At sunset the king walked, in misery and distress, to the den of lions. Though he spent his day spent in regret and consternation, he was unable to halt the capture of Daniel. As the day grew dark, Daniel was cast into the den of lions. A vicious death sentence. That night the king walked back to the palace. He did not sleep; he fasted. In the morning, early, he rushed to the den of lions. He cried out at the sight of Daniel, alive and unharmed. God had sent an angel. The mouths of the lions were closed because Daniel believed in his God. Relief swept through the king; the king who was unable to halt the unintended consequences of his own decree.
It is a beautiful account and a familiar one. It is chock-full of lesson. But there is more to the story; what were the circumstances that landed Daniel in the den of lions? When we read Daniel's story from the beginning, we realize that Daniel was in a figurative den of lions well-before he was ever cast into the literal one... protected by God in both.
- DEN OF LIONS
Daniel rose in the ranks of the king's men from the onset. Chosen by God to serve the kingdom before Nebuchadnezzar chose Daniel to serve in his court. Chosen by God and equipped by God, he thrived in the king's court; his great faith catalyzed by God into great wisdom. So instrumental in the court that Daniel continued to serve after Nebuchadnezzar's death, after even Nebuchadnezzar's grandson's death.
Daniel's success and longevity in the court made him well-known. Respected by the kings who relied on his wisdom, but hated by his cohorts in the king's court. The king's court, the figurative lion's den. Daniel was surrounded by people who were jealous of his esteem. For king Darius preferred Daniel over all of them, above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him. Darius set Daniel over the whole realm. Like Joseph in Genesis, Daniel had the power of the king without the title. All arranged by God.
The presidents and princes below Daniel's rank worked to unseat him. They were actively, viciously, against him. At every occasion they were ready to pounce on Daniel. Like predators, they circled Daniel ravenously, starved for him to make a mistake. At all times prepared to pounce on him for any mistake.
But Daniel never made a mistake. Daniel had quality faith; he followed God's counsel, not his own. He did not falter in leadership because he did not falter in faith. Annoyed, they realized that there was no fault or error in Daniel for them to expose. But they were predators on the prowl; and they would not let their prey out of their sight.
The pride of lions conspired. Proud, indeed, arrogant. None of the humility in Daniel in them. Jealous, hungry for rank, power, esteem. Too foolish, too selfish, too greedy, to realize Daniel that had inadvertently gained all of three (rank, power, and esteem) through humble service. No wiles, none of the devious or cunning stratagems they corruptly plotted.
- HE MUST INCREASE
Daniel lived and served amongst these lions. Different from them in character, but also faith. Daniel believed emphatically in the Lord. And he served the Lord steadfastly. He lived the verse John 3:30; He must increase but I must decrease. Daniel's humble service in faith enabled God to increase the exertion of His will and presence. Daniel, like all faithful, obedient children of God was a vessel, a conduit through which the people received the blessed leadership, truth and provision of God. Daniel decreased in that he suppressed his own will (his own ego), in exchange and placement of God's will.
The lions believed in idols. In things. In the desperate, at-all-costs-and-without-any-principles, pursuit of power. They salivated for it. And don't many? Those people who will step on any head to get ahead. Those people who break the tenth commandment: thou shall not covet. The men coveted and it corrupted them. The same, sad story plays over-and-over; it is Satan's own story, Ezekiel 28, a covetous spirit corrupted by its own schemes.
So many are unwilling to decrease; unwilling to jettison our own schemes for God's plans, our own will for God's will, our own ego for God's esteem, and the result is disastrous. In varied and seemingly-small ways, throughout life, we do not decrease. Our unwillingness to suppress our own desire, our own will/ego, blocks God's unflawed protection, provision, plan and power. God is the artist of many masterpieces, we're just spilling paint. Hand the paintbrush back to Him.
- A ROYAL DECREE
Daniel did not spill any paint because he never held the paintbrush. He believed, trusted and followed God. They lions tried to use that against him. They caused conflict, which, by the way, is listed among the seven things God hates, Proverbs 6:18. Daniel had a different faith because he was from a different place: Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar had conquered it and captured its people. Daniel was among strangers-in-faith, strangers who used Daniel's absolute devotion to God and assembled against him.
The lions approached the king with what they thought was a cleverly devised plan: they encouraged him to establish a royal stature, a firm decree that forbid every person from petitioning to any G/god, or person except the king for thirty days. They knew that Daniel was faithful to his God; they knew that he petitioned (prayed, appealed to God's authority) on a daily basis, multiple times. They arranged that those who disobeyed the decree would be cast into the den of lions.
Establish it, they said. Sign it, and in such a way that it cannot be reversed or altered. They figuratively drooled as they laid and set the trap for their prey! For Daniel. King Darius signed the decree, unaware of their plot against Daniel. He did not perceive that these men targeted the member of his court he most respected.
- WINDOWS OPEN
- NO MANNER OF HURT
Daniel was surrounded by lions before and after the decree, but he was protected-preserved-prospered by God in both situations. The story gives us hope, and caution:
Wicked schemes are deftly disassembled by God's dexterous hand. Live in accordance with God's will and avoid the disasters caused by our own. In diverse ways and places around the planet, in our daily lives, we are the figurative prey or predator of this story. We are the lion, or we are among them. We must be aware of instances in which we do not decrease enough, thus disabling God to increase enough to fix, cause, sustain the things we will fail to do without Him. He will not fix the blemish if you will not relinquish the brush.
The hope of the story is evident. It may not be relatable on the surface (it is unlikely that we will be cast into a literal den of lions as punishment, though certainly many who follow God face death for their belief), but when we realize that Daniel was among predators throughout his life and service to God, it feels more familiar. We both feel jealousy and cause it, even unwittingly. Daniel's story reminds us that we do not need to covet others' things and positions, indeed we must not, for God will bless us abundantly. For to follow God is to step into blessing. There is no need to be jealous; when we establish God as our provider, we have a provider who knows what we need better than we do, Matthew 6:8. And there is no need to be fearful of the plots of people who are jealous of our blessing. King Darius did not perceive, Daniel could not prevent, but God perceived and God prevented.