Even children know the story of
Daniel in the lion’s den. Who were the accusers and why did they plot to get
rid of Daniel? They were the national elites in the kingdom of Medes and Persia
who got jealousy against him who was a foreigner and yet highly entrusted by
King Darius. This tells that the believers of God are surrounded by the
enemies. Who is the real enemy of the believers in Christ? Paul says that the
enemy is not people but the devil. The malevolent and cruel prince of darkness
is ever working shrewdly and craftily to try to destroy the humanity behind the
circumstances. Our Lord Jesus rebuked the wind and the turbulent waters when
the boat where he and his disciples on board was almost swamp over. It is
obvious that Jesus didn’t rebuke the nature which is morally neutral and
basically good in the eyes of God. He rebuked the evil spirit who was stealthily
working behind the wind and the raging waves.
“For our struggle is not
against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil
in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)
“He got up, rebuked the wind
and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was
completely calm.” (Mark 4:39)
The devil provoked the nobles
of Medes and Persia to accuse Daniel who was found innocent in every way. Now
Daniel learned of all things that he was cornered and pressured to the point of
no escape. What did do? He went home to his upstairs to pray to the God of
heavens and earth. This is the logical and only choice of the believers that is
to run to God for help. There is no one to go to find help. There is no other way
to turn back to but to God. Our God is the One to run to find relief for in him
there are a thousand and one ways to deliver the falsely accused and troubled.
“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.” (Daniel 6:10)
“God is just: He will pay back
trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and
to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in
blazing fire with his powerful angels.” (2 Thessalonians 1:6-7)
Was Daniel afraid of being
thrown into the lions’ den? The answer is yes and no. Yes, he was afraid of
being thrown into the hungry lions’ den. Who else is not able to be afraid of
such a terror? No, he was not afraid for he trusted in the Lord of hosts. I
believe that he was not afraid of being thrown into the den and torn apart by
hungry and ferocious lions because he prayed to God and was answered a help,
the marvelous inner conviction that he was in the hands of the Creator.
This reminds of our Lord Jesus
in the garden of Gethsemane. He was so anguished and pressured that he prayed
more earnestly to the heavenly Father until his sweat was like drops of blood
falling to the ground. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet
not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:46) Even an angel appeared to him and
strengthened him. After praying to the Father, our Lord Jesus told his
disciples who were sleeping, saying “Are you still sleeping and resting?
Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of
sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” (Mark 14:41-42) Jesus was
charged with the strength of the Father who loved and sent him to the earth to
die for the sin of the world. The Son Jesus trusted in the Father and his
unfailing love.
Daniel was thrown into the
lions’ den. What happened? He was unharmed and no wound was found on him for he
had trusted in his God. But the accusers with their families were overpowered
and crushed all their bones by the lions even before they reached to the floor
of the den.
“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.” (Daniel 6:21-23)
Human is body, soul, and
spirit. Man is more than flesh and bones. Man is more than soul, the mental
faculty of emotion, reason, and will. Man is spirit where Holy God indwells
within. Human being was designed and made as the holy temples of God before the
creation of the world. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the
Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your
own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” (1
Corinthians 6:19-20)
Before the fall, Adam was
functioning as a whole being in body, soul, and spirit. But human spirit
stopped working and functioning because of sin. The Scripture says that humans
were dead in sins and transgressions (Ephesians 2:1). But by God’s mercy and
grace, we have been made alive in spirit with Christ Jesus the Lord. By the
blood of Christ of Calvary we have been cleansed and washed and began functioning
and operating in spirit. We have received a new life in Christ Jesus.
In this ancient story, King
Darius is human soul the mental faculty. The group of accusers is human flesh
which is the seat of sin. Daniel is the picture of the Holy Spirit. King has
all power and authority to rule the kingdom. But his power is limited and
restrained by the One who gives power to man in his sovereignty. When King’s
soul was exalted and esteemed by the desires of flesh, he put the decree in
writing which even he could not repeal in accordance with the law of Medes and
Persia. Not before long the king learned that he was trapped and deceived by
the cunning accusers, the flesh. He was looking for a way out in anguish and
distress until sundown to save him but couldn’t.
“When the king heard this, he
was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every
effort until sundown to save him.” (Daniel 6:14)
King could not stop the thing
that he desperately wanted to stop but obeyed the decree that he himself
issued. That’s the picture of humanity in Adam. How many people and how many
times do they want to take it back from the things already happened? The moment
the decisions were made was considered the perfect time to execute. But soon it
turned out the worst decisions and ever wanted to take it back as if nothing
was happened. Since the fall of man, they are always inadequate and
insufficient and wanting. That’s reality. However, the flesh deceives soul
telling the lie that they are adequate and sufficient to handle life without
God, provoking the ego and pride of humanity. What a German philosopher Hagel
said is right.
“History teaches that history
teaches us nothing.”
King refused to eat and sleep
on the night and anxiously waited for the dawn of day. It shows that human soul
desires the deliverance of spirit in desperation and urgency.
“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
6:18-20)
When King found out that Daniel
was alive and well he expressed the most joyous moment in life in saying the
wonderful words and praises of the Lord of hosts, the God of Daniel. King was
relived and released from the anguish and agony of soul because he was filled
with spirit. It is the demonstration of how much human craves to be filled with
the Spirit of God.
“I issue a decree that in every
part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.
‘For he is
the living God
and he
endures forever;
his kingdom
will not be destroyed,
his dominion
will never end.
He rescues
and he saves;
he performs
signs and wonders
in the
heavens and on the earth.
He has
rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.’” (Daniel
6:26-27)
This story vividly shows our
Lord Jesus Christ in the lions’ den. Christ was crucified by the callous and
cruel Roman soldiers who were like roaring lions. Our Lord Jesus bore our
unspeakable and unimaginable mockery and insults and shame and pains on the
cross of Calvary. The Psalmist prophesied the Messiah’s sufferings and
tribulations he was going to bear in our place.
“Many bulls
surround me;
strong bulls
of Bashan encircle me.
Roaring
lions that tear their prey
open their
mouths wide against me.
I am poured
out like water,
and all my
bones are out of joint.
My heart has
turned to wax;
it has
melted within me.
My mouth# is
dried up like a potsherd,
and my
tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me
in the dust of death.
Dogs
surround me,
a pack of
villains encircles me;
they pierce#
my hands and my feet.
All my bones
are on display;
people stare
and gloat over me.
They divide
my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.”
(Psalm 22:12-18)
But our Lord rose again from
the dead according to the scriptures by the power of God because it was
impossible for death to get hold of our Lord Jesus Christ. “But God raised him
from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible
for death to keep its hold on him.” (Acts 2:24) “I am the Living One; I was
dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death
and Hades.” (Revelation 1:18) It shows that in every page in the Old Testament there
is our Lord Jesus.
October 3, 2015
©2015 David Lee Ministries - All rights
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