DANIEL 6
REVIEW
In Daniel chapters 4 & 5 we saw the contrast of two men who made two very different decisions.
Chapter 4:
• Essentially Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony of his conversion; Nebuchadnezzar finally acknowledged God.
• God patiently gave Nebuchadnezzar an opportunity to change his life.
Chapter 5:
• Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson, Belshazzar, was the one who wouldn’t follow God—even though he knew
about Daniel and his grandfather’s story, Belshazzar still rejected the true God. 1
• He mocked and blasphemed God by using the holy utensils of the Sanctuary in the celebration of his
pagan feast.
• Babylon’s attitude was hedonistic and selfish, and its spirit was the spirit of rebellion.
• Belshazzar even rejected God’s final plea through Daniel to repent. Belshazzar died at war with God and
shackled by the heavy chains of his unrepented sins.
There is a parallel in these stories with the issues at the end of time. Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar had
profaned the sacred treasures of God’s Sanctuary by placing them in a pagan setting. When mercy seasoned
into justice, God’s judgments fell on proud Babylon—and her terrible blasphemies against the Most High
brought her long-prophesied doom.
INTRODUCTION
•
•
•
Daniel chapter 6 is a story foreshadowing the tension that will exist at the end of time between the
claims of God and the law of the land. This story reveals the end-time issue of political correctness and
man’s laws versus conscience and God’s principles.
Likewise, in the New Testament, we see the early apostles’ response to this issue:
o Acts 5:29 – “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, ‘We ought to obey God
rather than men.’”
Remember: The story of Daniel and the lion’s den is more than just a story to be told to our children.
We are going to see some very significant correlations between what happens in Daniel 6 and what
happens at the end of time.
Background:
•
•
•
Daniel 5:30-31 establishes that Babylon has fallen to Medo-Persia. Chapter 6 introduces Darius as the
ruler of the Medes, who collaborated with Persia to overthrow Babylon. 2
However, it was not long before the Persians grew much stronger than the Medes, and Cyrus of Persia
then became the sole ruler in the empire. Still, at the time of Daniel 6, Darius the Mede still ruled
Babylon.
Daniel was probably in his mid-eighties when this story took place and God delivered him from the
lions.
Dan. 6:1-3
•
1
When Darius overthrew the Babylonians, he and Cyrus immediately began to reorganize the
government. They set up princes over the land, and three presidents above them. Daniel was made
chief above even these presidents.3
http://www.livius.org/ct-cz/cyrus_I/babylon01.html
2
http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/comp/cw4persiap1mw.htm; http://www.historycentral.com/dates/600bc.html
3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus_the_Great#Politics_and_management
1
DANIEL 6
Verse 2: “...that the King should have no damage.” The role of the princes was to enforce
the Medo-Persian policy established by the King, and to collect taxes. Unless honest
accounting of the tax collections was established, the collectors could embezzle and line their
own pockets, to King’s disadvantage. The presidents were to oversee this record keeping, and
Daniel was set up over all of them. Daniel’s reputation of unswerving integrity, loyalty and
virtue was well-known.
o In Daniel 5:29 Belshazzar made Daniel third in command because Daniel had been the one to
read and interpret the writing on the wall. However, in this chapter Darius gives Daniel a
position even higher than the one Belshazzar had offered him. Daniel’s spiritual excellence
distinguished him from the other three governors. Even though his main goal was not to attain
a higher position, he lived to honor and glorify God and people recognized this. God put him
in a position that would allow him to witness and impact others’ salvation.
Let’s look at a promise God provides through the prophet Ezekiel, who was a contemporary of
Daniel’s time:
o Ezekiel 36:26-27 “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you:
and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my
judgments, and do them.”
o Paul, in the New Testament, also referred to this inner change that takes place when we give
God control of our lives:
 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature:
old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
o
•
Dan. 6:4-5
•
•
Daniel was clean. The jealous princes and other presidents of the empire couldn’t find anything to cast
contempt on Daniel.
Daniel’s dedication to the law of his God was well-known, so his peers decided that the only way to
trap Daniel was in relation to his religion and relationship with God.
Dan. 6:6-9
•
•
The presidents and princes met with the King and set things in motion to trap Daniel. Note that these
leaders lied to King Darius. They said that all the presidents, governors, and princes had met and
recommended the decree commanding exclusive worship of king Darius for thirty days, even though
Daniel was not included in the decision.
They stroked the King’s ego (v. 6 — “King Darius, live forever”) to get him to pass the law, but later
in the chapter we see that he is unhappy with it (v. 14). Darius allowed pride to compromise his sound
judgement.
Dan. 6:10
•
•
•
Notice Daniel’s reaction to learning about the decree. He did not try to rationalize away obedience or
change his ways, nor did he relinquish his time of worship to make the king happy. Instead, he
remained true to God. This story is a repetition of Daniel’s commitment found in Chapter 1 — to
remain true and loyal to God at all costs. Daniel’s relationship with God was not fickle, he had a
constant and steady communication with God as shown in verses 10 and 16. (“as he did aforetime…”
“…your God whom you serve continually”). Others had witnessed Daniel’s habit of praying; changing
this habit would reflect a willingness to compromise.
Daniel had an active prayer life and formally talked with God three times each day. It was not a hit-ormiss experience: he stayed in constant communication with God. He lead a consistent life of devotion.
Daniel gave thanks to God in spite of the circumstances— how could he do that? Simply, Daniel had
faith in God. He had seen God’s hand in several instances throughout his life, and he trusted God fully.
Just like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in Chapter 3, he knew that God was able to deliver him.
But even if He didn’t, Daniel still would remain true. No doubt, Daniel had God’s peace:
2
DANIEL 6
o
Isaiah 26:3-4“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he
trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting
strength.”
Application:
• Daniel had peace because he kept his mind fixed on the Lord by prayer. We can have this same
relationship if we will maintain the same constant communication with God through daily prayer and
Bible study.
• Daniels’s faith also helped him to be certain about his decision to break Darius’ law:
o Rom. 13:1-4 demands that we are to be subject to the governing authorities since “there is no
authority except that which God has established” (vs. 1). Therefore, rebelling against human
authority is actually rebelling against God’s too. However, God’s law is the higher and our
obedience to God’s statues cannot be compromised.
o Acts 5:28-32, on the other hand, gives an example where following man’s rules can lead to
disobeying God. Specifically, 5:29 says “We ought to obey God rather than men.” When
man’s law conflicts with God’s law, we must defer to the established and eternal laws. Truly
understanding the eternal law requires truly knowing God.
Dan. 6:11-15
•
•
Just as his enemies knew he would, Daniel continued to demonstrate his commitment to God and, sure
enough, they used it against him. When the charge was brought to King Darius, he was very displeased
for allowing himself to be tricked into making a law that would harm Daniel.
Note the contrast with Nebuchadnezzar’s reaction to Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah in Daniel 3.
Nebuchadnezzar became furious with them for their disobedience; in contrast, Darius was angry with
himself. King Darius tried to find a way to avoid enforcing the law, but he couldn’t.
Dan. 6:16-18
•
•
King Darius apparently had some faith in Daniel’s God. He believed that his God could protect him:
“thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee” (16).
Daniel had a sense of the continual presence of God in his life. Even though the temple in Jerusalem
was destroyed, he knew that there was God in the heavenly Temple who always waits to hear and
answer his prayers (Psa 34:17). Note that the King was unable to sleep and spent the night fasting.
Dan 6:19-22
•
God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths. The imagery of angels vs. lions is is a good analogy of the
great conflict between Christ and Satan.
o I Peter 5:6-8 “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt
you in the due time; having cast all your care upon him, for he cares about you. Be vigilant,
watch. Your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walks about seeking whom he may
devour.”
Point:
• In Daniel 6:22, the Bible says Daniel was blameless before both God and the king. In Revelation 14,
the people of God at the end of time are considered blameless and without fault.
• Rev. 14:5 “And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of
God.”
• Rev. 14:12 “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and
the faith of Jesus.”
•
At the end of time, God’s people will keep His commandments and be characterized by their
faithfulness to Him, the way Daniel was, through the power of the indwelling Christ. Since they will
3
DANIEL 6
also refuse to worship the Beast’s power, they will eventually face persecution and the threat of death
(Rev. 13).
•
Whoever the Beast is, or whatever the Mark of the bBeast is, the principle is clear: the issue will be
over loyalty and will involve worship to God and obedience to His law.
Summary
This chapter recounts the story of Daniel in the lions’ den, which illustrates Daniel’s consistent faith in
God—whether or not God delivers him from yet another difficult situation. Daniel’s spotless character
ignites jealousy in his peers to the point that they want to destroy him by attacking his relationship with
God. The presidents, governors, and princes understand that Daniel will always keep God’s law above
man’s law, and deceive King Darius into signing a decree that would idolize himself. Daniel 6 is unique,
though, because King Darius responds to God much faster and with much less resistance than King
Nebuchadnezzar did, but fortunately both men ultimately submit to the one true God as the ruler of their
nations.
The story is also relevant within the Great Controversy by foreshadowing tension of the last days. This
story reveals the end-time issues of obeying men rather than God and worship. Throughout the chapter,
Daniel does not let the decree take his mind off of his true purpose in Babylon nor away from his active
prayer life with God. Again, the same issues will be prevalent at the end of time over true worship, and the
same political actors will conspire against God’s people to encourage us to break His laws in favor of
man’s law.
Appeal:
Just like Daniel, we will be faced with circumstances in which we need to make a decision to either obey
men or God. In this chapter, we have learned how Daniel was unwilling to compromise and the decree did
not change his loyalty to his Maker. Although it seemed like Daniel had no salvation and was destined to
perish, God used angels to protect him from the lions (Psalm 3:8). God has a thousand ways to provide for
our needs of which we know not one. Are you going to allow the trials and circumstances of this world to
make you compromise? Are you willing to obey God rather than men? It is time to trust in God fully and
allow Him to work in our hearts.
Helpful Resources:
Historical Evdence for Belshazzar and Darius the Mede
http://www.biblehistory.net/newsletter/belshazzar_darius_mede.htm
Daniel Timeline: History Unfolded
http://www.pytlik.com/observe/daniel/timeline.html
Resources:
GOD CARES, Vol. 1, “The Message of Daniel For You and Your Family”, C. Mervyn Maxwell, Pacific Press Publishing
Association, 1981.
SEMINARS UNLIMITED - Prophecy Seminar Series, by Mark Finley, Speaker/Director of It Is Written International Television
Ministry, Thousand Oaks, California.
4