Daniel Chapter 6: When Faithfulness to God Becomes a Crime
Imagine living in a nation where praying to the one true God becomes a crime punishable by death. Now imagine knowing the law has been passed, knowing your enemies are watching, and knowing that one prayer could cost you your life.
That is exactly what Daniel faced!
Daniel was a faithful servant of God, so trustworthy that King Darius planned to place him over the entire kingdom. But that faithfulness stirred up jealousy among the other officials. They searched for corruption, dishonesty, or negligence in Daniel's life, but found nothing. Daniel 6:4 tells us,
"they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful."
Think about that! His enemies could find nothing wrong with him, so they decided to make his obedience to God the very thing that would condemn him.
They tricked the king into signing a decree forbidding anyone from making a petition to any god or man except the king for thirty days. The punishment was being thrown into a den of lions.
And what did Daniel do when he learned the decree had been signed?
He went home, opened his windows toward Jerusalem, knelt down, and prayed to God three times a day,
"as he did aforetime" (Daniel 6:10).
Daniel did not suddenly become faithful when his faith was tested. He was already faithful before the test ever came!
He did not hide his devotion to God, and he did not allow the king's decree to replace God's authority in his life. Daniel knew exactly what obedience could cost him.
His enemies caught him praying, and the king, trapped by his own decree, reluctantly ordered Daniel thrown into the lions' den.
A stone was placed over the entrance, and the king sealed it. From man's perspective, Daniel's fate was settled.
But the king had forgotten something. The lions might belong to the king's kingdom, but the lions themselves were still under the authority of Almighty God!
That night, the king could not sleep. He fasted and refused entertainment. At daybreak, he hurried to the den and cried out to Daniel, asking whether the God whom he served continually had been able to deliver him.
Then came a voice from inside the den!
"My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me" (Daniel 6:22).
Daniel came out unharmed because he had trusted in his God. The king then ordered the men who had maliciously accused Daniel to be cast into the den, where the lions overpowered them. Darius issued a decree honoring Daniel's God as the living God, whose kingdom shall not be destroyed.
But here is what I believe we must not overlook.
Daniel did not know beforehand that God would shut the lions' mouths. He knew that God was worthy of his obedience, regardless of what happened.
Daniel's faith was not built on a guarantee that he would escape the lions. It was built on his trust in the living God!
And that brings this chapter right to our doorstep.
What happens when obedience to God becomes unpopular, costly, or even forbidden? Will we remain faithful when faithfulness threatens our comfort, reputation, livelihood, or life?
Daniel 6 is not merely a story about a man who survived hungry lions. It is a testimony of a man who refused to compromise his obedience to God even when facing death.
The greatest question in Daniel 6 is not whether God can deliver His people from the lions. We know He can!
The question is whether we will remain faithful to God even when we do not know whether He will deliver us.
Daniel was willing to enter the lions' den rather than turn his back on God for thirty days.
How much are we willing to compromise just to avoid trouble today?
