Shining in Babylon | Daniel 6

The story of Daniel in the lions’ den is one of the most famous in the entire Bible. Here is a quick overview of this story and how we can learn to have courage like Daniel in this modern-day Babylon.

*This blog post is a summary from Pastor Bobby’s sermon on 7/3/2022. You can find the sermon video below.

Daniel 6

In Daniel 6, King Darius plans to set Daniel above the entire kingdom because he is the most distinguished official and “an excellent spirit is in him.” (v. 3) This intention sparks a conspiracy among the other high officials and they devise a strategy to take Daniel out. They realize that Daniel is a man of integrity and the only way to find a complaint against him is “in connection with the law of his God.” (v. 5)

These officials trick the king into signing a document that makes it illegal (and punishable by death) to pray to anyone but the king for the next 30 days. Daniel is fully aware of this new law, yet he goes to his room and prays toward Jerusalem three times a day, just as he has always done.

For this offense, Daniel is sentenced to a night in the lions’ den. King Darius is distraught over this and declares to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” (v. 16) The next day, the king goes to the den to see what has happened. Daniel is unharmed and tells him that God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths. King Darius is amazed and makes a decree that all people in his kingdom should tremble and fear the God of Daniel.

Conclusion

What gave Daniel the courage to face the lions’ den? Is this radical courage something we can cultivate in our own lives?

We can see in Daniel’s story that his courage came from his devotion to prayer, his life of integrity, and his trust in God. He spent time with the Lord daily and he was absolutely committed to that – even when the law of the land forbade it. He also trusted God completely and had even God miraculously rescue his friends from the fiery furnace. He knew that God had proven Himself again and again and he trusted in His faithfulness.

We can cultivate courage in our lives by following Daniel’s example. Here are some questions to ponder this week as we reflect on this message.

• What lion of fear is holding me back?
• What do I need to rearrange in my life to relentlessly pray?
• Is there anything I need to confess to a trusted friend?
• Do I lack faith in God? Confess that and ask for more faith.