If you have a Bible, I invite you to open to the book of Daniel 6; “Daniel and the Lion’s Den.” We are going to read the whole chapter. It is a narrative of faithfulness and God’s deliverance.
Daniel 6 is a familiar story to many of us––perhaps the most well-known story in the book.
Don’t let familiarity with this narrative prevent you from hearing and responding to what God has for us in his Word today.
Please listen or follow along as I read Daniel 6:
6 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”
6 Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement[a] to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! 7 All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.
10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. 11 Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. 12 Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 13 Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”
14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. 15 Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”
16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared[b] to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” 17 And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.
19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” 23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24 And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.
25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. 26 I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,
for he is the living God,
enduring forever;
his kingdom shall never be destroyed,
and his dominion shall be to the end.
27 He delivers and rescues;
he works signs and wonders
in heaven and on earth,
he who has saved Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Here’s a core theological truth from this passage: God alone empowers and sustains ongoing faithfulness.
To demonstrate this, here’s how I’ve structured my sermon. I have three observations on the text. I want to demonstrate how each observation highlights this core truth from different angles.
Three observations on this passage that demonstrate how God is the foundation of our faithfulness.
- Faithfulness to God demands that we expect worldly opposition.
We see this in verses 1–9. If it were not for God’s sustaining hand, Daniel would have crumbled under the pressure from the conspiracy against him.
Daniel had become the third highest ranking government official (5:29). The text says that Daniel distinguished himself above all the other high officials because “an excellent spirit was in him” (6:3). I think that phrase “excellent spirit” is a reference to God’s favor.
Then, we are told the king had planned to set him over the whole kingdom (v. 4). Darius planned to promote him.
That’s the motive for the character assassination that follows. In our political system, sadly, we know this all too well with Supreme Court nominees, etc. Someone is nominated to a high position, and the process to discredit and destroy their character begins.
Daniel lived a life of the highest integrity and character without being shaped by the surrounding pagan culture. Providentially, God raised him up to serve in this high position.
Perhaps it was jealousy over his promotion that led his enemies to trap him. It’s as if they try to produce a dossier, but there’s no dirt to be found. There’s no corruption. He’s an honest politician!
Since they couldn’t find any fault with him (v. 4), the only complaint they could bring against him is in reference to his own piety (religious devotion): “unless we find it in connection with the law of his God” (v. 5).
The conspirators draft up an edict and pressure the king to sign the document.
What was the nature of the edict? It prohibited prayer to any other god except to Darius for thirty days, and the penalty for those who did not follow the edict was death (v. 7).
Though, on its face, the law was concerned with prayer, I think that Darius somehow viewed the effect of it to be to his political advantage. Some commentators think the law established Darius as a mediator between people and their gods. So Darius may have viewed the prohibition on prayer as an acknowledgement of the ultimate authority of the State.
According to the Medes and Persians, a king’s edict could not be changed (we see references to this same idea in Esther 1:19; 8:8). To change the decree would imply that there was some defect in it, that the king had made an error.
The law was intentionally designed to be a trap, because Daniel’s enemies knew where his ultimate loyalties were. (Just like in the NT, the pharisees repeatedly try to trap Jesus).
Importantly, Daniel’s integrity and faithfulness is what makes him vulnerable to attack.[1]
Hence, the first observation that I want us to consider: faithfulness to God demands that we expect worldly opposition.
Daniel chose faithfulness to God, and that won him enemies.
The New Testament bears this out as it teaches us to expect persecution, hostility, and opposition from the world. Paul tells us, “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim 3:12).
And when this occurs, Peter tells us not to be surprised “as though something strange were happening” (1 Peter 4:12).
For a variety of reasons, many Christians in our culture falsely believe that God promises them a life free from suffering, hardship, or difficulty.
Certainly, the prosperity gospel which falsely teaches that God promises you health and wealth and blessing is a factor here.
Yet perhaps even some of us in this room have an unspoken assumption that God promises us a life of security.
But that is not biblical Christianity.
When it comes to persecution for the Christian, there’s no saying, “I didn’t sign up for this.”
To follow Jesus is to follow him in the way of his cross.
Jesus commands his followers to be baptized. In baptism, you publicly take an oath and declare your allegiance to Jesus. You publicly go on record, saying, “I belong to Jesus.”
We have members of our church, who after being baptized, experienced and continue to experience opposition from their family. Ultimately, our loyalty is not to our family but to Christ. And in God’s grace, the church—the people of God—become our family.
My friend Akhil knows this. He knew what he was doing when he went down into the waters to be baptized. And what did he say? “It is worth it.”
Jesus teaches us to expect opposition from the world in John 15:18: “If the world hates you, know that it hated me before it hated you.”
Jesus wanted to prepare his disciples to expect that persecution is to be the expectation, not the exception. If they ridiculed our savior, they will ridicule you.
Just like Daniel, as Christians, we should expect hostility and opposition from the world when we live a life of faithfulness to God.
Carl Trueman says this: “The era when Christians could disagree with the broader convictions of the secular world and yet still find themselves respected as decent members of society at large is coming to an end, if indeed it has not ended already.”[2]
Sometimes Christians downplay all this talk of persecution. We’re not literally being thrown to the lions, they say. They compare the harsh realities of what Christians are facing in authoritarian countries where Christianity is outlawed with what Christians are facing in America. The conclusion? “Stop complaining, you’re not being persecuted.”
I think this is wrong-headed for several reasons:
(1) It sets up a false equivalence. I’m not saying the two situations are identical. Of course, Christian experience in the West is completely different than other countries.
(2) It ignores larger cultural dynamics at work. The truth is, we are seeing a growing cultural atmosphere that is antagonistic to Christianity. We are living in an age where authentic, biblical Christianity is increasingly out of step with the mainstream.
Having a proper expectation of hostility and opposition better positions us for faithfulness to Christ. To connect it back to our main point—God is the one who sustains our faithfulness in the midst of trials and persecution.
- Ordinary faithfulness prepares you for extraordinary trials.
We see this in verses 10–18. Daniel’s response to the king’s edict is continued obedience to the Lord expressed in prayer.
Daniel’s daily practice of prayer was an expression of ordinary faithfulness that prepared him for his extraordinary trial. To connect this observation to our main idea: it was God who sustained Daniel in both the ordinary and extraordinary moments of his life.
It’s worth noting that at this point in Daniel’s life, he is probably around 80 years old. Think of that. Daniel is about to experience the most significant trial of his life at 80 years old.
My point is, we don’t get to retirement age and then throw in the towel spiritually.
How many of us honestly expect or imagine our most significant trials as laying ahead of us? How might that perspective shape how you live in the present?
This speaks to the importance of finishing well. The Christian life is a marathon of endurance that requires us to be faithful unto the end. Whether or not our greatest trials lay ahead of us, all of us should set our hearts on living and dying well—with our eyes fixed on Jesus.
What do we learn from Daniel’s response to the king’s edict?
Look at verse 10 again: “When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.”
There’s a lot here in verse, so let me give two comments.
- Daniel consciously chose to obey God knowing it would put his own life at risk. The text emphasizes: When Daniel knew that the document had been signed. He was fully aware of the edict and fully aware of the consequences.
The text also emphasizes the windows in the upper room to underscore the point that Daniel was consciously aware of his action and the consequences.
Importantly, Daniel is not out looking for opportunities to disobey the civil government. But, obedience to God may require disobeying the commands of men.
There is a big difference between looking for opportunities to disobey the government and recognizing that loyalty to God may require times of disobedience, when it would compromise our faithfulness to Christ or the gospel (Acts 5:29).
- Daniel’s habit of prayer revealed a heart of thankfulness.
The verse shows that prayer was Daniel’s daily practice: as he had done previously.
Daniel’s habit of prayer did not become visible only after the edict was given. No, the text emphasizes, this is Daniel’s longstanding practice. In other words, Daniel is not grandstanding.
More to the point, his practice of prayer revealed what was in his heart: thankfulness. Even facing the prospect of death, his prayers are characterized by thankfulness.
What characterizes your prayer life? Is it complaining about your circumstances or is it thankfulness and trust in God regardless of the circumstances?
Daniel’s life of prayer prepared him to have resilient faith in the den of lions.
After Daniel was arrested (v. 11), he was cast down into the den of lions to be killed (v. 16).
Ironically, Darius had become trapped by his own decree. The unchanging nature of the king’s decree was meant to highlight the king’s sovereignty and authority. But, when Darius heard that Daniel had violated the decree, he became distressed (v. 14).
Ultimately, Darius is presented as one who is powerless to change his own decree and powerless to save Daniel. He was steered by the schemes and political machinations of his own government officials.
Here, Scripture is intentionally drawing our attention to the true and greater sovereignty of God. He has true power and authority over the kings and nations.
Ironically, Darius is powerless to save. His final words to Daniel are “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” (v. 16). This is not a prayer of faith on the part of Darius. This comment is simply Scripture’s way of drawing our attention to the fact that there is only one who can save Daniel, and that is the living God.
When Daniel was thrown into the pit, a stone was brought and laid over the mouth of the den (v. 17) and sealed with the king’s own signet ring. This was done in order to ensure Daniel had no outside help or means of escape.
- Only the living God can deliver from the power of death.
We see this in verses 19–28. This reality––God’s victory and power over death––demonstrates how God empowers and sustains our faithfulness.
Because the living God has power over death, God alone has the power to sustain our faith through life’s greatest trials, even through death.
After a restless night of sleep, where Darius tried to think of a way to save Daniel, the text says “at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions” (v. 19). In anguish he called out, “has your God been able to deliver you from the lions?” (v. 20).
To which Daniel calmly responded, “My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” (v. 22).
Importantly, Daniel is not saying he was saved because he was sinless. (In chapter 9, Daniel will lead a prayer of confession for the sins of God’s people). Rather, he was innocent in the matter of which he was accused.
Daniel’s act of prayer to God was not done out of disrespect for the king. God preserved Daniel from the mouth of lions so he could render his verdict: “Not guilty.”
Verse 23 gives more clarity, showing that no harm was done to Daniel, “because he had trusted in his God.”
This is a picture of salvation through faith alone. Through faith, Daniel is preserved from death, declared not guilty, and instead God’s enemies receive the judgement.
This is a picture of our salvation in Christ.
Daniel’s descent into the lion’s den foreshadows Christ’s death and resurrection.
Fulfillment in Christ
In so many ways, Daniel’s story finds fulfillment in the life of Jesus.
Like Daniel, Jesus was the target of the schemes of men; Jesus was falsely accused by his enemies; Jesus was unjustly sentenced to death.
Just as Darius was unable to save Daniel, Pilate was equally powerless to save Jesus from his sentence.
Daniel was sentenced to death surrounded by lions. Psalm 22––a psalm Jesus prays on the cross––describes being surrounded by devouring lions.
Just as a stone was rolled over the mouth of the den and sealed by the king, Jesus’ tomb was sealed with a stone and guarded by Roman soldiers.
Daniel suffered the threat of death. Jesus actually died, taking our sin upon himself in order to save us from the power sin and death.
Like Daniel, at the break of day, the stone is rolled away and Jesus rises from the grave victoriously.
Jesus was raised for our justification (Rom 4:25), which means that when Jesus rose from the dead, defeating sin and death, he brings with him his verdict of “not guilty” for all those who would be joined to him in faith.
Just as Jesus rose from the dead, those who are united to him in faith, will also rise.
Just as Darius’ decree declared to all peoples, nations, and languages that the living God reigns forever, Jesus is now exalted at the right hand of the Father as the King of kings, whose kingdom shall never be destroyed. One day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.
This is how our passage points us to the gospel.
The gospel is the good news about what God has done in Jesus to save sinners from our sin.
Jesus lived a perfect life, and died on the cross for our sins, and rose again on the third day defeating sin and death so that we could enjoy life with him forever.
Jesus commands all people everywhere to respond in repentance and faith. If you’re not a believer in Jesus, the verdict over your life is “guilty.” Because of your sin, you stand condemned before God.
But the good news is that Jesus was condemned in our place in his death on the cross, satisfying God’s justice. By his powerful resurrection, he defeated sin and death, securing our justification and eternal life with him.
The invitation stands for you today to turn from your sin, and trust in Christ alone for forgiveness and receive all the benefits of salvation.
If you are a believer in Jesus, it’s here where we sometimes fail to connect the dots between the content of the gospel and its ongoing application.
As I explained what the gospel is, you might be saying “Yes, I believe that!”
But how do you live in the reality of its ongoing significance?
The gospel is what empowers a life of ongoing faithfulness.
Because of the gospel––because God is the God who delivers us from death, God can be trusted as the one who empowers and sustains ongoing faithfulness to face whatever comes.
The power of the gospel in the life of the believer produces this kind of resilient hope.
Christ alone is our hope in life and death.
[1] Joe M. Sprinkle, Daniel, Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020), 155.
[2] Carl R. Trueman, Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2022), 169.