"Very early the next morning, the king hurried out to the lions' den. When he got there, he called out in anguish, "Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you worship continually, able to rescue you from the lions? Daniel answered, "Long live the king! My God sent his angel to shut the lions' mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty." Daniel 6:19-22
Finally, we get to the most famous story of Daniel and one of the most famous in the Bible: the story of Daniel being save from the lions' den. The verses above are the whole chapter in a nutshell. It conveys the emotions and alludes to the actions of the 2 main characters in this chapter. Take a moment to read it again. What can you conclude about the entire chapter, Daniel, and King Darius just from these 4 verses?
In chapter 6 of the book of Daniel, Darius the Mede is now ruler and Daniel has risen to a very high place in his cabinet. In fact, "Because of his (Daniel's) great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire." Daniel 6:3b. That got a few people worried and they conspired to do whatever they could to get rid of Daniel. If you know the Veggie Tales version, there's a funny song about this, but in real life it was no laughing matter. The story is well known, though the ending may surprise you! Ancient punishments were so extreme!
This chapter (and the whole book) certainly has all the makings of an action packed movie (or at least a TV mini-series event). For me, that makes it difficult to see what it is I'm suppose to learn from it. It's too far removed from my real life; the circumstances are beyond anything I could even imagine. If you're thinking the same thing, don't fret. Turn to the study guide and take time to answer the group discussion, personal reflection, and the Now or Later. I found these to be of great help in moving from the miraculous to the practical. The 10 questions are helpful in both better understanding the chapter and moving from ancient to modern times.
I hope you'll share something you discovered in Daniel 6. It could be a reaction to the chapter, a personal "ah-ha" moment, or a burning question. If you're reading this in your e-mail, click here to go to the blog to post your comment.
For a few minutes entertainment, pop over to YouTube and listen to the Veggie Tales version of the conspiring administrators & princes, lyrics included. Click here and feel free to sing along!
May we all be inspired to faithfulness in our daily lives though the story of Daniel's long life of serving the One True God!
Your Partner in Ministry,
Shelly
"Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body." Proverbs 16:24
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