Daniel 6:11-18
Verse 16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”
The men who had plotted against Daniel were quick about reporting his law-breaking. They were so excited to bring the news to the king and yet they didn’t get the response they had hoped for. The king wasn’t happy about this situation and spent the day trying to find any loophole in the law that he could find, but it was pretty ironclad against Daniel. God’s man was headed for the lions.
These men were so anxious to be done with Daniel that they went back after sundown to see why it hadn’t been carried out. Darius knew he had no choice but to give Daniel to the lions. But as Daniel was going, the king made the last possible attempt of hope for Daniel’s life. He tells Daniel that he hoped Daniel’s God will rescue him somehow.
The king understood Daniel’s work ethic and all around goodness was tied to his continuous devotion to God. While that may have brought Daniel some peace it didn’t give any peace to the king. With the stone covering the opening to the den of lions, the king could only wonder and wait, fearing the worst about the man he had come to esteem so highly.
The king would have had a lot to think about that night. He was the one who had rashly agreed to the law that elevated himself as a god. He had been so thrilled with the idea of being lifted up in such a position that he didn’t take the time to think through what it could and would mean for the people of the land. He had been thinking of himself and was now concerned that he had sentenced his friend to certain death.
That evening gave him many hours to think about the choices he had made and how he could have missed that this had been a jealous request from the other men he had appointed. The ring on his finger was a constant reminder that he had sealed the stone over the lion’s den making him even guiltier of what may become of Daniel. But what if Daniel’s God was able to save him? If Daniel survived the night, the king knew that would be proof of how big Daniel’s God really was.
Making It Personal
Have you ever wanted proof that God was real? Where do you look for signs of God being true? How much do you trust Him?
Making It Personal Kids
How can you know God is real? What kinds of things remind you that He is real? Do you talk to Him as if you know He is real?
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for showing us You are real in the nature around us and the many ways You care for us on a regular basis. Help us live so others can see You are real. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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