Verse of the Day Devotion.  Daniel 6:27

“Then these men said, “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.” – Daniel 6:27

The leaders of the Persians went before King Darius and got him to sign an injunction to make it illegal to petition any god or man other than Darius. “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.” Daniel 6:7-9.

Daniel heard of the document and that it was signed by Darius, but he continued going to God three times a day on the roof of his house. And these commissioners and satraps observed him continuing and brought it up to the king. “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.” Daniel 6:12-13.

Now the king was upset that he had signed the injunction, but there was nothing he could do, for the ‘signed injunction’ was irreversible. Therefore, “Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions’ den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.” Daniel 6:16. With a heavy heart he obligated to fulfil this conspiracy by the satraps and commissioners. But notice what he tells Daniel when putting him in the lion’s den. “Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.” This statement, in itself, does not imply the recognition of Daniel’s God as supreme. The historical Darius had a highly personal devotion to Ahura Mazda, who was “his god” in a way that has been compared to the God of Abraham. He regarded himself as being under the special protection of his god and could reasonably be supposed to allow that Daniel had a similar relationship with the God he worshiped. Jerome supposes that the king was so confident because he had heard the story of the three young men. Then the king sealed the opening with his signet ring.

The king goes back to his palace and was sleepless. “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. Then the king arose with the dawn, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions’ den.” Daniel 6:18-19. He wanted to see Daniel alive and well but had no confidence this was the case. When he got there, he cried out with a troubled voice, saying “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Daniel 6:20. And then Daniel answered. “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.” Daniel 6:21-22.

Now the king was pleased and had him brought out and Darius did not see any injuries on him. The author gives the reason as “because he had trusted in his God.” Daniel 6:23b. Now, Darius was please about Daniel, but not those men who caused this to happen. “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.” Daniel 6:24. This was a horrible thing to do, especially with the wives and children who probably had no part in this. However, this was Darius’ decision.

Darius then wrote a decree to all the people who lived in all the land. “May your peace abound! 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. 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.” Daniel 6:25b-27. Darius wrote a decree that probably surprised many in his kingdom. That the people were to fear and tremble before Daniel’s God because ‘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.”

And we Christian’s serve this same God who delivered Daniel from the lions, who were definitely hungry which was shown by what they did to those who were thrown in afterwards. And He is able and willing to protect us from the harm that this world wants to perpetrate on us as well. The world hates us and would not be against us being taken out. However, no matter what the world wants to do, just as the commissioners and satraps wanted, we will be protected by Him who ‘is the living God and enduring forever, whose dominion will be forever, who delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, and who also delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.” That being our faithful and loving God.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.