They are intimidating aren’t they. Maybe not as much as they could be if they were in your den, but intimidating none the less. How about if you were in their den? They would just be minding their lion business until you popped in for lunch, let’s say. Well, that is what happened one day in Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar was gone, his son Belshazzar had risen and was killed, and Darius the Mede had received the kingdom. Darius was a king who spread his power among one hundred and twenty people whom he gave authority over different parts of the kingdom. Over all these men, Darius placed three governors. Of the three of them Darius highly favored Daniel. There was an excellence about him that came from his spirit.
When the other rulers found out that Darius was thinking about Daniel being over the whole kingdom, they devised a plan to find whatever reason they could to have him removed. Daniel never did any wrong though. The only way they would be able to catch him doing anything would be if it was involving his worship because Daniel was faithful to his God.
The men decided to urge the King to make a proclamation that no one should petition anyone but him for a period of thirty days. That meant a person could not petition any god or man, but Darius. They told him everyone in the King’s court agreed it should be so. They even stated all the governors had agreed. So the king decided that he would make the decree, and he signed it. By the way, any law made by the king of the Medes and Persians was not altered. That was a law in itself.
After the law was signed Daniel went home and worshiped God with the windows open three times a day just as always. The lying court members had him followed and now had reason to entreat the king to have him removed. So they immediately went before the king. King Darius was sickened by what he had done. He tried all day to deliver Daniel but could not because the law could not be changed.
Daniel was cast into the lion’s den. He went to Daniel and said, “You are faithful to your God and He will deliver you!” Then the stone was placed over the den and sealed by the king. King Darius returned to his palace where he fasted for Daniel and could not sleep.
The next morning he ran to the lion’s den and cried out to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, have you been delivered from the lions by your God?” Daniel shouted back that God had sent His angel to shut the mouths of the lions. The king had Daniel removed from the den and all who devised against him, their wives, and their children were cast in. The lions attacked them and crushed them before they hit the ground.
The story can be read in its entirety here Daniel 6. Daniel fought the good fight! Daniel knew that the men were plotting against him. He knew that he had not agreed with the other governors, but he went home and worshiped anyway. His spirit of excellence prevented him from doing anything differently than he normally did just because a law was made by a man. Daniel knew the king did not know what these men were doing, but instead of fighting back, he let God fight for him.
That is what fighting the good fight means. Don’t try to defend yourself, instead worship God, and let Him defend you. Have faith that God will deliver you! The lions in the den had to of had their mouths shut before Daniel was in there. King Darius turned to the living God on Daniel’s behalf, and because God delivered Daniel, the king made all of the kingdom worship the living God.
So Daniel was delivered, God was receiving the glory, and those who had bent their hearts to do evil were never heard from again!
❤ Melinda
Another Samaritan Woman 