himself. If anybody had the power too help it would be Darius. But not even the king could help Daniel now. At the end of v. 14 we see the king’s frustration ... it says the king was greatly distressed and he determined to rescue Daniel and he made every effort until sundown to save him. But he couldn’t do a thing to save Daniel.
Listen, you don’t have to literally be in a lion’s den or have a friend tossed in one to realize that we all have limitations. Some of you today feel like you are facing some impossibilities and as a result you feel like giving up. Some of you are in a financial crisis right now. For some of you, you are having a crisis that is in a relationship. It’s relational. Your family is coming apart and you’ve been trying to pull things together but it’s just not happening.
Perhaps you’re a parent and you’re worried about your children. Or you have a health problem that you don’t know how to deal with. And for some of you it seems like no matter what you do there is no way out. Whatever lion’s den you might be in today or even in the future, sooner or later you have to come face to face with the reality that you and I are limited.
Now listen carefully. When you come to the point that you realize that you are limited you may suddenly feel defeated. After all, what good does it do to remind yourself of how weak we are? Listen the truth is when we realize how weak we really are it may be the single most productive place we will ever be... because God brings us into the lion’s den because He loves us. Because He knows that it is only when we come to the end of ourselves that we will ever be able to know him fully. It is only in dying to ourselves that we can come alive in Christ.
2nd Truth. These tests are designed to bring us into deeper levels of dependence on God. His goal then is to deliver us. In verses 19-22 .... something stands out here right away to me. Daniel is talking to the king while he is still in the den with the lions. If you had been there and the king had a way to lift you out I think I would have said why don’t yo get me out of here first and then we will talk about it? Can we talk? Up there? But they had a conversation like they had just met on a street corner somewhere. Daniel was not afraid because he had seen the angel come and close the mouths of these lions.
We don’t know of course what happened in that lion’s den. All we are told is that the lion’s mouths were shut. But if they were shut they had to be open. But now they are tame as little kittens. I almost picture Daniel taking a nap and using one of them as a pillow. This was no longer the lion’s den, this place now belonged to Daniel. God takes pleasure in taking some of the most difficult situations in life, those that seem completely impossible and turning them around for our good and His glory. Look at verse 23.
Throughout the scriptures we learn that temptations and trials have to be responded to, we can’t run from them ... we have to meet them head on in the strength of our Lord. One of the verses that really stands out here is chpt. 6 v.10. Daniel was about 80 years of age when this happened. He had served 2 previous kings and was now serving a 3rd, Darius. Through all of it Daniel said yes to God, even when his life was in danger. This decree had been put into effect and Daniel goes home and prays just as he had always done. This praying 3x a day wasn’t ritual. It was a spiritual habit. What if it said Daniel went home, troubled or confused, not knowing what to do. What if Daniel said I’ve had enough. No more. Daniel went home and prayed not because someone told him to , he did it because it was part of his character. It was a spiritual habit that he practiced 3x every day. He prayed day and day out, even when it was hard. This was who he was. Consistently Daniel said yes to God and no to the crowd. That is the kind of faith that I want.
But you know what, we cannot expect to just wake up one morning and have that kind of faith. When crisis comes and we have not been living for Christ, we’re in trouble. We can’t use God like a 911 call. I’m in an emergency God. Then forget about him. This kind of faith requires a daily walk, day in and day out faithfully serving our heavenly Father.
