The Lion's Den

First Lesson: 2 Samuel 23: 1-7
Responsive Reading: Psalm 132: 1-12, (13-18)
Second Lesson: Revelation 1: 4b-8
Gospel Lesson: John 18: 33-37

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Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

This morning I wish to tell you a rags to riches story.  This is a tale that isn’t your typical rags to rich tale as it’s a story of rags to riches to lion’s den back to riches once again.  This morning I wish to tell you the story of Daniel and the lion’s den.

Daniel’s story begins with a king named Nebuchadnezzar.  Nebuchadnezzar conquers the land of the Jewish people.  The Jewish people are forced to spread throughout all the earth.  A select group of men from the Jewish people was chosen to live in Babylon: Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  You might know Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from fiery furnace fame[1].  These Jewish nobles journeyed to receive an education in Babylon.  The transition to life in Babylon was hard as these men were devout Jews in their observances of the faith.  They refused to eat any food that wasn’t kosher leading to initial conflict with their king.  Things would soon turn around for Daniel.

Daniel served in King Nebuchadnezzar's court.  Nebuchadnezzar though was having a problem.  Nebuchadnezzar was having all these dreams that he couldn’t make sense.  Nebuchadnezzar's dream had four kingdoms after his kingdom falling before God’s kingdom endures forever.  Daniel’s ability to interpret dreams was such that even Nebuchadnezzar begins to worship Daniel’s God.  Nebuchadnezzar soon dies.  Nebuchadnezzar’s son though did not follow in his way.  The Babylonian Kingdom soon fell just as Daniel predicted.  Daniel was now under the rule of the Persian King Darius the Mede. 
The thing to know about Darius the Mede is that he wasn’t an evil king.  Darius liked Daniel quite a bit!  Darius elevated Daniel to high office within his kingdom.  Darius wanted to put Daniel in charge of all the administration for his kingdom[2].  Daniel’s story of interpreting dreams and rising to second in command to the most powerful man in the world mirrors Joseph’s in many ways.

Daniel’s story though was not going to be smooth or easy.  Darius’ fellow officials got jealous of Daniel.  They couldn’t believe that Darius would appoint a “Jew” to such a high office.  Daniel’s co-workers resented him because he had an attitude or spirit that they did not possess[3].

Darius’ officials and Daniel’s enemies begin to hatch a plan.  At first they try to find signs of Daniel being dishonest or corrupt.  Daniel was a political figure though on whom they could find no dirt[4].  Daniel’s enemies finally discovered what they thought was a weakness within him.  Daniel was like really, really religious.  Daniel would pray towards Jerusalem three times a day[5].  Daniel prayed three times a day without exception; it didn’t matter what else Daniel had going on in his life.  Daniel’s enemies decide to trick Darius the King into issuing an edict that any member of Darius’ kingdom could not pray to a foreign God for thirty days.  Daniel’s enemies knew that he would not compromise his faith under any circumstances[6].  Daniel is shortly after that caught violating the king’s edict, so Daniel is sentenced to go to the lion’s den[7].  King Darius didn’t want to send Daniel to the lion’s den you see.  Darius had to do for if he violated the laws of the Persians then he would lose authority over his people[8]. 

Darius thought Daniel was a goner in the lion’s den.  Daniel’s enemies thought he was a goner in the lion’s den.  Daniel, however, was calm as he could be.  Darius was struck by how calm Daniel was through the whole ordeal.  Right before Daniel entered the lion’s den, Darius cried out “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you.”[9]  The king’s men escort Daniel into the lion’s den.  The king’s men place a giant stone before the door.  Darius then left Daniel for the night.  Daniel had no means for escape; Daniel merely had to rely on his faith that God might deliver him.

Darius the King couldn’t sleep all night long because of his worries about Daniel.  Imagine a friend or loved one of yours in surgery where the outcome is uncertain.  These were the emotions felt by Darius on this night.  Darius’ reaction says something important that even as Darius was the most powerful man in the world that he lived.  There were limits to Darius’ power!

Finally, the morning comes; Darius travels down to the lion’s den.  Darius fully expects to find Daniel eaten up by lions when he arrives.  Darius shouts out “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions[10]?”

What Darius heard next stunned him, Darius heard Daniel’s voice “O king, live forever[11]!”  An outcome that Darius previously could not imagine had become reality. 

You see as soon as Daniel entered the lion’s den an angel of the Lord also arrived.  The angel shut the lion’s mouth so that the lion would not harm Daniel[12].    

Darius is joyous that Daniel was alright.  Darius released Daniel from the lion’s den.  Darius then cast Daniel’s enemies into the lion’s den.  The story ends with Darius declaring that all his royal people should tremble and fear before the God of Daniel[13].

Now that you know Daniel’s story how should we interpret it?  Daniel’s story is a tale of God’s presence in the face of the end.  Daniel’s story seeks to reinforce how God can rescue us from the most seemingly insurmountable of situations even death itself. 

Daniel’s story is a story of power within this world.  King Darius could have anything he wanted at the snap of his fingers.  King Darius’ power though had his limits.  Darius had to send his best administrator to the lion’s den against his wishes for fear of a popular uprising.  Darius was forced to wait for Daniel's fate nervously throughout the night.  The most powerful man in the world had to pace his bedroom like a son awaiting word on the verdict of his father’s surgery.  Darius himself needed a higher power.  Darius knew that as mighty as he was that even his kingdom could one day fall. 

Daniel’s story heavily influenced Christians in the first century as they received the long awaited Messiah.  These Christians had seen mighty kingdoms from Babylon to Persia to Greece and eventually Rome fall before their very eyes.  Daniel’s vision had become a reality.  One day, God’s Son will rule over all the Earth.   

Why was Daniel so calm and willing to die?  Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “If a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live.”  There was not one place that Daniel was afraid to go in life because of his faith[14]. 

Daniel believed that even if he went forth to his death, his God would deliver him on the other side.  Even though none of us will probably be thrown into a lion’s den like Daniel, this doesn’t mean there is not plenty to learn from his story. 

What Daniel’s story reminds us is that we will always face moments of uncertainty and moments of terror in their eventual outcome.  We pray on this day for the future of this community that we love as we reflect upon the idle at North Shore Mining.  We pray for those who don’t know their economic futures on this day.  We have no doubts that there will be some scary nights ahead just as the night in the lion’s den was for Darius and Daniel.  What we should be assured of is that our God does not stand idly by in the time of our fear.  Our God can rescue us at the times when rescue seems hopeless.  God’s response to our hopelessness is what we call grace!

Apple Founder Steve Jobs once stated[15], “Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.
Almost everything--all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure--these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.
Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet, death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it, and that is how it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It's life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new.”

Some of the most powerful words that Jesus speaks within the Christian scriptures are in the last chapter of the Book of Revelation when he declares “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”-Revelation 22:13. 

Jesus is reminding us that no matter what forces out there are threatening to destroy your faith and your soul on this day they shall not ultimately win out.

“My Kingdom is not from this world,” says Jesus[16].  As we celebrate this Christ the King Sunday, we remember how different God’s kingdom is from our own.  Our kingdoms shall fall! Our rulers shall tremble!  Our God will still deliver people even from the mouths of lions! Amen


[1] Daniel 3
[2] Daniel 6:3
[3] Daniel 6:3
[4] Daniel 6:4
[5] Daniel 6:10
[6] Daniel 6:5
[7] Daniel 6:14
[8] Markquart. Ed. “Books of the Bible: Old Testament Daniel”. Sermons from Seattle. Web.
[9] Daniel 6:17
[10] Daniel 6:20
[11] Daniel 6:21
[12] Daniel 6:22
[13] Daniel 6:25
[14] Dr. King said this in a speech in Detroit in 1963.
[15] The following was said by Jobs during his Stanford Commencement Address on June 12th, 2015.
[16] John 18:36