Hello everyone.
In this blogpost, I will be sharing insights from the well-known story of Daniel in the lion’s den. This story can be found in Daniel 6. For those who aren’t familiar with this story or who need a refresher on this story, I recommend that you read or listen to this chapter before continuing on with this blog post.
The lessons from this story that I would like to discuss today are the following:
1). Jealousy causes much evil.
The presidents and princes in the kingdom were jealous of Daniel because the king thought highly of him and was considering setting “him over the whole realm.” Daniel 6:3
Their jealousy led them to become fault finding. They looked for faults in Daniel, and when they couldn’t find any, they began to scheme against him. They came up with a proposed decree that they knew Daniel would break (instituting a 30-day period in which everyone in the kingdom should pray to the king only or else they would be put into the den of lions). Daniel prayed to God alone, and no law could lead him to dishonor God by praying to anyone or anything other than God.
The presidents’ and princes’ jealousy also led them to tempt the king to give in to pride and impulsivity, which he did by signing the decree which would command everyone in his kingdom to pray to only him for 30 days.
In the end, the presidents’ and princes’ jealousy backfired on them in the worst way possible. Daniel 6:24 (KJV)
2. Pride is blind, unreasonable, and self-centered and it can also lead to impulsivity.
King Darius had a pride problem. When the presidents and princes presented to him the decree stating that everyone in the kingdom must pray to him for 30 days or else they would “be cast into the den of lions” (Daniel 3:7), the king was flattered, and he signed the decree.
King Darius’ pride also caused him to behave impulsively. When he realized that Daniel had broken the law, he was “sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.” Daniel 6:14 (KJV)
When he realized that there was nothing he could do to spare Daniel from going to the lion’s den, he said to Daniel; “Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.” Daniel 6:16 (KJV)
And God did indeed deliver Daniel. In verses 21 and 22, we see Daniel’s response to the king the next morning:
“Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.” Daniel 6:21-22
Had the king not been blinded by his pride and whatever other motivations he was motivated by, he probably wouldn’t have signed the decree that the presidents and princes presented to him. Despite the king’s pride, God worked to protect Daniel.
3. Our faith and trust in God connects us with Him and strengthens our witness to those around us.
Daniel loved God supremely. He would not allow intimidation and the fear of consequences to stop him from worshipping God. He continued to openly pray to God three times a day despite knowing what the consequences of doing so could be.
God honored Daniel’s faith, closed the mouths of aggressive lions, and revealed to the king more about His (God’s) strength and power to care for His children.
While we walk with God, we truly have no need to fear. “No Need to Fear” is the title of one of my favorite songs.
I hope that you will listen to this song, which I am linking below, and that it will strengthen your faith in God.
Blessings to all.
Learn and Grow 4ever 