Daniel 6:19 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Daniel 6:19

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Darius rose very early in the morning, before daylight we assume, and went in a great haste to the den of lions. The stone and seals are intact. He stood outside and cried with a lamentable, shaking voice. He didn't know what to think or hope for. ‘O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?’ Yes, God is always able to deliver. The better question would have been, has God chosen to deliver you? He knew that it was because of Daniel’s consistent faith in his God that he had been brought into this position. Where is Daniel? He hears this calm voice say from the pit within, ‘O king, live for ever’ – the customary way of saying, ‘May you have a long reign’ –‘My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me.’ So all is well. Daniel gives a word of testimony: ‘Forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.’ Daniel had actually disobeyed the king on this occasion; he had defied the king; he was guilty of that; he had ignored the king's decree. When he says, ‘I walked in innocence before you’, he means in all legitimate commands. The king obviously understands this, and does not hold this against Daniel. He never meant for the decree to prevent Daniel’s prayers to God. Daniel has followed the code for believers; he has honoured the king; he has obeyed the civil power; he has respected it, and surely he has even prayed much for it. The only exception is that he has refused to do the bidding of the civil power where its commands conflicted with the moral standards and instructions of God, who is King of kings and Lord of lords. Darius has exceeded his proper bounds of authority on this occasion, and deified himself. But in all other respects, Daniel has behaved perfectly towards the king. Though it is a wicked civil power, nevertheless it is appointed by God, and he has obeyed it and respected it. The standard that we hold today, was kept immaculately by Daniel in his day.‘Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den.’ That gladness shows how sincerely the king favoured Daniel. He rejoiced that God had chosen to exercise his power in shutting the mouths of the lions. ‘No manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.’ What higher commendation could God’s servant receive!

Application

That gladness was accompanied by the most fearful gloom on the part of Daniel’s accusers. They surely knew what was going to follow. Satan too is a false accuser of the brethren (Zechariah 3:1). He has dared to try to bind the living God with his own law. He has argued that sin must be punished and that a holy God cannot relax his law when it comes to those he wishes to favour. He cannot just arbitrarily forgive their sin contrary to his own justice. In doing this, the devil has claimed a greater zeal for the moral law than God himself. He dares to try to turn God’s own justice against him. The hypocrisy of this act is staggering. He has worked tirelessly to prevent Christ completing his work of redemption. The day that Christ rose from the day was the day of rejoicing for men and angels, but it was a day of calamity for Satan. Just as Daniel came forth from the lions; den, so Christ came forth from the grave, and his resurrection spelled the deliverance of all his people along with him. Satan knew he was defeated and his strongest argument had been broken. As the enemies of Daniel saw that he had survived the worst they could do to him, so Satan sees that he has not succeeded in bringing one single saint into condemnation. Worse still, while the case against God’s people still remained unresolved, there could be no final verdict on their accuser. The men in Darius’ court could not be punished – in spite of their great cunning and hypocrisy, which was plain to all including the king – until the case was resolved. When Daniel came forth from the lions’ den unhurt, then all saw that God had acted on his behalf. The way was now open for the king to act against them. When Christ rose from the dead, it marked the imminent doom of Satan, for his great plan had failed. His wickedness would not be allowed to go unpunished for very much longer. His case has collapsed and God has given a full answer, an answer that satisfies his own justice. Therefore he must be punished with the very same punishment that he sought to inflict on others. The law in all its strength will be enacted against him.

Questions

Can’t God do the same today? Some foolishly claim so. Then let them try it. Why is this recorded? Not to make us ask for the same miracle in our day. Faithful Christians perished in the Roman amphitheatre by the mouth of lions, and God did not intervene to prevent it. But in the case of Daniel, the deliverance of the Jews pivoted on this. Daniel was God’s instrument, a prophet of God. He is in a sense a type of Christ.

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Daniel 6:19 Commentary and Bible Study