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| > Sermon Archive > Sermons by Author > Rev. Rodney den Boer > Faith in the lion's den | Previous Next Print |
| Order Of Worship (Liturgy) Read 1 Peter 4:12-16; 5:5-13 Sing: Ps 92:1, 2, 7; Ps 65:2; Ps 34:2, 3; Ps 128:2, 3, 4; Hy 77:1, 2, 3 Questions for reflection/discussion
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Dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ,
We have before us a great passage, a childhood favourite for many. It reminds us of the children’s song, “Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone; dare to have a purpose firm and dare to make it known.” And it might make you think: would I dare to be a Daniel? Would I show the same courage if I was placed in that situation? Would I keep praying if it was banned in our country? And what about our young people who will be making a profession of their faith today: will they be faithful to the end, as Daniel was?
As Christians, we know that there is opposition against us. Anyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. That’s the reality for you, young people, too. You will face opposition from the devil, from the world, and from your own sinful nature. There will be temptations to turn away from God, temptations to compromise, temptations to downplay the importance of worshipping him, temptations to stop praying. How can you remain faithful to the God you serve? How can you show the same courage as Daniel?
The message of our text is much better than saying, “Dare to be a Daniel.” This text shows us the preserving power of our God through all the trials of his people. Indeed, many were the afflictions of the righteous man Daniel, but the Lord delivered him from them all. This passage shows us that God is trustworthy; he powerfully preserves those who trust in him. And so, whoever trusts in him will not be put to shame. The Holy Spirit teaches us in Daniel 6 that:
The LORD, who rescued Daniel from the mouth of lions, vindicates all who trust in him
- Faith tested (v1-9)
- Faith displayed (v10-19)
- Faith vindicated (v20-28)
1. Faith tested
In chapter 5, Babylon fell. It was announced to King Belshazzar in the writing on the wall, interpreted by Daniel, and it happened. Belshazzar was killed and his kingdom fell to the Medes and Persians. It’s good to pause and realise the significance of that. Babylon the Great had fallen: Babylon who had ruthlessly brought the judgement of God to his people, Babylon with all her pride – you remember the mighty Nebuchadnezzar; Babylon who had tried to conform Daniel and his friends into its image – now a heap of ruins. The head of gold in Nebuchadnezzar’s vision did not last forever. A great kingdom in its time, but quickly gone.
And in 5:31, Darius the Mede received the kingdom. One kingdom goes and another takes its place. Now this Darius is unknown in other historical sources. There were other Darius’s known to history, for example, the Darius in the book of Ezra, also mentioned by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, Darius the Great (Darius I Hystaspes). But this Darius is only mentioned in the book of Daniel.
Who was he? There are a few suggestions, and the most probable is that he was actually the same person as King Cyrus the Persian. We know that Cyrus was the one who defeated Babylon. Cyrus’s mother was a Mede; he had taken over the Median kingdom. Further, Cyrus was about sixty-two when he took defeated Babylon, the age ascribed to Darius the Mede. So, Darius the Mede was likely the same person as Cyrus the Persian. The last verse of ch6 could also be translated as, so Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius, that is, the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
This Darius, says 6:1, set up 120 satraps over his vast kingdom, governors to rule on his behalf. They would collect taxes and prevent revolts throughout the massive kingdom. These satraps were normally Persians, men that Darius could trust because they were his own countrymen. But Daniel was an exception; Daniel the Jew was put in this high position. And he was even placed among the three governors who were above the rest.
You notice that, in v3, an excellent spirit was in him, so that the king considered setting him over the whole realm. This excellent spirit had been shown to Nebuchadnezzar and to Belshazzar, and they had both honoured him with high positions in their kingdom. Daniel was good at his job. He was integrous, reliable, trustworthy. If you looked at his financial transactions, his internet search history, you would find nothing blameworthy.
And isn’t that how it should be for God’s children? We are called to have our conduct honourable among the Gentiles, 1 Peter 2:11. And in Philippians 2, Paul says that we ought to be, “children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” We are to be men and women of integrity. And that will shine in this dark world. Such was the integrity of Daniel.
And it is striking how he showed that throughout his life. There were many long years in the Babylonian courts where Daniel, we can safely assume, remained quietly faithful to his God. Daniel is now an old man – having lived through 70 years of exile. Through all those years in exile, Daniel continued to serve God, praying three times a day, as was his custom. Like the righteous man of Psalm 92, Daniel continued to bear fruit into old age. He lived with years of integrity. And as we see later, his private actions of worship were noticed. I couldn’t help thinking of the scrutiny that is given to politicians in our day. Things done in secrecy will be brought to light.
And that private worship became a focus of attack. The men around him were envious and plotted against him, to bring him down. They went to Darius, who seems in this chapter to be somewhat weak, and they got him to make a law, an unchangeable law of the Medes and Persians, aimed to bring Daniel down. They attack his private life. They try to stop him from praying to God. The decree was signed. It was a temptation for Daniel to compromise in his private life, in his daily prayers that he did in the secret room.
It also shows the relentless opposition from the kingdom of darkness. The devil is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. He doesn’t stop attacking Daniel just because he has lived faithfully for many years. But he continues to attack. If possible, bring down a great leader at the end of his life. Get him to compromise in his private life. That would be a big win for Satan.
I think we expect the devil to attack young people and new believers. Get them when they’re young. But don’t think for a minute that you are exempt from the devil’s attacks just because you have lived faithfully for a long time. Don’t think you are immune to temptation just because you are old. No! This temptation came when Daniel was old. We’ll see a similar pattern later in the life of the Apostle Paul. As God’s children, we must always be sober-minded, watchful, resisting the devil, firm in our faith. The devil looks for those who become lax, and sometimes, after years of faithfulness, it’s a temptation to let down your guard, and you become a sitting duck for the devil. Watch out.
Faith is tested. This was true for Daniel and it was true for his Lord. When Jesus lived on earth, his integrity was also attacked. The Jewish rulers in his day plotted together against him to kill him (Matthew 26:4). And when they arrested him, even Pontius Pilate knew that it was because of envy that they had delivered him up (Matthew 27:18). Christ showed perfect integrity throughout his life, he was completely blameless. And yet they opposed him to the point of giving him up to death. The integrity shown by Daniel was perfectly modelled by our Lord Jesus Christ, and he, too, was attacked.
And Christ said that his followers ought to expect the same treatment. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you (John 15:20). Those who belong to Christ will suffer with him before sharing in his glory. That was the suffering of the Christians to whom Peter wrote. They were suffering because of their faith in Jesus Christ. And Peter tells them they should not be surprised.
And nor should we be surprised when we suffer for Christ. When you live with integrity and have an excellent spirit in you, many will respect you. But others will envy you or hate you, they may mock you outright, they may tease you, they may try to bring you down. They may try to make you compromise – here, just have another beer… why can’t you join our parties? why don’t you skip church and come with me to the footy? Why don’t you join this social media group? Your faith will be tested as you live it out in this world. How do you respond?
2. Faith displayed (v10-19)
When the decree was signed with the king’s irrevocable seal, what did Daniel do? Verse 10, he knew about the decree. It must have been a real temptation to compromise. It was only thirty days. Maybe he could have just prayed in his heart without moving his lips so they couldn’t see him. But what did he do?
Daniel maintained his integrity and continued to pray just as he had done, facing Jerusalem, with the windows open. He probably faced Jerusalem to remember the temple. When Solomon dedicated the temple, he had prayed that God would hear his people when they prayed towards the temple from a land of exile. And now Daniel did just that, because God had heard Solomon’s prayer and Daniel trusted that God would also hear his prayer.
Notice that this was his custom since early days. He was a man of prayer. His prayers involved different types of things, thanksgiving, making supplication, or asking God for help for his spiritual and physical needs. He prayed regularly, three times a day. He was disciplined in his praying. And that’s important, if you want to cultivate a life of prayer, the apostle Paul exhorts us in Ephesians 6 to persevere in prayer. You need discipline and routine, fixed points throughout the day, to be a person of prayer. That’s the discipline that Daniel displayed. He didn’t waver in that discipline when he was tested. He obeyed God rather than men. His relationship with God was his priority. Prayer was the most important part of the thankfulness that God required of him. It was like breathing for his spiritual life.
And the men scheming against him spied on him. The windows were probably small and high, not very noticeable, but they pried and found the evidence they wanted: Daniel disobeyed the king’s decree! They got their man. They told Darius, “That Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, does not show due regard for you, o king…”
Darius wasn’t very happy about it but could do nothing to change the law he had signed. And so, against his will, he gave the command, brought Daniel somewhat apologetically to the lion’s den and they threw him in. They brought a stone to seal his tomb closed, and the king sealed it with his ring. Rescue was impossible for Daniel. The only possibility for rescue came from Daniel’s God. Darius expressed hope that God would deliver Daniel. In the ESV, v16 says, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you.” His sleepless night shows his lack of confidence, but he still hoped.
And through all this, Daniel displayed his faith. He knew that the decree was unchangeable. He knew that obeying God could lead to death. But he was faithful to God. Would God rescue him? Maybe. He certainly could. But maybe not. Daniel fabulously displayed his faith despite this temptation.
And at the same time, it was simply the outworking of a life of faithfulness. That’s what we see in Daniel 6, the fruit of weeks and months and years. Through all those years, Daniel sowed the seeds of faithful living, praying regularly every day, remembering Jerusalem every day. And now he was reaping a harvest of faithfulness under extreme trial. His daily prayer patterns over those years lay the foundations for him to pray when prayer was banned. Many small acts of faithfulness culminated in this moment of unswerving obedience at the end of his life.
And did you notice what the schemers called Daniel? One of the captives from Judah. It was intended as an insult, but it proves a powerful point. King Nebuchadnezzar tried to assimilate Daniel in ch1, to make him a Babylonian, to take the boy out of Jerusalem and to take Jerusalem out of the boy? Well, it didn’t work. He is still known as a captive from Judah all those years later. He had not forgotten Jerusalem but bowed towards the city three times a day. He had not forgotten his God! God had preserved his faith throughout his life so that he courageously prayed when it may have cost him his life.
And again, Daniel gives us a glimpse of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was faithful to the point of death on the cross. Our Lord Jesus Christ trusted his Father, even as he was condemned to death. And on the cross, he entrusted his life into his Father’s hand when he said, Father, into your hand I commit my spirit. He died, his body was placed in the tomb, and a great stone was rolled in front. He entrusted himself fully to God: “Father, into your hand I commit my spirit.” This was the culmination of a life of faithfulness for him, too. Complete trust.
Faith displayed – Daniel, like his Lord, trusted God with his entire life. That is faith. It is knowing your God, knowing his power to preserve you, knowing that he will vindicate you, and then entrusting your life completely into his hands. That’s what many of us have done when we professed our faith publicly. We promised by the grace of God to continue steadfastly in the doctrine of God’s word in life and death. That is an awesome thing to do. It might bring us to the lion’s den. It might involve a fiery trial and suffering like the Christians to whom Peter wrote.
But those who trust in God will never be put to shame. He vindicates all those who trust in him.
3. Faith vindicated (v20-28)
And that’s what Darius discovered the next morning, when he got there early and cried out in a lamenting voice, hoping against hope that his faithful servant would still be alive. And Daniel answered, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before him; and also, o king, I have done no wrong before you.” Daniel trusted in God and God rescued him.
And this rescue also proved that Daniel was innocent. He had obeyed God rather than men, he had obeyed the laws of God’s eternal kingdom, above the man-made rules of the ephemeral, earthly kingdom of Darius. And God vindicated that trust. He brought Daniel back from what seemed to be a certain death. There wasn’t even an injury upon him. There was nothing wrong with those lions, as v24 shows – they easily destroyed all the men who had accused Daniel. But Daniel didn’t even have a scratch, as v23 says, because he believed his God. Hebrews 11 speaks about the victory of faith, and speaks about those who, through faith, “stopped the mouths of lions.” Daniel believed in God and by his faith he lived in the lion’s den. What an amazing thing it is to believe in God!
Now there’s a bit of irony in the text which brings out God’s rule. The word king is repeated 31x in reference to King Darius. It’s as if the writer is poking a bit of fun at Darius. He is the king, the king, the king, the king, the king. But is he really the king? He has no power to change the law once he was coerced into it, he has no power to rescue Daniel – what sort of king really is he?
In contrast, we see the eternal kingdom of God. God is king, and he shows that by preserving the citizens in his kingdom. See God’s protection of Daniel. Daniel outlived the Babylonian kingdom, he went from the courts of king Nebuchadnezzar to the courts of King Belshazzar to the courts of king Darius, God preserved him through them all, and then he preserved Daniel in the den of lions. That’s the rule of God, protecting his citizens, vindicating those who trust in him.
And this same rule of God was shown, centuries later, when he raised his Son from the dead. Like Daniel, Jesus trusted the Father with his life, and his Father vindicated him and raised him on the third day in power, and seated him at his right hand in power and glory and gave him authority to rule his eternal kingdom. God vindicated his Son, who trusted in him. But it was not only to vindicate the faith of his Son that God raised him from the dead, it was also to vindicate the reason for his death – he died to pay the price for sin, the sins of you and me – Jesus gave his life as a sacrifice for our sin, and the Father accepted the sacrifice, he was satisfied with the death of his Son as a complete payment for our sins, and he vindicated that death by raising Jesus from the dead.
Dear brothers and sisters, this gives us confidence to trust him. Jesus Christ truly paid for all our sins and the Father accepted that sacrifice. Whoever trusts in him will not be ashamed, but is made right with God. Whoever trusts in Jesus Christ can be sure that they are citizens of God’s kingdom, like Daniel, and if you belong to God’s kingdom, he will watch over you and preserve you. He will rescue you from every evil deed and bring you safely into his heavenly kingdom. No one who trusts in Jesus Christ will be put to shame.
As another example of this trust, consider the apostle Paul. Paul endured much suffering as a servant of Jesus Christ. He was often imprisoned or beaten for his faith in Christ. And, like Daniel, he also faced a great trial right at the end of his life, which he writes about in 2 Timothy 4. He speaks about his first defense in Rome, and he says that everyone forsook him. All his friends left him; he faced the height of the great Roman empire all alone. And then he says in 2 Timothy 4:17, “But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be fully proclaimed through me, and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.” God vindicated Paul’s trust.
The Lord was with Paul through this trial and delivered him, just as he was with Daniel in the lion’s den and sent his angel, just as he was with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah when they were thrown into the fiery furnace of ch3, just as he was with the Christians to whom Peter wrote, and he is with you, dear brothers and sisters, you who belong to his kingdom. To you he has promised, I will never leave you nor forsake you. You have trusted in me, and I won’t let you down.
The Lord says to us this morning: your faith will never be put to shame. I will vindicate you and rescue you from every evil deed and bring you safely into my heavenly kingdom. I will powerfully preserve you through whatever challenge comes your way. My strong right hand will preserve you. I have begun to work in you and I will complete that work. I will not forsake you or let you down. I will preserve you throughout this life and when I have completed my work in you, then I will bring you into my heavenly kingdom. And at the end of time, I will vindicate your faith in the sight of everyone, I will say, you are my child, you trusted in me, I have rescued you from the fires of eternal judgement that you deserved because of your sin, I have given up my Son to die in your place, you trusted in him, and so you are mine forever.
Would you dare to be a Daniel, congregation? Would you dare to stand alone? We’ve seen the courage that Daniel showed, and he showed that courage because he knew his God, because he knew God’s preserving power, and he trusted him. You may be called to heroic acts of faith, like Daniel. Maybe. More likely, the Lord calls you to trust him every single day in many small ways.
So, trust him. He is preserving you through the dangers of this world, despite the attacks of the enemy. Remember that he is your God and he will never forsake you. He will not put anyone to shame who trusts in him. Amen.
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Rodney den Boer, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
(c) Copyright 2025, Rev. Rodney den Boer
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