How to Walk Through the Lion’s Den
Scripture
Daniel 6:1-23
It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”
So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” So King Darius put the decree in writing.
Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?”
The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”
Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.
Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.”
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!”
A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.
At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”
Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”
The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
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How to Walk Through the Lion’s Den
by Rev. Cory Bradford-Watts
Read the message below
A corresponding video premieres today at 8 pm EDT, click here to watch on YouTube
In Canada this week we celebrate Remembrance Day on the 11th, when we remember our fallen soldiers as well as the deep risk our armed forces face every day. And I think that no matter our country, religion, or creed, we would do ourselves a service to remember that no matter our differences, there are many of us willing to sacrifice our lives for what we believe is the greater good. That’s partly why it’s so important for us as a global community to continue to empower sound and healthy decision-making, as well as a peaceful, altruistic approach to the world and our neighbors. It’s also why we have much to be thankful for when it comes to our martyrs and those that truly wish the best for us and are loyal to their higher ideas, even unto death – just like Christ and like Daniel in today’s reading. And ultimately, we’re told by tradition after tradition, this life isn’t the end – indeed, whether it’s the afterlife or reincarnation, we all will continue our journey toward eternity and so should strive for that higher idea of humanity today for the benefit of our eternal future.
In our story this week from Daniel 6, we come to the famous account of Daniel in the lion’s den – where Daniel continues to pray to God despite the decree to only praise and pray to King Darius. As we saw, Babylon continues its tendency to distort human freedom of worship in this story, similar to how our individual traditions can often damn and kill others due to differences in belief (even within the same tradition!). We see this also on a political level, when we can turn hostilities toward other political parties. Or on a more global scale, when we literally become hostile toward other nations or peoples due to selfish, distorted motives. This is horrifically when we can lose some of our most giving citizens to the plight of unwarranted war.
But of course, there are also times when defense is justified – often on the other side of such an unwarranted offense, which is also unfortunate. When a dominating, hostile force forces our hand in defense of ourselves or others. In both cases, we mourn, celebrate, and remember those that lost their lives for the benefit of their communities. In today’s story, we see someone willing to do much the same, for similarly altruistic motives.
In a way, our story today is meant to invite each of us toward such a posture toward the highest ideas in our culture: a loyalty to trustworthiness itself, as well as diligence, and purity of heart – even in the face of death. Indeed, it’s said that the other administrators in Babylon wanted to kill the Israelite, Daniel, because he was rising in the ranks due to his capabilities, and “they could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.”
It’s a funny thing to want to kill someone for how great and good they are, but we see this today (and in our hearts) more than we think. In some police precincts across the U.S. and elsewhere we know that officers willing to call out the corrupt are fired and threatened, and we also have seen how politicians and administrations can behave similarly. Daniel’s higher loyalty is what causes him to be sent into the lion’s den, which is often why our loved ones and fellow citizens become police officers, politicians, or go into the military in the first place. It’s this call to a higher mode of living and service that fortifies many of their spirits in the tough times with such hard servant-work, as well as through the many struggles and hardships that most of us only get a glimmer of. And that’s why it’s so tragic when these giving community structures somewhat turn against the higher ideas that make community possible.
That’s also why we must take this lesson seriously on both a personal and a collective level, because when we become distracted away from these higher ideas, corruption can filter into even our best organizations and our most altruistic and sacrificial communal bodies to an astonishing extent. We must take to heart the idea that turning toward Daniel’s attributes of trustworthiness, diligence, spiritual health, and virtuousness is what allows us to survive the lion’s den, in part and as a whole. Even if we lose our lives or our jobs, it’s our dedication to these qualities that bring us closer to the fountain of heaven, nirvana, and peace that all traditions point to. Our heroes and many of those that we’ve lost in the line of duty that have taught us this in so many ways.
Of course, most of our traditions (as well as Daniel’s story) greatly emphasize spiritual health as a key attribute for walking through our “lion’s dens,” describing how all of Daniel’s altruistic qualities fall into that umbrella of spiritual health. But we can lose the thread of this “harder call” in our religions and spiritualities, making it more about our religious label rather than what God has emphasized again and again – the state of our hearts and our active social justice uplifting the oppressed and our communities.
This remembrance of God’s light in our lives is similar to what we celebrate in our fallen heroes and soldiers, as well as those who continue to serve today. Indeed, Divinity shines through their service and their sacrifice. Today we open our hearts in mourning and celebration for all that they’ve given, for all that many will yet give – knowing that they live on, forever. May we also centre ourselves on the light of the servant’s call, learning from hard lessons and our mistakes, allowing this orientation toward spiritual health to fortify and uplift our lives even through the lion’s den – empowering our communities and our families to become the shining examples they have always been meant to be.
Peace and blessings to you,
Rev. Cory