The Lion’s Den, Daniel 6
Here kitty, kitty, kitty! Maybe this is what Daniel said to the lions when he was thrown into their den while looking for a comfortable place to sleep. Compare Daniel in the Lions’ Den with Peter being found fast asleep in jail when he was going to have his head removed the next day. The lions’ skin made for a good nights sleep for this old man of about 80 years of age. He choose to suffer the afflictions rather than to obey man. Because of Daniel’s faith, this story has been shouted from the housetops.
Daniel, like his three Hebrew friends, believed God had the power to deliver him. He may have learned from Job when he said: “Though the Lord slay me, yet will I trust him”. Remember the words of our Lord: “Be not afraid of those who have power to kill the body, but rather fear Him who has power to destroy both body and soul in hell”.
Daniel and the Lions’ Den is one of the best loved stories of the Bible. Daniel was a young man about 15 years of age when taken into captivity. He served His God as a statesman and as a prophet till he was an old man in Babylon. “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself…”, he dedicated his life to His God and remained faithful to Him all the years in a pagan, heathen, and Gentile world. Like unto his Lord, his accusers looked for an occasion to find fault—but found none! These anti-Semitics master-minded a satanic scheme to get him to deny His God or be cast into a den of lions. When living in a god-less place, do not expect life to be a cake walk!
Daniel stood the test with solid convictions and trusted His God for the results. He went home, opened his window and legitimately disobeyed the law of the land. He not only broke the law once, he broke it three times a day! On his knees praying so God and everyone could hear—a practice which was always part of His life. This is character and integrity of a man of God at its highest level.
Daniel was a soul-winner. He had witnessed to King Darius many times about His God. When time came for Daniel to cast into the den of lions, King Darius said: “The God whom you serve continually, he will deliver thee”. Although Darius sought to deliver Daniel from the Loins’ Den, it was God who was going to step on the center stage and steal his thunder. Have faith in God even when swinging over the mouths of lions.
“ O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?” Darius was glad when he heard Daniel’s voice when he said: “O king , live forever”! The “jaws and the claws” have done me no hurt, they have been stopped by my God—He has delivered me! I love this story!
Daniel’s praying in a time of crisis was a way of life since he was a youth. His testimony never changed even when facing a life or death situation. He was as calm and cool as a cucumber! Darius walked the floor all night concerning his old friend while Daniel was as safe as a bug in a rug. Daniel’s protection was not his faith or his faithfulness, but it was His God, whom he served continually. Daniel lived to tell this story about the Lions’ Den. Do you have a story to tell of God’s deliverance? Have you been spared from the clutches of Satan? Trust God today for your life as well as your soul.
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