In Book of Daniel Chapter 6
King Darius and Daniel’s relationship was apparently quite strong. Darius faith in Daniel was due to “an excellent spirit was in him”. Darius set 120 princes over the kingdom. Over these were three presidents. Of the three presidents Daniel was number one. What envy and jealousy that created among all the others. So much so, they kept up a constant vigil to see what “dirt” they could get on Daniel to “bring him down”. (122 vs 1) I would take those odds any day when you have God on your side.
They could not find a fault in Daniel nor could they create any conflict of interest to “trip him up”. A scheme was created to attack Daniel by forcing him to choose between the King and his God. They convinced the king that he the King was worthy of worship and NO ONE was to worship anyone but the king.
The Medes
and Persians operated under a set of laws and no king had ultimate authority.
The king could not side step his own governments’ laws. Knowing this, the men created the law and
convinced the king to put it into place, well knowing that Daniel would have an
issue with it.
Daniel knowing this had taken place did not allow it to prevent him from still staying true to his God. In plain sight he prayed and worshipped God.
The men knew they had succeeded in “trapping” Daniel and took it to the king. When evil is so entrenched in its attack on the righteous it fails to be able to see what is coming in the “end game”!
Darius now knew he had been swindled into trapping Daniel. The King had to have Daniel cast into the lions den. But note that it was the king who states: “...Thy God...will deliver thee”
The den was sealed with a stone and the seals of both the king and his lords, so that there would be no tampering. King Darius fasted for Daniel! This was the king who was not a follower of Daniel’s God.
Daniel was found unharmed and brought out of the Den, praise being given by both Daniel and the king that God had intervened. In true form of how punishment was dealt with, the men (122 of them) that had tried to get rid of Daniel, were ALL thrown into the Den of lions and were eaten before they hit the floor!
That is how
we have all heard the story told.
Now, for the “rest of the story”.
Jewish historian Josephus in recounting this event adds a little more detail that Daniel was humble enough to leave out. Paraphrasing the historian, he adds these details to the story:
After Daniel is brought out of the Den, these same men (not smart enough to leave things as they were) questioned that Daniel did not survive due to his God, but rather because of the fact that the lions had all been fed before Daniel was put in the den and that the lions were just “not hungry”. King Darius, now ready to “turn the tables” on these men decided to get in on the game and ordered that the lions all be fed to overflowing. The lions were fed and fed and fed. Finally when everyone thought they were full, the King stated that it was now time to test the theory that these men had suggested about it not being God that delivered Daniel. So he had the men tossed in the den one after another to see if it was true. The lions not only ate the men, but their families as well!
God’s justice will prevail.
