BABYLON—FROM RICHES TO RAGS
THROUGHOUT ANCIENT HISTORY the name Babylon occurs again and again, usually referring to a specific geographical location in the land now called Iraq. The Babylon of antiquity is situated approximately sixty miles south of Baghdad on the banks of the Euphrates River near the present town of Al Hillah.
The Babylon found in Scripture has several connotations. Not only does it refer to the city but also to an apostate religion so abhorrent that it will be completely destroyed by God (Rev. 17). Further, as a figurative expression Babylon invokes the image of a gentile world that opposes God’s plan for Israel. The inspiration for such a system originated in the days of Nimrod (Gen. 10:9-10) and will exist until Babylon is eradicated at the second coming of Jesus Christ (Rev. 19:19-21).
In the Old Testament, Babylon is first called “Babel,” derived from the Hebrew root בָּלַל (balal) meaning “to confound” or “to confuse.” The English word Babylon is taken from the Akkadian babilu, “gate of god.” Both the biblical city and the tower of Babel, mentioned in Genesis 11:1-9, were built in the land of Shinar, more commonly known as southern Babylonia.
The oldest extant temple tower, or ziggurat, has been excavated at Erech (Gen. 10:10) and dates from the latter part of the fourth millennium B.C. Although the Bible does not identify the original tower of Babel as a temple tower, later ziggurats were used as such. This confirms that the concept of religious Babylon has existed since the Flood. All temple towers were dedicated to various guardian deities in an attempt to assure the city’s protection or to placate hostile gods of the pantheon.
Throughout its long history Babylon, whose prominence can be traced to approximately 2000 B.C., was also the political center of many gentile nations. The most important ruler of the First Dynasty of Babylon was the remarkable Hammurabi (ca. 1728-1686 B.C.). Prosperity characterized his reign with advances in literature, astronomy, mathematics, and architecture. Hammurabi’s most notable contribution was his code of laws, uncovered at Susa (Shusan—one of the capitals of the Persian Empire) by Jacques de Morgan in 1901. This code set up a social order based on the rights of individuals, reinforced by the authority of the State. Although Hammurabi preceded Moses by several centuries, his code parallels many of the laws Moses recorded in the Pentateuch.
Like Jerusalem, Babylon had a roster of mighty conquerors. Several generations after Hammurabi, the city first came under the rule of the Hittites, then the Kassites, and later the Elamites. Under Sennacherib in 689 B.C. the Assyrian Empire sacked and looted Babylon. Esarhaddon, Sennacherib’s son, rebuilt the city approximately eleven years later.
The Chaldean Empire was ultimately united by Nabopolassar in 625 B.C. Babylon was made the capital city. Under his heir, Nebuchadnezzar II, this often-contested real estate reached the height of glory and became the most glamorous city of the ancient world. Nebuchadnezzar, the architect, designed vast fortifications, wide streets, canals, resplendent temples, and palaces. Perhaps the two most recognizable structures of the capital were the striking cobalt blue, enameled brick Ishtar Gate and the famous Hanging Gardens, considered by the ancient Greeks to be one of the seven wonders of the world.
The future of this magnificent city was far from secure. Babylon would be repeatedly vanquished. On 13 October 539 B.C., Babylon fell to the army of Cyrus the Great of Persia. Later it was partially destroyed by Xerxes I of Persia (486-465 B.C.) in retribution for the continued rebellion of its citizens.
Two centuries later in 331 B.C. Alexander the Great of Macedonia captured the city and began extensive rebuilding programs, soon halted because of prohibitive costs. Babylon eventually succumbed to Parthian control ca. 200 B.C. and came under Sassanian rule ca. A.D. 200. Thereafter it crumbled into ruins, never again to be revived. Thus the full cycle was completed: Babylon had risen to a pinnacle of fame and had returned to dust. About twelve hundred years after the earthly ministry of our Lord, Arabs looted the ruins of that once proud city and used many of its bricks to build Al Hillah.
With such a tumultuous history, God employs Babylon to teach spiritual lessons throughout the Scriptures. While Sodom and Gomorrah represent absolute moral depravity and political degradation, Babylon is synonymous with abject apostasy and unbelief. Yet during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon was the showcase of God’s grace blessings for a national entity that functioned according to the laws of divine establishment.
God never shrouds His actions in mystery to confuse humanity; rather, He clearly delineates throughout Scripture His plan for the human race. The only people who cannot comprehend the divine modus operandi are those who reject or ignore His words.
The Chaldean Empire and more specifically the king, Nabonidus, along with his son Belshazzar, the coregent, were without excuse on one fateful night in 539 B.C. In chapter 5 Daniel relates the events of Belshazzar’s licentious revelry and depicts the total disregard of his entire court for the Persian army’s imminent advance toward the gates of the city. Had the people listened to God’s warnings through the prophets, disaster for the Chaldean Empire could have been averted (Jer. 51:9).
At the time when Nabonidus ascended to the Chaldean throne, the Medes and Persians were uniting into an ominous power bloc. King Astyages of Media was slowly being overrun and would later be completely defeated by his grandson, Cyrus II of Persia. The combined might of the Medes and Persians would be a force to reckon with if the Chaldean Empire was to survive. Yet the people of Babylon continued to ignore the prophecies that Jeremiah proclaimed in their city in 594 B.C. (Jer. 51:61).
Although Isaiah and Jeremiah had graphically described the inevitable fall of Babylon, not all the details of the conquest are revealed in Scripture. Consequently, in past ages scholars and theologians have speculated concerning the actual tactics involved in the capture of the city and disputed the identity of the main participants. However, the writings of Greek historians, combined with archaeological discoveries of the last two centuries, permit the events to be reconstructed.
Following the defeat of Astyages the Mede, and Croesus, king of Lydia, The Cambridge Ancient History records that Cyrus mobilized a massive army during the autumn of 539 B.C. His first notable success came with the capture of Opis, north of Babylon. Subsequently, he divided his army and personally led the attack on Sippar, near the Euphrates; this action placed him strategically fifty miles nearer the capital. Two days later the second army, under Gobryas (Ugbaru or Gubaru), the governor of Gutium, marched unopposed into Babylon.96
One of the most intriguing and debated questions is how the strongly fortified Babylon could have been taken so easily. First was the geographic consideration. The Euphrates River flowed through the center of Babylon and, according to the Greek historian Herodotus, a large bridge spanned the river connecting the eastern and western sections of the city. Another Greek writer, Diodorus Siculus, reveals that a tunnel had been laid under the riverbed.97 Numerous canals on the outskirts of the city were used for irrigation and also constituted a part of the defense system. In fact, all of southern Babylonia was laced with these canals permitting water to be diverted for the needs of the people.
Second, Herodotus records the splendid engineering feat of the Persians. They rerouted the Euphrates by constructing a dam some distance from the city, diverting the river around Babylon rather than through it. This accomplished, the Persian Army approached the city fortifications by night. The population’s false sense of security and ensuing state of lethargy allowed the army to slip past the sentries without difficulty. Then they simply marched down the dry riverbed into Babylon.
That night Belshazzar’s notorious banquet culminated in the shocking events of the handwriting on the wall. The evening had been wrought with debauchery and drunkenness, a trend permeating every social strata in Babylon. Because of a distracted citizenry and relaxed military vigilance, the Persians literally walked in and conquered. Once again Babylon was vanquished. A decadent nation and its self-centered ruler had been judged and replaced (Dan. 2:21). This background introduces our study of the sixth chapter in the Book of Daniel.
Chapter 6 actually begins with the last verse of chapter 5:
So Darius the Mede received [קַבֵּל, qabbel] the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two. (Dan. 5:31)
Who is Darius the Mede? The Bible records three persons bearing the name Darius. First, there is Darius the Mede found in our passage, as well as Daniel 6:1, 6, 9, 25, 28; 9:1; 11:1. The second personage is Darius the king, or Darius king of Persia, named in Ezra 4:5, 24; 5:5-7; 6:1, 12-15; Haggai 1:1; 2:10; Zechariah 1:1, 7; 7:1. He is better known in history as Darius I, Darius Hystaspes or Darius the Great, cousin of Cyrus the Great. He ruled as king of Persia from 521 to 486 B.C. The third reference is to Darius the Persian in Nehemiah 12:22. This is Darius Codomannus or Darius III, the last king of Persia, whose empire was destroyed by Alexander the Great. Neither Darius I nor Darius III is Darius the Mede of Daniel 5:31.
Scripture substantiates that both the Medes and the Persians played an important role in the downfall of the Chaldean Empire.
“For behold, I [God] am going to arouse and bring up against Babylon
A horde of great nations from the land of the north.”
(Jer. 50:9a)
This would include not only the army of Cyrus, but the armies of the Median king Astyages and Croesus of Lydia, whom Cyrus had defeated. Jeremiah 50 and 51 describe the actual fall of Babylon in some detail.
The LORD has aroused the spirit [the motivation] of the kings of the Medes,
Because His purpose is against Babylon to destroy it.
(Jer. 51:11b)
Yet Isaiah confirms that Cyrus is the Lord’s anointed of whom God said,
Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His anointed,
Whom I have taken by the right hand,
To subdue nations before him. (Isa. 45:1a)
Scripture accurately prophesied historical facts long before they occurred. According to both biblical and historical records, Chaldea fell to the Medes and the Persians. The army that captured Babylon was led by Gobryas, a Persian general under Cyrus, while the man who assumed the rulership of the Chaldean Empire was Darius, a Mede.
Although many historians have attempted to present these two men as one and the same person, they were separate individuals. Daniel 9:1 declares without equivocation that Darius was “the son of Ahasuerus [a title for king or ruler, as is czar or caesar], of Median descent,” a royal personage. This fact was verified by the Jewish historian, Josephus:
Such, then, as we learn from history, was the end to which the descendants of King Nebuchadnezzar came. Now Darius, who with his relative Cyrus put an end to the Babylonian sovereignty, was in his sixty-second year when he took Babylon; he was a son of Astyages but was called by another name among the Greeks.98
The royal houses of the kingdoms of Media and Persia were closely related by an arranged marriage negotiated by the Median king, Astyages. He had wed his daughter, Mandane, to Cambyses, King of Anshan. This union produced Cyrus the Great, King of Anshan, who later became king of Persia. Astyages also had a son—Darius Cyaxares II. He is both Darius the Mede of this passage and an uncle of Cyrus the Great.99
Cyrus spent little time in Babylon after its capture. He left the throne in the royal hands of his uncle, Darius. To further cement this alliance, Cyrus married the daughter of Darius. Approximately two years later, upon the death of Darius, Cyrus united the two kingdoms and took to himself the title King of Persia.
All the events of Daniel 6 transpired within a two-year span during the reign of Darius the Mede. The Chaldean Empire had been conquered by the silver “breast and arms” image from Nebuchadnezzar’s vision (Dan. 2:32). The arms represented the two kingdoms of Media and Anshan that were then merging into the silver breast—the powerful Persian Empire. God used Persia to champion and protect His people. During the two hundred years of the empire’s existence, the Jews experienced their golden age.
According to the biblical narrative, Nebuchadnezzar was the only born-again king of the Chaldean Empire. However, under the Persian rulers there was a notable trend toward regenerate leadership. In the days of Isaiah, Cyrus was referred to as the Lord’s “anointed,” the only time the Lord applied that term to a gentile ruler. Apparently he was a believer long before he consolidated the Persian Empire. Cyrus is mentioned many times in Scripture as the Lord’s special servant (2 Chron. 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4; Isa. 44:28; 45:1-5).
The conversion of Darius the Mede is recorded in Daniel 6. Darius the Mede was sixty-two years old when he “received the kingdom” (Dan. 5:31). “Received” is the pael perfect of the Chaldean word qabbel, a reference to Darius’ appointment as regent of Babylon. Before Cyrus departed for Ecbatana, he delegated the political rulership of Babylon to his uncle, Darius, and left the military administration in the able care of Gobryas.
REORGANIZATION OF AN EMPIRE
It seemed good [shephar] to Darius to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, that they should be in charge of the whole kingdom. (Dan. 6:1)
The peal perfect of shephar, “to be pleasant, acceptable,” indicates that Darius himself had not formulated the plan for the administration of the kingdom; he had merely approved it. This may have been devised by Cyrus before he left Babylon. The word “satraps” is a translation of the Greek word σατράπης (satrapes, from the Septuagint) and means “guardian, watcher.” The defunct Chaldean Empire had been reorganized into 120 provinces, each section headed by a satrap or governor.
And over them three commissioners [סָרְכִין, sarkin] (of whom Daniel was one), that these satraps might be accountable to them, and that the king might not suffer loss. (Dan. 6:2)
Responsibility for administration was further delegated by the apportionment of the 120 satraps into three groups of forty each. “Over them three commissioners” (sarkin) or chief governors were appointed, “of whom Daniel was one.” In chapter 5, Belshazzar rewarded Daniel by elevating him to the third ruler in the kingdom. Little did he realize how soon Daniel would be the ranking survivor of the Chaldean Empire. God did not reveal to us the details of Daniel’s deliverance on the night the Chaldean Empire fell.
History records that Cyrus spared the life of Nabonidus.100 Even though blessed with ability and intelligence, Nabonidus apparently played no further role in the administration of the reorganized empire. Daniel, not Nabonidus, was appointed one of the “three commissioners” so the king “might not suffer loss”—financial loss. This brilliant plan ensured the effective administration of the extensive Persian domain and safeguarded the nation’s economy.
SPIRITUAL FAITHFULNESS PROMOTED
Then [אֱדַיִן, ’edayin] this Daniel began [הֲוָא, hawa’] distinguishing [נְצַח, netzach] himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit [enduement of the Holy Spirit], and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom. (Dan. 6:3)
The Chaldean adverb ’edayin, translated “then,” should read “at that time.” This all-encompassing word takes into account every event from the moment Gobryas led the Persian troops into Belshazzar’s banquet hall through verse 3 of Daniel 6.
Daniel’s accomplishments for Chaldea, as well as his spiritual status, were recognized immediately; and Cyrus, himself a believer, considered Daniel’s spiritual maturity an important asset to his administration. Daniel was elevated to high rank, first by Belshazzar and then by Cyrus and Darius. His remarkable success supervising the kingdom must be understood in the light of biblical principles. Without divine impetus Daniel could not have succeeded. If this were not God’s promotion, Daniel would not have been promoted.
God promotes prepared believers. Daniel was sustained through learning and applying Bible doctrine to his circumstances. He regarded life, its problems and solutions from the divine viewpoint; unquestionably he was ready for advancement. For this reason the Lord blessed Daniel in a most spectacular way. The Word states that “this Daniel began distinguishing himself.” The peal perfect of the verb “to be” (hawa’) plus the hithpaal participle of netzach presents the concept of surpassing. The hithpaal is reflexive and connotes Daniel’s “distinguishing himself” through the Word.
Twenty-three years had passed since the death of Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel, content to live in relative obscurity when once he had enjoyed the limelight, devoted those years to the diligent study of the Scriptures. During that period of time other visions were revealed to him (Dan. 7—8). Application of this new prophecy to doctrine already stored in his soul caused Daniel to realize that events were taking place in accordance with the divine plan.
Daniel was about fourteen at the time of his capture in 605 B.C. (Dan. 1), making the date of his birth ca. 620 B.C. When reorganization of the empire under Darius was accomplished in 538 B.C., Daniel would have been in his eighties. The timeless principle of Psalm 92:14 emerges in Daniel 6:3: In God’s service age does not hinder promotion and success. Daniel was promoted.
They will still yield fruit in old age;
They shall be full of sap and very green [idiomatic for spry and prosperous]. (Ps. 92:14)
Additional examples of this principle can be found in the productivity and promotion of two other Old Testament heroes, Joshua and Caleb. For forty long years Joshua was Moses’ adjutant; he was content to remain in the shadow of the great leader of the Jews until God advanced him to a place of prominence (Joshua 1:1-9). Caleb was eighty-five years old when he won a tremendous military victory over the Anakim (giants) and claimed his portion of the Promised Land (Joshua 14:6-14). While in obscurity the spiritual advance of both Caleb and Joshua never faltered; God promoted them. Scripture frequently reiterates that divine promotion provides the only true success and happiness for the believer.
God’s exaltation of Daniel came “because he possessed an extraordinary spirit.” This statement refers not only to the enduing Holy Spirit (Dan. 5:12) but also to Daniel’s soul—a soul saturated with Bible doctrine. This magnificent man possessed the unbeatable combination of doctrine resident in his soul and the power of the Spirit working in his life. With this supernatural coalition Daniel or any believer is armed for effective service.
Because of Daniel’s obvious trustworthiness and leadership capability, King Darius “planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom.” In addition to Daniel, a Jew of royal lineage, the ruling triumvirate of the conquered Chaldean Empire was composed of the Persian military administrator, Gobryas, and the Median civil administrator, Darius Cyaxares II. Daniel himself was appointed head over the governmental organization of the realm.
JEALOUSY INVENTS AN ACCUSATION
Then the commissioners and satraps began trying [בְּעָא, be‘a’] to find [שְׁכַח, shekach] a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no [יְכִל, yekil] ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. (Dan. 6:4)
Envy often occurs within the periphery of a highly successful person. While the names of Daniel’s high-ranking subordinates are unknown to us, their dissatisfaction with the royal choice of appointments was evident. Their jealousy was vented against Daniel, the outsider. Two probable causes for discontent among “the commissioners and satraps” were Daniel’s racial heritage101 and the accelerated promotion of Daniel, an unknown Chaldean administrator, ahead of Persian noblemen. Certainly, their petty jealousies were an inevitable result of their rejection of Daniel’s authority. The operation of the sin nature has not changed over the centuries. Even today rebellion against authority permeates every level of our society and is destabilizing this country.
Jealousy poisoned the souls of two other “commissioners” and the “120 satraps” (Dan. 6:1). All succumbed to this vicious mental attitude sin. “Began trying” is the peal active participle of be‘a’ and portrays the motivating factor by which a mental attitude sin becomes a weapon of destruction. The haphel infinitive of shekach denotes the causative verb “to find” or “to obtain.” The purpose of those envious officials was “to obtain” any pretext for accusing Daniel.
You may desire fame or approbation for yourself. But when your aspiration is frustrated by others and lingers to torment your soul, the resulting mental attitude sins may initiate maligning, backstabbing, or even violence. Likewise these evil men compounded their own self-induced misery; while they continued to foment jealousy and hatred toward Daniel, “they could find no ground of accusation.” “Could find no” is the haphel infinitive of yekil meaning they “were not able”; all their efforts were stymied by Daniel’s faithful performance of duty.
How frustrating for them to envy the good fortune of someone who is entirely without malice. Bible doctrine resident in the soul causes a believer to function beyond his human ability. While Daniel possessed natural aptitude in the realm of administration, doctrine gave him true wisdom and genius.
These satraps found no fault with someone who constantly operated within the framework of divine design. They could not deny that Daniel “was faithful.” Not once did Daniel doubt God’s ability to steer his life or the affairs of the empire. Faithfulness is the principle of true Christian service motivated by doctrine in the soul and empowered by the Holy Spirit. The compensation for faithful devotion is stated in Matthew:
“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master.’” (Matt. 25:21)
Jealous people are intense and relentless. They have no sense of humor and cannot relax. Rarely can a person harbor this malice without committing a subsequent act of vengeance. Certainly these “commissioners” and “satraps” did not limit their antagonism to hostile thought against Daniel. They actively conspired to have him removed from office. How would they conduct their conspiracy? They would scrutinize carefully all of Daniel’s decisions to find some error. He would be under constant surveillance in the hope of finding a reason to prove him disloyal to the king. Was Daniel possibly consorting with the Chaldeans to overthrow the new rulers? In any event, all intrigue came to nothing, and his calculating adversaries had to admit “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.” (Dan. 6:5)
There was one avenue still open: Daniel could possibly be caught in a web of spiritual activities—a clever ruse concocted by desperate and vengeful minds. Daniel made no secret of his faith. Without a doubt, he had proclaimed the Gospel message to many of these men. Only through Daniel’s consistent testimony could they have known that his first loyalty was to God. Perhaps by using “the law [doctrine] of his God” they could convince the king of Daniel’s unfaithfulness to the rule of the Medes and the Persians.
Just as Christ was tempted by Satan in Matthew 4, so all believers who have reached spiritual maturity can expect attacks sooner or later. Daniel had parried such blows in the past and would soon be involved in another skirmish related to the angelic conflict.102
Then these commissioners and satraps came by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: “King Darius, live forever! (Dan. 6:6)
“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.” (Dan. 6:7)
Once a plan had been devised by the conniving ringleaders of this conspiracy, the rulers gathered in an official convocation before the king to persuade him to “establish a statute.” They addressed him with the greeting of protocol: “King Darius, live forever!” The multiplication of mental attitude sins is now manifested in an overt sin—lying! Their insistence that all “have consulted together” was a gross misrepresentation of facts designed to conceal the conspiracy. There is twofold proof: First, Daniel obviously had not been included or consulted in this matter. Second, it would have been a physical impossibility for all the various administrative and military rulers in this expansive empire to have met together on such short notice for a unanimous decision on any subject.
Common law could be amended, but a royal “statute” would have placed this new decree in the category of the absolute law of the Medes and the Persians. The basis of this type of law was unique in that:
It must be signed by the king personally;
Once a law was ratified, the statute was irrevocable and applied to king and commoner alike.
Clearly the plot to eliminate Daniel had been cleverly arranged. His practice of praying three times a day was well known, and the prohibition against petitions to anyone but the king for thirty days would surely catch Daniel in their trap.
These men had converted their mental attitude sins into overt vengeance and contaminated those within their periphery. Darius was tarnished by this jealous attempt to destroy Daniel. By adding “besides you” the plotters appealed to the ego and power lust of the king. Vast public approbation is an irresistible temptation to which many fall prey. Darius was no exception. Pride and arrogance were his primary areas of weakness. He walked blindly into the web they had so carefully woven to ensnare Daniel.
The mention of “the lions’ den” as a means of capital punishment in the Persian Empire is an important factor in the historicity of the Book of Daniel. The Babylonians and Chaldeans used fired as a punitive measure (Dan. 3) because they were not fire worshipers. The Persians, however, worshiped a god of fire in their pantheon. Therefore, instead of incineration they used a den of lions as their method of execution.
Down through the centuries the punishment for alleged or actual crimes has taken many forms, most of which are horribly painful. However, the believer steeped in doctrine need not fear such atrocities. He is protected by the Lord in unjust circumstances, whether he faces a den of lions or a furnace of fire. God delivers believers from or through disasters in life. Even if God does not physically deliver but permits the death of a believer, His timing and wisdom are always perfect.103
“Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not [לָא, la’] be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.” (Dan. 6:8)
Therefore King Darius signed the document, that is, the injunction. (Dan. 6:9)
Once they had fabricated a foundation of lies for their insidious plan, the contemptible nobles petitioned Darius to “establish [aphel imperfect of qum] the injunction and sign [peal imperfect of resham] the document.” This decree was proposed solely for the destruction of one man, an act totally in violation of the laws of divine establishment. All legislation should be designed for the protection of the citizenry in general. Darius had been deceived. Had he been thinking objectively rather than overwhelmed by the flattery of his courtiers, he would have recognized the false motivation behind this legislation. The kingdom was not well served by the hasty judgment of Darius.
The entire proposal was not only unorthodox legal procedure, but was also contrary to good administration. One individual processing all petitions for thirty days could lead only to an overwhelming breakdown in the governmental machinery of this gigantic empire. Clearly, the king’s approbation lust had been so thoroughly whetted that he operated solely within the framework of his emotions. This rendered him incapable of making impartial decisions—the very reaction the conspirators hoped would occur when they devised this scheme.
By acquiescing to this decree, Darius elevated himself to the lofty environs of pagan deity. He posed as the representative of Ormazd, and according to the heathen custom of the Persians, his law was to be absolute.104 In effect, for thirty days the government of the empire would cease to function and religious freedom was terminated.
Since Cyrus had authorized Darius to direct the affairs of the realm, the regent’s signature was necessary for the enactment of the proposed decree as the law of the land. “To revoke” is the peal imperfect of ‘ada’. The addition of the strongest negative la’ indicates that, once recorded, the law could never be abolished by any authority whatsoever. Blinded by megalomania and power lust, King Darius signed and recorded the injunction.
DANIEL’S SPIRITUAL STABILITY
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 [צְלָא, tzela’] and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously. (Dan. 6:10)
When Solomon dedicated the temple in 1 Kings 8:22-53, he prayed that the Lord would not forget the promises made to his father, David. But should the fifth cycle of discipline be administered to the Jews, those who had been taken into captivity were instructed to “pray to Thee [facing] toward . . . the house [the temple] which I have built” (1 Kings 8:48). Thus Daniel complied with the divine commandment: The windows of his chamber opened “toward Jerusalem.” Daniel followed the pattern of Psalm 55:
Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and murmur [intense prayer],
And He will hear my voice. (Ps. 55:17)
The declaration in verse 10 of Daniel’s discovery of the new law signified that Daniel was neither involved in the writing of this decree nor was he present at court when the proposal was presented to the king. Had he been in attendance, he would probably have lodged a protest. The verb “knew” is the peal perfect of yeda’ and depicts complete perception. Once Daniel learned of this new royal law, he immediately understood the implication: The decree was directly aimed at his ruin.
As the highest ranking official in the empire under Darius, Daniel could have extricated himself from his predicament. He could have rationalized: “It might be wise for me to pray secretly these next thirty days. Besides, if I am put to death, I cannot serve the Lord. God will understand!” He could have done this, but he did not! Daniel was neither frightened nor worried; he knew the battle is the Lord’s (1 Sam. 17:47) and that God was responsible for Daniel’s exalted position. If his present status of prosperity was to be reversed, this too, would be God’s prerogative. Daniel fully understood his options. He made a decision: He would persist in the same routine of prayer he had established long ago.
What should be the believer’s course of action when he is confronted with legislation in contradiction to the laws of God? If man’s laws conflict with God’s mandates for evangelism and worship, divine directives take precedence. The apostles Peter and John faced this dilemma when they were forbidden by the Sanhedrin to declare the Gospel and the doctrines of Christ (Acts 4:17-18). Unhesitatingly, they answered:
“Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19b-20)
They continued steadfastly in their mission and left the consequences in the Lord’s hands.
There can be no compromise. Every believer must separate himself from apostasy. This was precisely what Daniel did: “He entered his house.” Daniel’s prayer life was a private matter between himself and God. Daniel should have been free to worship as he wished in the privacy of his own home.
The principle of privacy is God’s protection of the individual’s right of volition. Privacy and freedom go hand in hand. Unless a citizen violates a common law, no government has the right to interfere with his private life. The government that overrides the privacy of its citizens violates a God-given freedom.
Three times a day Daniel prayed fervently (pael participle of tzela’) “giving thanks” (aphel participle of yeda’). This dedication to prayer revealed Daniel’s confidence in the future and a constant celebration in his soul for all God had done for him personally, as well as for the Jews in captivity.
Daniel 6:5 states only that Daniel’s enemies hoped to use “the law of his God” against him. Daniel 6:10 adds exactly what they had in mind. The last phrase of verse 10, “as he had been doing previously,” from Jerusalem. Daniel’s consistent prayer life afforded the plotters the opportunity to trap him.
While Scripture only narrates Daniel’s movements, his mental attitude in this crisis is not difficult to trace:
Daniel committed the problem to the Lord.
Cast your burden upon the LORD, and He will sustain you;
He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. (Ps. 55:22)
Daniel was occupied with the Lord by drawing from the divine viewpoint in his soul.
Delight yourself in the LORD;
And He will give you the desire of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it. (Ps. 37:4-5)
Daniel accepted the plot against his life as a test from the Lord. He countered the test with the knowledge that:
This also comes from the LORD of hosts,
Who has made His counsel wonderful and His wisdom great. (Isa. 28:29)
He thanked God for this crisis and was prepared to do God’s will.
“It is the LORD; let Him do what seems good to Him.” (1 Sam. 3:18b)
Daniel remained calm and undisturbed by worry as he placed his confidence in the Lord.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight. (Prov. 3:5-6)
He did not “lose heart” (mental panic, Heb. 12:3b) but continued in “perfect peace.”
“The steadfast of mind Thou wilt keep in perfect peace,
Because he trusts in Thee.
Trust in the LORD forever,
For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.”
(Isa. 26:3-4)
Finally, Daniel was victorious in his faith-rest life, secure in the knowledge of God’s infinite power:
I will cry to God Most High,
To God who accomplishes all things for me.
He will send from heaven and save [deliver] me;
He reproaches him who tramples upon me. Selah.
God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth.
(Ps. 57:2-3)
Like Daniel, let the Lord solve all your problems.
Remember that Daniel was the favorite courtier of the king, but were he to disobey the law, he could not expect the king’s protection. Darius would, in fact, try to exert his power to preserve Daniel’s life; yet by his own hasty and unwise decision Darius rendered himself powerless.
What neither the king nor the other rulers realized was that Daniel’s life was in the Lord’s hands (Ps. 31:15). When human power persecutes, divine power protects (Ps. 33:9-11). Daniel was relaxed in the knowledge of this principle and continued his relationship with the Lord through prayer, even though this defied the unjust law Darius had signed. Neither the crises nor the pressures of life could uproot the happiness and peace in Daniel’s soul. Doctrine was more real, more important to him than the king’s politics and power. Just as he lived by the Word, Daniel was ready to die for the Word.
Then these men [גֻּבְרַיָּא, gubrayya’, “heroes”] came by agreement [רְגַשׁ, regash, “thronging”] and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. (Dan. 6:11)
God’s sense of humor is unique. “Men” is the Chaldean word gubrayya’, and one translation is “heroes.” Only sanctified sarcasm would call such men heroes. While they should have been occupied with the lofty business of governing a large empire, they instead reduced themselves to the pettiness of common conspirators. “Thronging” is the haphel perfect (causative active) of the verb regash, which reveals the herdbound, frenzied state of mind of these men as they scurried to catch Daniel in the act of praying.
Daniel’s obedience in following the mandates of his God was well-publicized and the rulers were certain that Daniel would not miss even one prayer session. Apparently his window, facing the Holy City, was visible from the street, and all that was required was several witnesses to swear that Daniel had been observed praying to God. As expected, they “found” (haphel perfect of shekach) Daniel “making petition” and “supplication before his God” (hithpaal participle of chanan).
The trap was sprung and Daniel was caught. The next step was to approach the king and reveal Daniel’s disobedience to the royal edict.
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.” (Dan. 6:12)
Then they answered and spoke before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention [שׂוּם, sum] to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps making his petition three times a day.” (Dan. 6:13)
How treacherously the plotters manipulated Darius in verse 12. Without mentioning Daniel’s name or hinting to the king that anyone had violated his law, they persuaded him to restate the decree and to emphasize that the “injunction” could not be “revoked.” Had Darius not been so impressed with his own importance, he might have asked some questions and uncovered the plot. But anyone motivated by approbation lust rather than divine standards is oblivious to the evils around him. Darius was accountable for the injustice he perpetrated by following the counsel of wicked advisers.
Their triumph assured, these rulers dropped their mask of formal courtesy and showed their real intent. Contemptuously they referred to Daniel not as their ruling president but as “one of the exiles from Judah.” They displayed no reticence in bringing before the king an indictment against someone they considered inferior. The charge that Daniel was nothing but a Jewish foreigner reflected anti-Semitism on the part of the accusers. Through clever propaganda the plotters hoped to imply that Daniel was disloyal to the king. His record of accomplishments was not discussed—only the fact that Daniel was a captured hostage from Judah.
In the peal perfect of sum, translated “pays no attention to you,” the sly innuendo becomes an accusation: Here is Daniel, a prime minister who has the audacity to disregard the king’s order. He obviously disdained the authority of the king by continuing to pray. Therefore, he must be dangerous to the empire.
The unjust charges were supported by a score of witnesses who eagerly swore that Daniel had indeed petitioned his own God three times daily. Did they watch him all day to ascertain whether he defied the king, or did they base their accusation on Daniel’s past habits? Verse 11 reveals only that they found him praying. Regardless of the veracity of their testimony, the charge had been made and these satraps and commissioners must have congratulated themselves on the success of their efforts. Paradoxically Daniel stood accused unfairly, yet justly, according to the letter of the law.
The repeated reference to “the injunction” demands that the true purpose of legislation in a national entity be discussed. This concept was formulated by God as a divine institution for the protection and perpetuation of the human race. Under the principle of the national entity, legislation should protect the people of the nation. However, not all governmental structures, or the laws they promulgate, are compatible with this principle. The ridiculous law Darius signed demonstrates this fact. Human government, as designed by God, is to safeguard the life, liberty, privacy, property, and volition of individuals within a national entity. Legislation should allow freedom of choice in matters of religion, legitimate business, and social life.
No human government can rectify all social evils or moral ills, especially not through the pseudosecurity of socialism that promotes economic and political doctrines divorced from establishment principles. Socialism exemplifies the attempt to accomplish just such a program. Curtailing individual freedom for a misguided collectivism will bring divine discipline to a nation as surely as the private abuse of freedom.
Just as Nebuchadnezzar had been wrong in trying to intimidate his subjects into paying homage to the God of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego (Dan. 3:29), so Darius was wrong in allowing himself to be misled and forcing his subjects to relinquish their religious convictions. The law of the land now made Daniel’s spiritual life illegal, but God’s Word specifically designates personal worship as a part of spiritual freedom.
Daniel was aware that God alone sustained the Persian Empire, not Cyrus or Darius. By following God’s command, Daniel was both faithful to the Lord and loyal to the empire. True patriotism exists in unbelievers as well as believers, but mature believers in a national entity are the salt which preserves that nation (Matt. 5:13). Believers who utilize doctrine not only ensure national survival but national blessing as well (Hosea 4:1-6).
Then, as soon as the king heard [שְׁמַע, shema’] this statement, he was deeply distressed [בְּאֵשׁ, be’esh] and set his mind on delivering Daniel; and even until sunset he kept exerting himself to rescue him. (Dan. 6:14)
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 statue which the king establishes may be changed.” (Dan. 6:15)
When Darius “heard” (peal perfect of shema’ these words, he realized immediately he had been trapped by his own approbation lust. Darius had tripped over his own weakness and was “deeply distressed” (peal perfect of be’esh). Before, he had immensely enjoyed the homage lavished upon him; now he was completely disgusted with himself. He must sentence to death a man whom he admired and loved. Darius discovered too late that ego and approbation lust pay miserable dividends.
When a crisis occurs, particularly one of our own making, hindsight usually reveals our shortcomings. Tragically we are often blind to the consequences of our actions until we are ensnared. Then we bear intense pain and learn the hard way.
The passing of time has made no distinguishable changes in man’s nature. The lust pattern of the sin nature is still the source of self-deception (Rom. 7:13-17). Christianity today is rampant with good works and activism which are not motivated or empowered by the Holy Spirit but by human energy and lust for acclaim.
Darius grasped the situation and attempted to rectify his error in judgment. The conspirators, on the other hand, showed no signs of remorse and would shortly reap what they had sown (Hosea 8:6). Darius immediately “set his mind on delivering Daniel.” The peal perfect of sum used with “mind” indicates that the king intended to find a way “to rescue” (haphel infinitive of shezib) his trusted right-hand man. Previously Darius was absorbed with his own exalted position; now he would become involved in an intense effort to reprieve Daniel. For all his human power and resources, for all his desperate work that day, the king could find no legal means to rescind the edict. If he had contemplated the ramifications of the decree before signing it into law, then these personal and national crises would have been precluded.
Some react to disaster and catastrophe with, “Why did God let this happen to me?” Had Daniel been thinking subjectively, he would have asked this question and agonized along with the king. But Daniel knew God makes no mistakes in managing human affairs; God always knows what He is doing.
For seven years Nebuchadnezzar had to be relegated to the outdoor life of the animal kingdom to learn that God is the one who ultimately controls history (Dan. 4:32-34). Darius would be taught this same lesson in a different way so that he might realize the futility of human power and rely on the power of God. The consequences of human folly can never be permanently solved by human efforts; only God can untangle the knotted skein of man’s failures.
The conspirators were persistent. They permitted Darius only the remainder of that day to stew in his own misery. As the sun set, they assembled again to prod the king into action. They reiterated to Darius his only option. There was no way out of this royal mess, for the law of the Medes and Persians was decisive. No changes could be made. Daniel must die!
While we are primarily concerned with the petty tactics of power-hungry courtiers, remember that the authority of a supreme decree was one of the built-in strengths of the Persian Empire—a system of government whereby the monarch was subject to the same law as his people. Normally, this principle was an excellent safeguard of justice. However, the application in this case was distorted and resulted in a miscarriage of justice.
This same concept of “higher law” applies to the United States. Our Constitution was based on the tenets of Bible doctrine, written by a group of men, both believers and unbelievers, all of whom understood the laws of divine establishment. Since that time, many laws have been passed which are outside the framework of divine law. Clearly, the influx of socialistic doctrines into American thinking has eroded personal freedom, destroyed incentive, and resulted in subversion of the free enterprise system and the American way of life. Such thinking runs counter to the laws of divine establishment upon which our nation was founded.
When there seems to be no recourse even in the highest court of our land, we must remember that the Supreme Court of Heaven is always in session. God will dispense perfect justice in His own good time. While many innocent people suffer, God is aware of the injustice and uses those very laws to discipline the promulgators, just as He did in the days of Daniel.
Then the king gave orders [אֲמַר, ’amar], and Daniel was brought in [אֲתָה, ’atah] and cast [רְמָא, rema’] into the lions’ den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Your God whom you constantly serve [פְּלַח, pelach] will Himself deliver you.” (Dan. 6:16)
Darius had no alternative but to order Daniel’s execution. He “gave orders” (peal perfect of ’amar) for sentence to be carried out. Daniel was “brought in” (haphel perfect of ’atah) and “cast” or “thrown” (peal perfect of rema’) to the lions.
Perhaps you have seen an artist’s rendition of Daniel in the lions’ den—a strapping youth no older than twenty, amid a group of lions. Although still vigorous, Daniel was actually in his early eighties during the events of Daniel 6. Be reminded that you cannot always believe everything you see or hear. Rely on the Word of God as your final authority.
Keenly aware that his own inexcusable action was responsible for Daniel’s ordeal, Darius searched his mind for at least a few words to comfort his loyal friend. He sought to assure Daniel, despite the turn of events, that he still held him in high esteem. He hoped Daniel would understand his untenable and embarrassing position. As Darius stood over the pit, he was painfully aware of Daniel’s faithful and superb service to the empire, and even more conscious of this Jew’s love for his Lord. What could he say to a man like that?
At last, the words came. The king cried out, “Your [Daniel’s] God whom you constantly serve [the peal participle of pelach, denoting intensive and consistent worship] will Himself deliver you” (Dan. 6:16b). The reference to “your God” indicates that Darius was an unbeliever; he lacked the personal and intimate relationship with the Deity whom Daniel adored and served.
Since he could do nothing, Darius fervently wished that somehow Daniel’s God would rescue him (He “will deliver,” shaphel imperfect of shezib). Here is the first indication of positive volition on the part of Darius, for as the ultimate authority of a mighty realm he recognized a power greater than his own.
Admittedly these words were meant to comfort Daniel, but did the king really believe them? It is one thing to talk a good fight but another to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:12). However, the entire sequence of events provides an insight into the character of this monarch. Darius was a benevolent and enlightened king. As a rule, his decisions were impartial and fair, based on objectivity. He recognized his own authority was limited by the greater power vested in the law of the land; he, too, must be governed by its dictates.
Darius also understood that a perversion or misapplication of good laws causes innocent people to suffer. The decree he had approved victimized Daniel. Humbled by that realization, the king admitted that there had to be a higher law to be reckoned with—divine intervention. His only option was to leave Daniel in the hands of his God for possible deliverance. Lacking Bible doctrine in his soul, lucid, objective thinking soon gave way to subjective emotionalism. The reason: There was no stabilizing factor of doctrine in which to anchor his faith.
How did Daniel respond to these adverse circumstances? He weathered this stormy episode in his life as he had all previous ones—with an inner calm and poise born of unshakable devotion to and firm conviction in his Lord. Bible doctrine in his soul precluded resentment; Daniel bore the king no malice. Neither did he attempt to justify himself nor curse his accusers. The satraps had openly expressed their hostility toward Daniel, and even used immoral legislation as their whip, but he did not retaliate. Instead, Daniel displayed nobility of soul and applied a doctrinal principle:
“Vengeance is Mine, and retribution’ . . .
For the LORD will vindicate His people,
And will have compassion on His servants.”
(Deut. 32:35a, 36a)
He left the matter in the Lord’s hands. As a spiritual aristocrat, Daniel harbored no animosity toward his enemies and avoided the most vicious trap of all—mental attitude sin. When caught in the quicksand of vindictiveness, a believer who fights back is sucked down to the level of his accusers.
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. (Dan. 6:17)
Daniel’s faith did not waver when the heavy stone was rolled over the opening of the den and he found himself in abysmal darkness. Our Lord set the perfect example for every believer who suffers undeservedly:
And while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously. (1 Pet. 2:23)
This was precisely what Daniel did; the rest was in the hands of the Lord.
The king sanctioned the decree with one official act. He pressed his signet ring into the hot wax and “sealed” the stone. In the ancient world, the impression of a seal constituted the ratification of all public documents, treaties, or transactions, and the sealing off of objects protected them against violation. The royal seal guaranteed that no human hands could rescue Daniel with impunity, and that the king had complied with the terms of the edict. In addition to his own signet, Darius compelled every man who instigated this law to stamp his seal into the hot wax. Ultimately, the king must shoulder the responsibility for the enactment of this ludicrous law, but he obviously wanted physical proof that his lords had contributed to the infamous deed.
How these nobles reacted to Daniel’s apparent doom is not recorded. Did they have misgivings when they were required to affix their signatures on the stone, or did they gloat over their victory? We can only speculate. Yet while they stood and stared at the stone atop the den of lions, God used that same stone to remind Daniel of past revelation, of the rock that would crush the governmental systems of this world. This was Nebuchadnezzar’s dream-vision of “a stone . . . cut out without hands” that “struck the statue” interpreted by Daniel (Dan. 2:34). Also, Jesus Christ was and is the Rock who controls history, just as He holds in check the lives of men. Jesus Christ is still on the throne, ruling and overruling. In the execution of God’s plan Daniel is just as safe in a den of hungry lions or in the palace with the vicious commissioners and satraps as he would be in his own home.
Then the king went [אֲזַל, ’azal] off to his palace [הֵיכַל, heykal] and spent the night fasting [טְוָת, tewath], and no entertainment [דַּחֲוַה, dachawah] was brought before him; and his sleep fled [נְדַד, nedad] from him. (Dan. 6:18)
Many people consider wealth and status to be the road to happiness and the answer to all their problems. The Bible teaches, however, that neither wealth nor position guarantees happiness. The person on the top rung of the ladder of success who possesses all the details of life can be just as miserable, sometimes more miserable, than the person at the bottom who has nothing. Darius was a man who had everything: intelligence, power, fame, splendid palaces, and treasures of every description. Clearly, in time of crisis none of these sustained him. On the other hand, while Daniel had been stripped of all accouterments of human success and prosperity, he still had all he needed. He had the Lord and Bible doctrine in his soul.
Above the rock that sealed Daniel’s prison towered the grand palace (heykal, “big house made for pleasure”) in Babylon. Luxuriously decorated, the palace was designed to delight a king and to provide him with beauty, comfort, and relaxation. Darius “went” (peal perfect of ’azal, “to depart sadly”) from what he feared might become Daniel’s torture chamber and returned to his royal apartment. Had Darius truly believed Daniel’s God would deliver him, the king would have had peace of mind. But his words of hope had been hollow and meaningless (Dan. 6:16). Here God permits a glimpse of a man who was hopelessly despondent and discouraged. He allowed himself to be duped by conspirators to betray Daniel. Having deserted his loyal friend the king was guilt-ridden.
For many, gluttony is a means of sublimating when frustrated or unhappy, but in his misery Darius left the evening meal untouched. “Fasting” is the adverb tewath and means “refraining from food,” but this fasting had no spiritual connotation. Darius was unaware the lions were also fasting for a different reason. Had Darius known this, he might have summoned his “entertainment.” Dachawah is a euphemism derived from the musical instrument played by trained courtesans or concubines for the purpose of arousing sexual passions. Traditionally among ancient rulers (and even some modern ones) an exquisite meal was followed by wine, women, and song. Concubines were brought in allowing a king to choose his companion for the evening. Darius, however, was so depressed that he not only turned down an excellent meal but also refused to select from among the most beautiful women in the empire.
Physically and mentally distraught, the king was consumed with remorse and sorrow. As if this weren’t punishment enough, Darius tossed restlessly in his bed; sleep “fled” (peal perfect of nedad) from him. Insomnia compounded the king’s self-induced misery; God can give or withhold sleep (Ps. 127:2b; cf. Ps. 77:4). Quite a contrast existed between these two men. Above the rock, Darius felt wretched despite all the pleasures in the palace; below the rock, Daniel was content, even while facing death. Surrounded by ferocious felines Daniel slept soundly.
Believers must decide whether to live in the “palace” of misery or the “den” of contentment. If inordinate ambition drives you to acquire the details of life at the expense of Bible doctrine, misery will be your constant companion. True and enduring happiness is a potential gift from God, attained only through spiritual growth.
Daniel, in desperate circumstances, still possessed happiness in his soul. Darius was in abject misery despite his high station in life. Remember this lesson well and save yourself some sleepless nights filled with anguish. Pleasant and prosperous circumstances bring only fleeting happiness, but doctrine in the soul produces enduring happiness in favorable or adverse circumstances.
Then the king arose with the dawn, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions’ den. (Dan. 6:19)
The night must have seemed endless to Darius; he had reproached himself and was torn between worry and hope. When the king finally arose at daybreak he “went in haste to the lions’ den.” The hithpeel infinitive of behal (“haste” or “hurry”) indicates that Darius hurried to the den of lions as fast as his royal dignity allowed.
GOD’S DELIVERANCE—DANIEL’S TESTIMONY
And when he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out [זְעִק, ze‘iq] 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 [shezib] you from the lions?” (Dan. 6:20)
Darius reached the den and “cried out with a troubled [miserable] voice.” Weakly translated “cried,” the peal perfect of ze‘iq means he “screamed out.” The unhappy king, who presented a pathetic figure, expected the worst, yet hoped for the best. For the second time he manifested positive volition toward the Lord when he called Daniel the “servant of the living God.” The king knew that Daniel’s continual service to God was not motivated by a desire to gain divine favors, but by a deep love for the Lord whom he served in prosperity as well as in adversity.
Darius was deeply impressed with Daniel’s devotion to God and wondered whether God had indeed “been able to deliver” (shaphel infinitive of shezib) His faithful servant. Notice the inconsistency and instability of Darius. The previous evening he had assured Daniel of divine deliverance. The next morning he questioned God’s ability to rescue him. As Darius stood over the gaping hole and waited expectantly, he was prepared for the dreadful silence of death. He might have hoped for a groan that would indicate Daniel was hurt but still alive; better yet, for a sleepy voice, should a miracle have really occurred.
Then Daniel spoke to the king, “O king, live forever! (Dan. 6:21)
“My God sent [שְׁלַח, shelach] His angel and shut [סְגַר, segar] the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed [חֲבַל, chaval] me, inasmuch as I was found innocent [זָכוּ, zaku] before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.” (Dan. 6:22)
Divine omnipotence is never the issue in deliverance. Rather, deliverance is a decision of divine sovereignty. If deliverance is in God’s perfect plan, a believer will be rescued; if not, God has another purpose for the life or death of that believer. Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, had recognized this truth (Dan. 3:17; cf. Dan. 6:10).
There is no crisis in life from which God cannot deliver the believer. Since deliverance can come through life or death, removal from earthly suffering would have constituted as much of a deliverance as Daniel’s rescue from the mouth of the lions. In the case of Daniel, God’s will was a physical deliverance, whereas God’s plan for the lives of thousands of Christians whom Nero condemned to the lions was martyrdom. Only God in his infinite wisdom determines who can glorify Him better in life and who can glorify Him better in death. A believer with doctrine in his soul understands that no circumstance, person, or angel can remove him from life until God calls him home.105 He can be relaxed even under enormous pressures.
How easily Daniel could have gloated over his miraculous deliverance. After all, God had personally intervened on his behalf. Believers who have won a spiritual victory in life are vulnerable to arrogance. Daniel could have rebuked the king in anger and exasperation or demanded instant punishment for all who had plotted against him. But he was not arrogant or vindictive. From the lions’ den he maintained poise and observed court protocol in the customary address: “O king, live forever!” Did the hopeful thought of eternal life for Darius cross Daniel’s mind as he uttered those words? He may have recognized the king’s positive attitude toward God. Perhaps God had delivered him to lead this man to the Lord.
Daniel would have employed every opportunity to clarify the issue of salvation. Had Daniel said, “Look at me; I have survived this ordeal,” he would have made an issue of himself. Conceivably, he might have risen to a new pinnacle of importance in the eyes of Darius. Instead, Daniel gave all the credit to God. He illustrated the grace of God with his first statement to Darius from the den. The use of the possessive pronoun “my” with God demonstrated that his priority was his personal relationship with the Lord.
Darius listened with rapt attention to the account of Daniel’s miraculous deliverance: “My God sent [the peal perfect of shelach] His angel”—a reference to the preincarnate Savior, the Angel of Yahweh.106 The simple yet profound statement of God’s personal intervention on behalf of a believer displays God’s gracious concern for His own. This supernatural deliverance is not unique in the annals of history. Time and time again God rescues believers in peril. Just as Jesus Christ walked in the flames with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego (Dan. 3:25), He spent the night with Daniel in the lions’ den.
Jesus Christ appeared to Daniel and other Old Testament believers as a theophany (an appearance of God), and was visible to all during the Incarnation. Although He is invisible in the Dispensation of the Church, our fellowship with Him is nevertheless real (1 Pet. 1:8).107
For He Himself [Jesus Christ] has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU.” (Heb. 13:5b)
The shaphel infinitive of segar has two meanings: “to deliver” and “to shut.” Both declare that God delivered Daniel from “the lions’ mouths.” Neither the fall nor the lions had “harmed” (pael perfect of chaval) Daniel in any way. Someday you may experience tremendous pressure or be caught up in some dreadful disaster. Remember that no matter how grave the danger, as a believer you are perfectly safe in the Lord’s hands. You have His promises to stabilize your thinking.
“Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
(Isa. 41:10)
“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” (Deut. 31:6)
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity [fear], but of power and love and [self-]discipline. (2 Tim. 1:7)
Following Daniel’s example, live your life as unto the Lord and leave the consequences in His hands.
In Daniel 6:22, the noun zaku is incorrectly translated “innocent”; it should be rendered “purity.” The term “innocent” is a misnomer, since all members of the human race possess a sin nature and are guilty before God (Rom. 3:23). Innocence in the true sense of the word became extinct with the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden (Rom. 5:12). On the other hand, purity of mind is a mental and spiritual status of the believer in fellowship with God. Such purity of mind “was found” (hithpeel of shekach), literally “was obtained” by Daniel.
Day after day, year after year, Daniel persisted in the study of doctrine. Divine viewpoint became his way of life. Therein lay the secret of Daniel’s success. Divine viewpoint dictated a relaxed mental attitude, even in undeserved suffering. Not once did Daniel experience vindictiveness or bitterness toward the king or his accusers. Daniel expressed his attitude by calmly saying, “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 [אֲמַן, ’aman] in his God. (Dan. 6:23)
In both immature believers (2 Cor. 7) and unbelievers, a mood of despondency can be overturned by a change of circumstances. The king was experiencing wide emotional swings that manifested instability. First, he was miserable, then exuberant. Darius was enthusiastic because a miscarriage of justice had been reversed. Daniel was safe. In contrast, Daniel was genuinely happy because he had doctrine in his soul, not because he had been delivered. Darius’ happiness was transient because it depended on man and circumstances.
“Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind
And makes flesh his strength,
And whose heart turns away from the LORD.” (Jer. 17:5b)
Daniel’s happiness was permanent because he relied on the Lord:
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD
And whose trust is the LORD.” (Jer. 17:7)
Daniel’s confidence in the Lord was not misplaced. At over eighty years old, he had been tossed into a pit, twelve or fifteen feet in depth, filled with voracious lions. He emerged unscathed. His rescue was reminiscent of that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: Just as the cloths of Daniel’s three companions were not singed by the flames or tainted by the smell of smoke (Dan. 3:37), Daniel’s body showed not one bruise or claw mark.
Divine deliverance is both flawless and complete because it originates from a perfect source, God Himself. Divine deliverance is always compatible with grace. Ignorance of this gives the impression Daniel had to do something to deserve God’s intervention. The Holy Spirit documents that Daniel’s miraculous rescue occurred because “he had trusted.”
“Trusted” is the haphel perfect of the transitive verb ’aman. Daniel trusted God’s promises and was confident God could deliver him if He so desired. Daniel had the marvelous opportunity to enjoy his deliverance as he watched God work. All believers can prepare for the problems and catastrophes encountered in life. How? By learning God’s Word and applying His problem-solving devices.108
DARIUS’ JUDGMENT OF DANIEL’S ACCUSERS
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. (Dan. 6:24)
You can never seek to hurt someone else without hurting yourself as well.
He who digs a pit will fall into it,
And he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
(Prov. 26:27)
How often this principle has been proved true. Haman eventually swung on the gallows he had built for Mordecai (Esther 5—7). Now the commissioners and satraps saw their vicious conspiracy boomerang. Daniel had not demanded retribution. He utilized Psalm 55:22 and cast his burden—facing the crisis of the lions’ den—on the Lord. He left the judgment of his adversaries with the Supreme Court of Heaven and with Darius.
Proverbs 19:12 declares, “The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion.” Darius recognized the true nature of his courtiers; they, not Daniel, played their sovereign false. Subsequently, Darius “gave orders” (peal perfect of ’amar) that Daniel’s accusers, who had set their seal in the rock, be “brought” forth (haphel perfect of ’atah). Their hapless families were seized and condemned along with the convicted nobles. As once Nebuchadnezzar threatened his cabinet members and their families with extinction (Dan. 2:5), so now this Median ruler pronounced the death penalty on the families of the guilty courtiers.
While capital punishment is authorized by God (Gen. 9:6; Rom. 13:4), the sentencing of entire families of the guilty is expressly prohibited in the Mosaic Law. God’s law of culpability decrees that every person must stand or fall on the basis of his own actions (Deut. 24:16; 2 Kings 14:6). While God’s law is holy, just, and good (Rom. 7:12), man’s law is often unfair and unjust. Condemnation by association was a miscarriage in the law of the Medes and the Persians. They felt other members of a family were contaminated by the conspiracy. Such wholesale judgments not only eliminated bad influence or vendettas but possibly dissuaded others from violating the law. Guilty or not, all were summarily hurled into the lions’ den. There were no survivors.
To hear some of the creative ways rationalists explain the miracle of Daniel’s deliverance is fascinating. They say, “Daniel was not hurt because the lions were not really hungry.” Such theories deny the facts stated in Scripture. The lions were ravenous; we know this from Daniel 6:24b. We do not know how many lions were kept in the den, but they devoured a large number of bodies with no sign of satiety.
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! (Dan. 6:25)
“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. (Dan. 6:26)
“He delivers and rescues [נְצַל, netzal] and performs signs and wonders
In heaven and on earth,
Who has also delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.” (Dan. 6:27)
Do these verses remind you of a similar proclamation? Nebuchadnezzar was still an unbeliever when he decreed legislation demanding loyalty to God (Dan. 3:29). Darius, newly saved, made the same mistake; yet both rulers eventually reached the same conclusions about the true and living God (Dan. 4:34-37; cf. Dan. 6:26b-27).
Daniel’s deliverance led to the removal of those who were not only anti-Semitic but rejected “the God of Daniel.” In addition, his own testimony led to the conversion of Darius. Then the king “wrote” (peal perfect of kethav) his brief declaration. Nebuchadnezzar and Darius both addressed their message to their subjects throughout their vast empires “in all the land”; the decree applied to all, regardless of race, language, or geography.
The tract opened with a salutation of peace. As used here, “peace” is more than a greeting. The word connotes the principle of reconciliation as revealed at this time (Isa. 53:5, 11) and later set down in Ephesians 2:16.109 Had Darius limited himself to a simple announcement of his own salvation and Daniel’s deliverance, the kingdom would have benefitted. But like so many new believers who possess zeal but little doctrine, Darius interfered with the ministry of the Holy Spirit and tampered with God’s grace plan of salvation.
The salutation is followed by the preamble, “I make a decree.” This new decree obviously was enacted to rectify the errors of the old; yet both equally violated the concept of individual volition. Darius’ impetuous declaration was the result of subjective rather than objective thinking. He now attempted to force the conversion of his people just because he had accepted the Lord. By his demand that men “fear and tremble before the God of Daniel,” the king amalgamated religion and state in direct contradiction to the Word of God (Prov. 24:21; cf. Matt. 22:21). Even though some unbelievers turn to the Lord when they are severely frightened, forced conversion can never be accomplished through legislation.
Salvation is entirely the work of God from inception to execution—from the ministry of the Holy Spirit (John 16:7-11) to regeneration. When evangelism is conducted according to God’s plan, personal volition will not be violated. In the presentation of the Gospel, volition must not be coerced. Every person is free to accept or to reject Christ as Savior (John 3:18, 36). Darius’ decree that induced fear and demanded recognition of Daniel’s God was ill-conceived.
Despite the king’s ignorance of Bible doctrine, the Lord Himself had become very real to Darius. The king testified, “He is the living God.” This is quite a statement from someone who once had worshiped an entire pantheon. His testimony that Christ is “enduring forever” was his recognition of the immutability and eternal reign of the King of kings: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever” (Heb. 13:8). Daniel conveyed to Darius the lesson taught by the fearful image of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Whereas nations and empires come and go, the kingdom of God, which reaches beyond the boundaries of time and space, will never be destroyed.
Verse 27 confirms that Darius personally received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. The king’s explicit vocabulary indicates he distinguished between spiritual and physical deliverance. “Delivers” is the peal participle of the Chaldean word shezib. “Rescues” is the aphel participle of the Hebrew verb netzal. Both words have the same meaning—“to deliver” or “to rescue.”
Remember, this portion of the Book of Daniel (Dan. 2:4—Dan. 7) was recorded in the Chaldean or Eastern Aramaic language. Since this section deals primarily with gentile nations, God the Holy Spirit used a gentile language. The latter part of the Book of Daniel specifically concerns the Jews; therefore, the Hebrew language resumes in chapter 8. The Holy Spirit made no mistake in His choice of words for the Scripture (Prov. 30:5). Tucked away in this passage written in a gentile language is one Hebrew word, netzal.
The first Chaldean word of Daniel 6:27, translated “delivers,” denotes the king’s cognizance of his spiritual deliverance—his salvation. Jesus Christ alone saves for all eternity (Acts 4:12). The word “rescues” speaks of physical deliverance in time, so real to the king who had personally witnessed God’s deliverance of Daniel. By using both words, Darius, the Gentile, acknowledged his faith in the God of the Jews.
Before the completion of the Canon, “signs and wonders” were the means God chose to warn of impending discipline and to authenticate the declaration of the Gospel. Darius obviously took the miracle of Daniel’s deliverance from the lions’ den as a sign from God to bring about his own salvation.
THE PROSPERITY OF A MATURE HERO
So this Daniel enjoyed success [צְלַח, tzelach] in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. (Dan. 6:28)
The haphel perfect of tzelach means “to enjoy success.” By using this verb form, God shows us a glimpse of the grace blessings in store for the spiritually mature believer. The Lord abundantly supplied all the details of life for Daniel who had consistently been faithful to the Word. Never again would he suffer trials and tribulations as in the past.
Although the exact age of Daniel at his death is unknown, we are told that he lived at least into the third year (537 B.C.) of the reign of Cyrus the Great of Persia (Dan. 10:1). If we fix the probable date of Daniel’s birth as 620 B.C., we can estimate that he lived at least eighty-three years. Not only was the remainder of his life overflowing with God’s grace blessings and riches, but Daniel’s desire to see his people, the Jews, restored to their own land finally came to fruition. Scripture records that in the first year of his reign (539 B.C.) Cyrus permitted the Jewish captives to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple (2 Chron. 36:22-23; Ezra 1:2-3).
The key that unlocks the door to any believer’s spiritual prosperity is doctrine resident in the soul. Moreover, the intake of the Word is the only preparation for every exigency of life. What an encouragement to realize that every believer can reach spiritual maturity. God provided grace beyond measure for Daniel; and what He did for Daniel, He will do for any faithful believer.
Not once did Daniel compromise the grace of God. So commendable was the production of his spiritual maturity that the Holy Spirit included Daniel’s heroics in the New Testament’s honor roll among the exploits of the greatest believers of the past.
Who by faith [doctrine in the soul] conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions. (Heb.11:33)
The divine citation for Daniel’s undaunted spiritual life makes the narrative of Daniel far more than an epic. Emblazoned between the lines is this testimony: Bible doctrine works! May the Word of God become paramount in your life.
LESSONS FROM DANIEL CHAPTER SIX
God disciplines nations by replacing rulers under the principle of the fifth cycle of discipline. The “head of gold” (Chaldea) was replaced by the “arms and breast of silver” (Persia).
However, the ebb and flow of empires do not change the believer’s objective on earth. God’s plan for the believer continues, regardless of circumstances.
In God’s service, the age of a believer does not hinder effectiveness.
Bible doctrine in the soul qualifies the believer to succeed in life.
Divine promotion for a believer is a result of spiritual faithfulness.
Rebellion against divinely established authority begins with a mental attitude sin.
The mental attitude sin of jealousy usually leads to and culminates in an overt act of revenge.
The mental attitude sin of one person can affect the lives of many others.
When the believer becomes the object of envy and vindictiveness, he must not retaliate but should commit the matter to the Lord.
One of God’s protections for freedom is the principle of privacy.
The lust pattern of the sin nature is the basis of great misery and unhappiness.
When human power persecutes, divine power can protect.
A believer with doctrine can be happy in a lions’ den, while an unbeliever can be miserable in a palace; hence, happiness is a grace provision from God.
Every believer must sooner or later face his own ‘den of lions.’ How you face a crisis determines your spiritual success or failure in life.
Utilization of faith-rest and doctrine resident in the soul is the basis for serving the Lord.
Legislation can never solve the problems of life; only regeneration and advancing in the spiritual life can provide the solution.
God delivers the believer physically through or from disaster or sovereignly permits the death of the believer. God’s timing, manner, and place of a believer’s death are perfect.
