Reading Daniel in a more likely sequence of the order of the events that occurred in his life has been instructive and has provided insight I'd never paid attention to in previous reading. Daniel 6 records the final big event that we are given insight into.
Just to backtrack a bit for continuity, Daniel was captured and whisked off to Babylon when he was just a lad (+-605 B C). I use age 15 for my calculations. That is just a guess, but is likely within a couple of years either way. He was described as a youth - and youth certainly applies to the 13 - 17 range of ages.
He served Nebuchadnezzar well. Then Neb's son, Belshazzar apparently completely disregarded Daniel, until that fateful 'handwriting on the wall event' in 539 B C, which signaled the end of his life, the end of Babylon's reign, and the beginning of the rule of the Medes and the Persians, with Belshazzar's crown going directly to Darius, the Mede.
Belshazzar promised Daniel that he would be rewarded if he would translate the handwriting on the wall - - and in spite of the terrible news the interpretation provided, Bel kept his promise. He honored Daniel by having him clothed with purple, with a gold chain placed around his neck, and a proclamation made about him, that Daniel should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Sounds great - but that very night he died, so what he said wouldn't have mattered....but Darius, the incoming ruler, liked Daniel. Daniel 11 tells us that in the first year of Darius, Daniel stood up to strengthen the king. Darius was 62. Daniel was 81. Daniel was Darius' mentor, and Darius appreciated him.
It was also in the first year of Darius that Daniel began praying for his people, whose 70 years in captivity in Babylon was nearing its prophesied end (chapter 9) - and it is apparent 539 B C was also the year of Daniel 6, for as Darius set up his kingdom, he made Daniel one of the 3 high officials who were over the 120 satraps, who were situated throughout the kingdom in positions of authority to watch out for the king's financial interests.
Verse 3 tells us: Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. You'd think they'd want to give him a dinner, or have a monument constructed to honor him, but no, not these dudes. They were so envious that they tried to find something against him to take him down, and finding absolutely nothing, they concocted a plan to butter up the king and get him to sign a decree that no one could make a petition to anyone but the king for 30 days; and if anyone did, that person had to be thrown into the lion's den.
I don't know why it stroked his ego so keenly, or why he didn't notice that Daniel wasn't among those lobbying for this idiocy, but King Darius signed the irrevocable decree. Daniel's response to the signing was to go to his window in his upper chamber, which looked out toward Jerusalem, and pray.
This is such an awesome story to read. I highly recommend that readers turn to Daniel 6, and read the full account....
For his faithfulness to God, Daniel was thrown into a den of voraciously hungry lions. He was not a young man. He was 81. He spent the night in the pit with the lions and the Lord! He was doing just fine - but King Darius wasn't. What a night he had. Guilt and anguish were his companion during his fitful, sleepless night. He even fasted.
At the break of day, he rushed to the den of lions, and called out - not in genuine hope, but in agony (cloaked with a tinge of 'maybe'): "O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?"
The king's sorrow and anguish are turned to immediate joy when he hears Daniel reply! "O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lion's mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm."
So a very hungry and grateful Daniel was saved from the jaws and paws of the lions. The critters that could have crushed him so easily became his cushions and warmth for the long night in the dark pit.
Being faithful didn't exempt him from tough stuff. God certainly gave him more than he could have handled - but not more than God could handle.
I love this chapter! I love Daniel's faithfulness in spite of circumstances. I love that he didn't try to hide that he prayed by rationalizing God would understand if he prayed in an inner closet away from the conniving eyes of those who wanted to destroy him for being honorable and good. I just love Daniel - and the encouragement he brings to those who feel they, too, are in the 'lion's den'. I love his integrity, his faithfulness, and his loving stand for Truth.
In the end, Darius punishes all who tried to implicate Daniel with the fate they wanted exacted. And, Darius makes a new decree:
"Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree that in all my royal dominion, people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for He is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions."
The conclusion of the chapter reads, "So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian."
539 - 538 B C was quite a year!
This story provides a perfect segue to the coming considerations for lent. Today is 'Fat Tuesday'. Tomorrow begins the 40 days of preparation leading to the commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus on Easter morning. The 40 days exempt Sundays, for those who are not accustomed to paying attention to Lent.
A few years ago I was inspired by an amazing woman - and writer - who writes daily for the lenten season as a spiritual discipline. Her name is Rosemarie Kowalski, and her blog is titled 'peacefulones' - and it is a blog I follow and highly recommend. Tomorrow the daily discipline of writing daily instead of sporadically begins. You are welcome to join either or both of us on the journey.
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