Day 11 of Journey Through Daniel | STANDING FIRM IN THE FACE OF LIONS

COMMENTARY Daniel 6 introduces us to another ruler, and not just a new ruler, but a new empire – the Persian Empire ruled by Darius the Mede. While the leaders and their governments have changed, some of the ways they conduct business have remained the same. In fact, just as the story of Belshazzar in Daniel 5 paralleled the story of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4, the story of Daniel 6 parallels the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3. In Daniel 3, three men of Judah were faced with the life or death decision of whether to bow down to a statue or remain loyal to God. Now in Daniel 6, a different man of Judah, Daniel, is faced with a similar choice: praying to an earthly king or being killed for praying to God. In this story, Daniel is set up by a group of local politicians who are jealous of his high position within the government. Hoping to see this foreigner fail, they play on pride and self-image to manipulate King Darius into making a law that says that “anyone who prays to any god or human being” except Darius should be “thrown into the lions’ den” (Daniel 6:7). Daniel’s response to the law, which pitted loyalty to the king against loyalty to God, is noteworthy. Daniel 6:10 says, “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” Daniel’s response here is an act of both defiance and discipline. It is an act of courage and also his common practice. He immediately rebels against the decree by going to God in prayer, but his prayer is not some spurious exhibition. It is simply a continuation of what he had been doing all along. Daniel’s faithful living in the midst of his ordeal must be a model for us. His private practice produced public devotion. In our social media-driven society, we too often get those things reversed. We mistake people for their personas. We think faithfulness is primarily about what we publicly say rather than what we privately and perpetually do. That kind of faith only leads to a veneer of cultural Christianity and a private life that remains untransformed. If we want to stand firm in the face of lions, it’s the regular and unremarkable spiritual habits that will build our strength and deepen our faith. SCRIPTURE Daniel 6:1–10 Daniel in the Den of Lions 1 It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, 2 with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. 3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5 Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.” 6 So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! 7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. 8 Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 9 So King Darius put the decree in writing. 10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. QUESTIONS 1. Daniel 6:4 tells us that Daniel was “trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent,” even as a captive working in a foreign government. Who do you know that could be described in similar terms in a difficult work environment? Why should it matter how we conduct our business? 2. What is your current prayer life like? What is keeping you from embracing a routine like Daniel?