DANIEL - Chapter 6
Daniel – Chapter 6
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Sunday Evening Service,
November 6, 2011
Daniel 6: 1-3: “It seemed good to Darius to appoint 120 satraps (governors) over the kingdom, that they should be in charge of the whole kingdom, 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. Then Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an excellent spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom.”
Daniel would now be up in years, approaching ninety. He was once again promoted to the position of administrator. As a commissioner, he would be administrator of the governors. His association with the ousted regime was outweighed by his integrity and unusual, supernatural giftings. Those who are anointed and chosen by the Lord will have to overcome jealousy. That is part of counting the costs. It is very clear from this chapter that King Darius like Nebuchadnezzar grew attached to Daniel. The King planned to set Daniel over the whole kingdom.
We can picture that Daniel is older than the other two commissioners and governors. It seemed to be the logic of the younger leaders that it was okay to plot to get rid of Daniel by any means. They probably complained that the young people did not have the opportunity to be promoted because of him. Moreover Daniel was in exile from Judah, so his prominence and power seemed an insult to native citizens.
If Daniel became the chief administrator, they would have to serve him.
6: 4-5: “Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they would 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. Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God.”
Today in the United States of America, we call this “vetting”. In the world system, any one in public office is fair game to anyone that can find grounds of accusation to bring them down. This is totally opposite to the Kingdom of God whereby satan is identified as the “accuser of the brethren”. I would also identify him as the “accuser of Daniel”.
Daniel did not desire worldly gain or political ambition, so there was only one way they could bring charges against him. It was through the treachery that will eventually cost them their lives.
6:6-9: “Then these commissioners and satraps came by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: “King Dairius, live forever! 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. 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. Therefore King Darius signed the document that is, the injunction:”
He was manipulated and deceived. However, the very sly officials knew the King’s weakness. He probably thought to unify the empire, establish official discipline and elevate his own authority. He consented to the decree, and signed it with his royal ring so it could not be changed.
With Daniel’s intimate relationship with the Lord, his gifts of discernment and prophecy, he could not have been ignorant of the trap. We have already seen Daniel’s faith in action. His faith “stopped the mouth of lions” and he made it in the Faith Hall of fame. (Hebrews 11)
6:10-11: “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. Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God.”
Despite the threat of death, Daniel went home, opened the window and prayed. Even his enemies had been certain that he would still pray.
If Daniel had departed just a little from his convictions, he could have avoided danger. He did not have to open the windows in full public view while he prayed. He could have hid in a closet and prayed. But he did not compromise even a little.
6: 12-15: “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 answered and said, ‘The statement is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.’ 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”. 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. 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 king now realizes that an evil scheme lay behind the decree. He was deeply distressed. We now see the relationship of love and loyalty between Daniel and the King. The King determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him. The officials pressed him implying that if he did not carry out the decree he had issued, he would have difficulty in ruling over the kingdom. This indicates he did not have absolute authority over the whole kingdom. Darius the Mede remains a problematic figure in History. It appears that Cyrus was the supreme ruler. Nothing is known of Cyrus’ administration. One history book (Diodorus Sicular, Histories 17.30) quotes the account of Darius III who sentenced a man to death; immediately he repented and blamed himself having greatly erred, but it was not possible to undo what was done by royal authority.
The Persian dynasty worshipped Ahuramazda in the way of Zoroaster (present-day descendants are the Parsees). The King had priestly functions by virtue of his office; great authority would be required to upset the norm. The Parsees are native to Iran, but now reside primarily in India. There are supposedly less than 100,000 members of their sect.
6: 16-18: “Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lion’s den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “your god whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.’ And 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 might be changed in regard to Daniel. 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.”
Here is an act of faith by Darius in Daniel’s God. Even a heathen king who was ignorant of God was so deeply moved by the integrity of Daniel’s character and the firmness of his faith in God that he made a confession of faith before Daniel. In essence, he spoke a word of Faith. “Daniel, though I have tried hard all day long to deliver you, it’s beyond my power to deliver you. But I’m sure that your God will deliver you from the lions’ den.”
Daniel, who had made King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon surrender himself to God, now changed King Darius of the Medes and Persians as well.
6: 19-23: “Then the king arose with the dawn, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions’ den. 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?’ Then Daniel spoke to the king, ‘O king, live forever! 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.’ 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.”
This angel would be the Theophany angel or the presence of God.
Even in the lions’ den Daniel maintained the courtesy which he had always shown in the presence of the king. He shows no sign of blaming the king or any bitterness. Evidently he had spent the night with a calmness of heart---which is more than we can say for the king.
Daniel’s words ---“My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths” ---were echoed centuries later by another man of great faith, the apostle Paul. When Paul was sailing for Italy, the ship he was on was overtaken by a storm and drifted for two weeks. While others feared, Paul declared: ‘and yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there shall be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me…” (Acts 27: 22, 23)
God still sends His angel to deliver those who trust in Him and serve Him with sincere hearts. As God shut the mouths of the lions, quenched the power of fire in the furnace, and stilled the raging storms in the sea, He can protect us from all kinds of trials.
Today as in Daniel’s day, the angels of the Lord are the messengers sent by God to protect and serve the heirs of God who are saved. We are surrounded by angels who have been sent to minister to us.
6:24: “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.”
Those who do not believe in Jesus may lay a snare for Christians, but they always get themselves ensnared instead. The schemers were thrown into the lions den just as Haman hung on the gallows which he himself had prepared for Mordecai.
If we keep the integrity of our faith, even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, the rod and staff of the Lord will comfort us, and He will prepare a table for us in the presence of our enemies. Since God is with us, who can be against us?
THE FAITH OF KING DARIUS 6: 25-28:
“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! I made 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. 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? So this Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Dairus and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”
The description in Aramaic for “enduring” is “He endures”. (qayyam) This later became a common title for God in Jewish and Samaritan circles. The Aram. word is related to the verb “establish”.
God is not only the God of Judah and Israel, but He is also the God who controls the history of all human beings. Even though Babylon conquered Judah, their kings and kingdoms knelt down before the God of their captives and surrendered to Him. In the same way, our spiritual faith has greater power than armies of nations.
Ro. 8: 31-35: If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
For as long as the earth stands, The Lord has set in order His divine plan for the government of the nations of the earth. His divine providence took a young Hebrew boy from his native land, and planted Daniel and his friends in Babylon. Through Daniel’s love and obedience to the Lord, at least three kings accepted God as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I have a notion that Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Dairus and Cyrus will all be in heaven when we get there.
Taught by: Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Scripture from K.J.V.
Notes taken from: Insight on the Life and Dreams of the Prophet from Babylon by Paul Yonggi Cho. Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of Pastor Cho.