| Teacher: Rusty Kennedy Series: Bible Stories |
Rusty's Notes
Now we come to the best known chapter in Daniel.
Daniel 6
1 Darius decided to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, stationed throughout the realm,
10 When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
The king answered, “As a law of the Medes and Persians, the order stands and is irrevocable.”
19 At the first light of dawn the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den.
23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to take Daniel out of the den. So Daniel was taken out of the den, uninjured, for he trusted in his God. 24 The king then gave the command, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the lions’ den—they, their children, and their wives. They had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
Darius Honors God
25 Then King Darius wrote to those of every people, nation, and language who live in all the earth: “May your prosperity abound. 26 I issue a decree that in all my royal dominion, people must tremble in fear before the God of Daniel:
For He is the living God,
and He endures forever;
His kingdom will never be destroyed,
and His dominion has no end.
2) He endures forever
3) His kingdom will not be destroyed
4) His dominion will never end
27 He rescues and delivers;
He performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth,
for He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
- In fact, the story of Daniel in the lion's den and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego or the two most popular children's stories in the Bible.
- Darius, the 62-year-old king of Medo-Persia, is on the throne. However, he is sick.
- Daniel was still about 80 years old.
Daniel 6
1 Darius decided to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, stationed throughout the realm,
- Darius decided to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, stationed throughout the realm,
- Darius was in the process of setting up his government
- He divided his newly-conquered kingdom into 120 divisions or provinces
- Satrap= prince or person of authority
- They were probably told to watch the satraps for things like corruption, disloyalty, theft, and poor administration
- Cyrus crucified three thousand Babylonian political enemies
- Although Belshazzar's party was eliminated, Daniel was spared
- He was made one of three presidents of the empire
- Daniel was second in command only to Darius
- The idea of making Daniel second in command found opposition among the other two administrators and all 120 satraps
- Daniel's conduct was blameless and they had no basis for a charge. He was trustworthy, honest, and always did what was right
- Jealousy is a normal reaction in people who are passed over for promotions
- Daniel's role may have seemed unfair because he was advanced in years, a holdover from the enemy’s administration and a Jew
- He may have been thwarting other officials' corrupt schemes for enriching themselves
- They tried to find something wrong with Daniel's service to the king and his character
- They lied by acting like Daniel was included in the decision
- The king himself could not change what he had written, because that would be admitting his fallibility
- The king was deceived. He did not see the diabolical plan behind the decree
10 When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
- When there is a law, a civil law, that diametrically opposes a law of God, guess which one you choose?
- Daniel did practice civil disobedience because there was a ridiculous law that said he couldn't pray to his God
- Some of these men knew how many times a day Daniel prayed
The king answered, “As a law of the Medes and Persians, the order stands and is irrevocable.”
- They are the ones who got the king to publish the fiendish decree, but they asked...
- What was Daniel's crime? He was still praying three times a day. That is almost as bad as praying at school
- Darius was distressed with himself for being duped into creating this dilemma
- Most ancient laws stipulated execution of sentence within a matter of hours, usually the same day
- Daniel had to be thrown into a den of angry, hungry lions.
- As the sun went down, the conspirators appeared before the king to again remind him that it was time for the sentence against Daniel to be carried out
- The King loved Daniel and went along, so he could be with Daniel
- A Layer of warm wax was poured between the stone and the den wall to make sure it was sealed
- Then the king used his signet ring to make an impression into the hot wax
- Darius spent the restless night fasting. He even refused all entertainment and pleasure
19 At the first light of dawn the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den.
- Darius wanted to check on Daniel personally
- Darius called Daniel's God the Living God (the giver of life)
- This is the fourth time we have seen this expression in Daniel ("O King, live forever!")
- Nebuchadnezzar – King of Babylon (605–562 BC)
- Belshazzar – Grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, Co-Regent of Babylon (553-539 BC)
- Darius – Governor of Babylon under Cyrus (559 – 530 BC)
- Cyrus – King of Persia (559 – 530 BC)
23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to take Daniel out of the den. So Daniel was taken out of the den, uninjured, for he trusted in his God. 24 The king then gave the command, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the lions’ den—they, their children, and their wives. They had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
- It was custom of the orient to assume a man's unity with his family and also to assume that if the husband and father was guilty, the wives and children were implicated
- There was a fear of the children growing up and avenging for the family
Darius Honors God
25 Then King Darius wrote to those of every people, nation, and language who live in all the earth: “May your prosperity abound. 26 I issue a decree that in all my royal dominion, people must tremble in fear before the God of Daniel:
For He is the living God,
and He endures forever;
His kingdom will never be destroyed,
and His dominion has no end.
- Darius declared everyone to have fear and reverence for Daniel's God:
2) He endures forever
3) His kingdom will not be destroyed
4) His dominion will never end
27 He rescues and delivers;
He performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth,
for He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
- The God of Daniel is still able to do... all that we think or ask!
- God rescues and saves… from situations that seem impossible.
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