Daniel 6:1-28 • Daniel in the Lion's Den

Steve Schott
Mar 20
11 min read

► I mentioned in a previous post that the Book of Daniel is basically divided into 3 topic based sections, rather than being laid out in a chronological fashion.

► This can seem somewhat confusing to those of us in modern times, as we are taught from our earliest educational experiences to understand history in a progressive, chronological order.

► But the Book of Daniel, while dealing with historical events, groups them by subject, rather than time.

► In a nutshell, there are 3 main groups...

→ Chapter 1 - This is the Personal History of Daniel, where we find out how Daniel, a young man who was a member of the upper echelon of Jewish society in Jerusalem, ended up in Babylon, being trained to work in the government of that country.

→ Chapters 2 - 7 are focused on the Gentile Nations of the World, those being the current state of Babylon, currently being run by the Chaldeans, but soon to be replaced by the Medo-Persians, then the Greeks, and eventually the Romans.

→ Chapters 8 - 12 focus mainly on the future of the Nation of Israel. And not so much on the immediate future, but the future of Israel as it pertains to the events of the end times.

► Today we will be looking at chapter 6, within the section where Daniel has recorded events where God is revealing information about the future of the Gentile nations of the world.

► This middle section (chapters 2 - 7) has a unique feature to it, in that it is presented in a chiastic format.

→ Basically what this means is that the 1st and last parts compliment each other.

→ The 2nd and second-to-last also compliment each other.

→ The middle section (or sections as in the case of the Book of Daniel) make up the main focus of the entire chiasm.

→ This is how the chiasm looks in Daniel...

Chapter Verses Subject

2 → 2:1-49 A – Succession of Gentile Powers

3 → 3:1-30 B – Deliverance From The Furnace

4 → 4:1-37 C – Humbled For Pride

5 → 5:1-30 C’ – Humbled For Arrogant Defiance

6 → 6:1-28 B’ – Deliverance From The Den of Lions

7 → 7:1-28 A’ – Succession of Gentile Powers

► So we see how chapters 2 and 7 both deal with the succession of Gentile powers, where God reveals information about multiple layers of world domination.

► Recently we looked at chapter 3, which has a parallel thought in chapter 6, of being delivered.

→ Chapter 3 is where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were delivered from the fiery furnace.

→ Chapter 6 is where Daniel will be delivered from the den of lions.

► Today we are going to be introduced to Darius, an entirely new king, who also represents another historic change, in that he and Cyrus bring about the change from Chaldean rule, to that of the Medo-Persians.

→ There is some confusion about this Darius person, in that according to some historians, this person never existed.

→ Some commentators have recommended a few ideas about this...

• This is actually Cyrus, the Persian king. Darius is a title meaning “royal one”.

• Since Babylon was conquered by the Medo-Persians, Cyrus and Darius could be the same person, with both a Persian and a Median name.

• Darius could have been a “sub”-king, a person acting on behalf of Cyrus for a short time.

► Let's watch as Darius tries, as the new king, to make his mark on the nation.

► Daniel 6:1-28 →

Daniel Serves Darius

¹ It seemed good to Darius to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, that they would be in charge of the whole kingdom, ² and over them three commissioners (of whom Daniel was one), that these satraps might be accountable to them, and that the king might not suffer loss. ³ Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom.

→ So right off the bat, Darius starts to create his own form of government.

→ From an American perspective this is nothing new.

• Every time a new president is voted into office, they generally surround themselves in their cabinet, with like-minded people who will support the president's agenda.

• Sometimes they even keep some of the folks who worked for their predecessor, if that person has proven themself to be trustworthy.

• And by picking people that the public is familiar with, it can help calm any concerns on the part of the populace in regards to the severity of the political change.

→ So Darius starts off by reinventing the organization of the leadership of Babylon.

• 120 satraps - this is not a shortened version of "sand traps" - these are literally governors, or princes, indicating that what is going on here is the realignment of provinces within the Babylonian kingdom.

• In addition to the 120 satraps, Darius also appoints 3 "commissioners", which are also called "presidents" or "administrators", depending on which Bible translation you are using. These commissioners were to keep the satraps "accountable", to keep the kingdom running smoothly.

• And of all of these persons, Daniel's "extraordinary spirit" caused him to shine above the others, leading Darius to plan to put him into a top spot over all the other rulers.

⁴ Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. ⁵ Then these men said, “We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God.”

→ Jealousy runs rampant, and the other leaders seek to find fault with Daniel, but cannot.

⁶ Then these commissioners and satraps came by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: “King Darius, live forever! ⁷ All the commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be cast into the lions’ den. ⁸ Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.” ⁹ Therefore King Darius signed the document, that is, the injunction.

→ Having nothing to make a claim as to Daniel's wrong doing to the king, the other leaders conspire to prompt the king to pass an edict, that for a period of 30 days, that no one should pray to anyone other than Darius.

→ And that punishment for non-compliance should be suffered by death at the violence of lions.

→ The concept seems good to Darius, realizing that these men are elevating him to the position of God, and without much thought he signs the documents to make it law.

→ They invoke the concept that this new law "may not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians,...", which must have been a big deal with this new ruling entity, the Medo-Persians.

→ This concept would also come into play in the book of Esther (Est 1:19; 8:8).

¹⁰ Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.

→ Daniel, knowing full well what has happened, continues to pray, three times a day, in front of his large floor-to-ceiling windows facing Jerusalem, where no one passing by can miss the fact that he is still praying to his God, rather than to Darius.

→ Keep in mind, that the year is 539BC. Daniel has been in the land since 605BC, and is now about 81 years old.

→ Daniel has probably prayed this way for about 72,270 times since he first came to Babylon at age 15.

→ So probably almost all of the people who have been around Daniel for any length of time are familiar with his practice, but the new king is not.

→ So the trap has been set.

¹¹ Then these men came ^a by agreement and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. ¹² Then they approached and spoke before the king about the king’s injunction, “Did you not sign an injunction that any man who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, is to be cast into the lions’ den?” The king replied, “The statement is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.” ¹³ Then they answered and spoke before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps making his petition three times a day.”

→ The other leaders approach Darius, and remind him of the significance of his injunction.

→ Once he confirms the exacting nature of the punishment for non-compliance, they tell Darius about Daniel.

¹⁴ Then, as soon as the king heard this statement, he was deeply distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel; and even until sunset he kept exerting himself to rescue him.

→ Darius at this point is "deeply distressed" and spends the night trying to figure out how to fix this mess that's he's unwittingly created.

→ I'm sure at this point, he's probably second-guessing his own actions, as well as those of his appointed leaders.

¹⁵ Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Recognize, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be changed.”

→ The leadership then comes again to Darius, sort of pushing him to follow up with the punishment.

Daniel in the Lion's Den

¹⁶ Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions’ den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.” ¹⁷ A stone was brought and laid over the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing would be changed in regard to Daniel. ¹⁸ Then the king went off to his palace and spent the night fasting, and no entertainment was brought before him; and his sleep fled from him.

→ Darius, after being unsuccessful at finding a way to get around this, has Daniel thrown into the lion's den.

→ With what I hope was more than just wishful thinking on Darius' part, he speaks to Daniel, now in the midst of the lions, and says "your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you."

→ Was it just wishful thinking? Or was it true faith?

→ A stone covering is put over the opening, sealed with the king's mark to avoid any appearance of impropriety, and then Darius spends a sleepless night, fasting, and contemplating what must be happening to Daniel during the night.

¹⁹ Then the king arose at dawn, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions’ den. ²⁰ When he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?”

→ Early the next morning, Darius promptly goes down to the lions' den to check on the status of Daniel.

→ Darius calls out, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?"

→ I'm sure he had prayed during the night asking for Daniel to be protected from the lions.

²¹ Then Daniel spoke to the king, “O king, live forever! ²² My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.” 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.

→ Upon hearing Daniel's response to the king, Darius wasted no time in getting Daniel out of the lions den.

→ Daniel had responded that "God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths and they have not harmed me,..."

• I'm not sure if the saving angel was someone like Michael or Gabriel, or was the pre-incarnate Christ Himself, like we saw in chapter 3, but like the men in the fiery furnace, Daniel had a protector with him, keeping him safe.

→ And the king was "very pleased" that Daniel was still alive.

²⁴ The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they cast them, their children and their wives into the lions’ den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

→ Too bad for the accusers - they, and their families, were all thrown in the lion's den and suffered the death they had wished upon Daniel.

²⁵ Then Darius the king wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language who were living in all the land: “May your peace abound! ²⁶ I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel;

For He is the living God and enduring forever,

And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed,

And His dominion will be forever.

²⁷ “He delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders

In heaven and on earth,

Who has also delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.”

²⁸ So this Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

→ So once again, we have a Babylonian king giving praise to God.

→ Darius decrees that all are to "fear and tremble before the God of Daniel;..."

→ And Daniel continued to have success in the future.

So What?

► When Daniel was taken captive about 66 years previously, I bet he had no clue how God was going to work in him, and through him, in this foreign land.

► He not only served God with a whole heart, ignoring the consequences of defying the leadership of the country, but he also set an example for all of us to follow - serve God, not man.

► And we've seen several times now that his disobedience, and that of his cohorts Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, would not only end up with the king giving honor and praise to God, but would also help to protect His people from harm while exiled in this foreign land.

► May we all seek to live in a way that keeps us demonstrating a heart focused on serving the one true God.

Posts in this series

► An introduction to the book of Daniel

► Daniel 1:1-21 • Daniel & Friends Tested and Enter the King's Service

► Daniel 2:1-49 • Nebuchadnezzar's First Dream and Promotion of Daniel

► Daniel 3:1-30 • The Image of Gold and the Fiery Furnace

► Daniel 4:1-37 • Nebuchadnezzar Dreams, Goes Insane, and Comes to His Senses

► Daniel 5:1-30 • The Handwriting on the Wall

► Daniel 6:1-28 • Daniel in the Lion's Den

► Daniel 7:1-28 • Daniel's Dream and Visions of Four Beasts

► Daniel 8:1-27 • Daniel's Vision of a Ram and a Goat

► Daniel 9:1-27 • Daniel's Prayer and Seventy Sevens