Into the Den
By Shauna Leis
“So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, ‘May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!’ A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed.”
Daniel 6:16-17
When was the last time that you had to stand up for something that you very much believed in but knew that it would cause you trouble in the end? Many days in my job there are things that come before me causing me to choose between the ways of the world and the ways of men. Even in our families, we must make choices sometimes about what we really believe in and are willing to fight for in this world. With so many activities presented before our family, we must choose sometimes what is right in God’s eyes versus what the world might have us pick. Sporting activities, school activities, work, and ministry all compete for our time throughout the week. And we must choose to stay faithful to that which God has called us into according to His desire for our lives.
If we were in this particular situation described in Daniel, I wonder if we would have the fortitude to stand firm against the attack of the enemy. Daniel was an Israelite living in a foreign land after the Babylonians had taken them into captivity, and the Medes had invaded and captured the Babylonians. However, Daniel distinguished himself in the eyes of King Darius so much so that Darius was going to put Daniel in charge of the whole kingdom, second only to himself. Other nobles and officials were incredibly jealous of Daniel and the position that he now held.
After watching Daniel for awhile, the officials could find no fault in him. Daniel 6:4-5 says, “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. 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.’” What a testimony to Daniel’s character! The officials knew that they could not catch him in anything unethical at all because they had watched for a very long time. Could people watching us say the same thing?
And so, the officials figured out the only way to trap Daniel was to convince the king to make a law that no one could bow down to anyone except the king. Read with me Daniel 6:10, “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.” So, as soon as Daniel learned that a decree had been issued by King Darius that the people could only worship him, what is the first thing that Daniel did? He went home and worshipped God, just as he had been doing his entire life.
The penalty for worshipping a god other than King Darius was death, death in the lions’ den. However, Daniel immediately went home and worshipped his God. He could have worshipped privately in his home with his windows and doors closed so that no one else would know what was happening inside. Instead, he opened his windows wide and praised his God in full view of anyone who might have been watching. And watch the officials did and immediately ran back to Darius to tattle tell on Daniel.
So, Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den. Daniel 6:16 indicates, “So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, ‘May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!’” The lions in the den were typically kept unfed so it was fortunately a quick death, but a very painful and gruesome death nonetheless. Daniel was willing to face this type of death head-on because he was not willing to give up his faith in God. He knew what he believed and had the fortitude to stand firm against the evils of this world, even if it meant such a horrible death.
Are we willing to stand firm against this world when our faith is shaken? Do we take the time to worship God in public and not just on Sunday mornings? When others view our lives from afar, do they see how strong our faith is in God? What awaits us may not be the actual lions’ den, but we may risk humiliation, people making fun of us, and other trials and tribulations on account of our faith in God. Will we, too, stand firm in the face of this world when persecution arises? Ephesians 6:13 says, “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”
Pray with me: Precious God, through the example of Daniel, we want to stand firm against the evils of this world. Even though we may be threatened, we will still worship You and remain true to You. Lord, we are so honored at the sacrifices You have made for us and realize whatever sacrifices we might have to make here on earth pale in comparison to You. Lord, we will stand firm! God, we love You so very much and pray all of this in the name above all names, Jesus Christ! Amen.