Devotions

He Is The Living God

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The conquering king Darius is manipulated into signing an edict that would prevent Daniel from worshiping God. When Daniel hears it was signed, he opens his windows and prays. According to the law, the edict the king just signed, Daniel must be thrown in the lion pit. King Darius can’t find any way to save Daniel and at the last minute, when he can’t, he says “”Your God, whom you serve faithfully, may he rescue you!”. And at the first moment in the morning, king Darius found Daniel alive. God had protected him. Then Darius the king wrote to all the people living in the whole earth about the God of Daniel saying he is the living God.

You Must Sign

Daniel 6:6–12
The Chaldean leaders were conspiring against Daniel and used flattery to get the new kings ear, then used a sign of obedience to the king as a way to expose Daniels commitment to the Lord. This was manipulation pure and simple. In Daniel 6:7-8 they said “establish an edict of the king and to enforce a decree that whoever will seek a prayer from any god or human except from you for up to thirty days will be thrown into the lion pit.” then they added, “you must sign the document so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians which cannot be revoked.” Darius had been looking to establish these leaders as the ongoing government so may have wanted to affirm them and this seemed like a good way to gain allegiance from the people. Whatever his motives, Darius was caught in their trap and signed it in Daniel 6:9.

When the flatterers say, “Live forever”, lookout! When the whole group comes with “you must”, lookout!

Daniel heard about the interdict, the authoritative prohibition that people could only pray to Darius, he, in Daniel 6:10 “he went to his house … windows … open to Jerusalem), and three times daily he knelt on his knees and prayed and gave praise before his God, just as he had been doing previously”. And in Daniel 6:11 “these men … found Daniel praying” as they knew he would be. And in Daniel 6:12 “They approached and spoke to the king …” but they didn’t outright say Daniel was praying throw him into the lion’s pit. That would have been too obvious. They said, Uh, king, “Did you not sign an edict that … would be thrown into the lion pit?” and of course, the king responded “The matter as you have just stated is certain”. The trap had been sprung, there was no way out for Daniel, but Daniel already knew they wanted to remove him from his position and discredit him with the king. 

According To The Law

Daniel 6:13–24
In Daniel 6:13 “They responded and said before the king, Daniel …”. Now the king knows what this was all about, it was a scheme to destroy Daniel and in Daniel 6:14 “he was determined to rescue him. And until the setting of the sun …”. “Then these men came as a group … with respect to the law” in Daniel 6:16. They didn’t care about the law, they just wanted to force the king to sentence Daniel and in Daniel 6:17 “the king gave the command” with this addition, “Your God, whom you serve faithfully, may he rescue you!”.

The king took extraordinary measures in Daniel 6:17 “a stone was brought … and the king sealed it with his signet ring and with the signet rings of his lords, so that nothing would be changed concerning Daniel”. His signet ring was enough to mark the seal, but he saw how this group was operating and included witnesses for his actions. He was not taking any chances that others would interfere. But then, the king didn’t sleep. He had waited until the last minute to commit Daniel to the lions, and now in Daniel 6:18-20 he doesn’t wait one minute longer than necessary, “at first light, and he went in haste … and the king spoke … O Daniel … your God … was he able to rescue you …? Daniel responds in Daniel 6:21-23 “O king live forever … my God sent his angel … I was found blameless …”.

The king had kept his word, it was law. Daniel had kept his integrity, honoring the living God. God had kept his servant from harm. But no one could save “these men … who had accused Daniel …” as the king commanded, they, their wives and their children were thrown to the lions. This seems inhumane to us but “Among the Persians, all the kindred were involved in the guilt of one culprit. The Mosaic law expressly forbade this (De 24:16; 2 Ki 14:6)”1 

He Is The Living God

Daniel 6:25–28
So in Daniel 6:25-27 “Darius the king wrote to all the people … living in the whole earth … the God of Daniel … he is the living God … his dominion has no end … he is rescuing … he has rescued Daniel”. This is much “Stronger than the decree (Da 3:29). That was negative; this, positive; not merely men must say “nothing amiss of,” but must “fear before God.””2

“CYPRIAN: The foundation and strength of hope and faith is fear. In Psalm 111: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.””3

A Dream and Visions

Daniel 7:1–14
Daniel is separated from his position as prefect over the wise men and no longer the ruler over the whole province of Babylon and has fallen into obscurity from the kings court. He has time and God reveals things to him in Daniel 7:1-14. These are vivid images, as if he were actually there watching as he says in vs. 9. And these may have happened over many days as vs. 13 says “in the visions of the night”.

My Spirit Was Troubled

Daniel 7:15–23
Daniel was in the spirit, getting the interpretation from an angel near him. These were not just natural dreams, these were spiritual encounters where Daniel entered the heavenly realm where God is. And apparently he was authorized to be there because when he asked for an explanation in Daniel 7:16 it was given to him. In Daniel 7:17-18 the attendant said the four beasts are “four kings who will arise from the earth. But the holy ones of the Most High will receive the kingdom, and they will take possession of the kingdom forever, forever and ever.

Now, Daniel might have been satisfied that the holy ones would take the kingdom but he inquired further. And in Daniel 7:19-22 he watched as time unfolds and he sees the fourth beast and its horn that “made war with the holy ones and it prevailed over them, 22 Until the Ancient of Days came and gave judgment to the holy ones of the Most High; and the time arrived and the holy ones took possession of the kingdom”. Daniel 7:22 sounds a lot like Revelation 5-22. And Daniel was right, the fourth beast, the fourth kingdom, and it will devour the whole earth. 

The Court Will Sit

Daniel 7:24–28
This last king ill be different. Other kings have spoken against the “Most High” and other kings have “worn out the holy ones” but this king will push all limits to change “times and law”. Some have suggested that this will be the attempt to place our consciousness in something other than our natural bodies so we can live forever. But God alone sets the laws and times of this natural world. Eventually, the court of heaven will remove his dominion.

In Daniel’s visions and explanations he mentions the books being opened, the court sitting as in Daniel 7:26, judgement given by the Ancient of Days.

Another Vision

Daniel 8:1–14
A ram charging. Broken by a he-goat.

Daniel 8:10 (LEB) And it grew up to the host of heaven, and it threw down to the ground some of the host and some of the stars and trampled them.

Study Verses

Today’s Reading

  • Daniel 6:6-28
  • Daniel 7:1-28
  • Daniel 8:1-14

References

  • 1. Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 632). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
  • 2. Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 632). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
  • 3. Stevenson, K., & Gluerup, M. (Eds.). (2008). Ezekiel, Daniel (p. 219). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.