Daniel served pagan kings faithfully for 70 years without compromising his faith. When other officials grew jealous of Daniel's success, they convinced King Darius to outlaw prayer to any god but the king. Though they knew Daniel would disobey, Darius reluctantly threw Daniel into the lions' den. God protected Daniel, and Darius rescinded the law and threw Daniel's accusers to the lions instead. The story shows that Christians must serve God faithfully in all circumstances and that spending time with God daily strengthens one to face life's challenges.

1. An Insidious Plot
Daniel 6:1-28
Based on Daniel: Standing Firm for God by Gene A Getz

2.  Cyrus, king of Persia, took over and appointed Darius to govern Babylon, and
Darius wasted no time in shaking things up.
 V.1 He appoints 120 princes or governors over the provinces of Babylon.
 V.2 He appoints 3 presidents or administrators over them to coordinate
everything, making Daniel the one in overall command.
 Daniel is at least 83 at this time, which would indicate he was still in great
health physically and mentally.
 Cyrus apparently favored the Israelites. He encourage the Jews to return to
Jerusalem, promised to help rebuild the temple, and returned everything
Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple 70 years earlier. Ezra 1:1-11
 It probably didn’t take Darius long to figure out that Daniel was a man of
impeccable character and outstanding wisdom.
 He probably found out what happened at Belshazzar’s feast and would
definitely be interested keeping this kind of man close by.

3. Green-eyed Jealousy and an insidious
plot (6:3-9)
 When Daniel had a job to do, he did it better than anyone else. He did such a
good job, Darius thought about putting him in charge of everything. V.3
 V.4 This irritated the usual suspects. The wise men that he consistently
outshone became crazy jealous.
 The problem was, Daniel was so good at his job there was nothing they could
even make up to accuse him of.
 So they turned to his prayer life and his relationship with his God. (v.10) They
knew Daniel prayed three times a day, and decided to use that to set him up.
(v.6-9)
 Notice they had absolutely no doubt what Daniel would do in response to
Darius’ decree. It also shows they had been watching him closely enough to
understand his religion and his character.

4.  They also knew a lot about Darius. Even though he was a brilliant leader, he
also had a huge ego, so that’s where they went. V.6-8
 Since everyone had agreed, how could Darius refuse?
 This also made Darius equal to their pagan gods. Extra ego boost!
 V.8-9 They convince Darius to write this into law so it couldn’t be changed.
 Ever wonder why there needed to be a punishment for breaking this law if
everyone agreed with it?
 V.10 Daniel never waivered in his convictions or altered his behavior.
 V.11 The other wise men catch him praying.
 V.12-13 They immediately tattle on him to Darius.
 V.14-15 Darius immediately realizes he has been set up and duped. He saw
the play to his ego, and realized he had never approached Daniel – in whom
he placed so much trust – with the decree.
 V.14 Darius tried until sundown to find a way out of this. But in v.15, the other
administrators remind him you cannot change the law of the Medes and
Persians.

5.  Darius would be taking the law into his own hands if he changed the law.
 What would Cyrus do if he found out Darius had threatened a prominent Jew
whom he had made ruler of all the former Babylonian empire with a decree
that honored Darius and not Cyrus?
 V.16-17. Darius throws Daniel into the lion’s den, but tells him he knows his
God will deliver him.
 V.18. Darius stayed up all night and fasted.
 V.19. Darius got up early and hurried to the lion’s den.
 V.20. Darius asks if Daniel is still alive.
 V.21-23 Daniel responds and gives God all the credit.
 V.24 Darius throws the false accusers into the lion’s den because the lions
needed breakfast. Unfortunately, he threw in their wives and children, too.
 Your sin can have consequences that reach well beyond yourself!
 V.25-28 Darius issues a decree that honors God.

6. 1. As Christians, we must serve our employers as if we are
serving the Lord – giving our very best with our talents,
abilities, and the gifts God has given us.
 Daniel served pagan kings for 70 years and never violated their trust He was
always diligent in carrying out his responsibilities.
 Colossians 3:22-24
 I Peter 2:18

7. 2. As Christians, we must never hesitate or be ashamed to practice
our Christian faith in front of unbelievers, understanding that we
must do so with wisdom, discretion, and humility.
 II Timothy 2:23-26
 Don’t be a Christian who shares his or her spiritual convictions in ways that
violate the principles of Scripture.

8. 3. As Christians, we must regularly spend time with God in His
Word, in prayer, in praise, and in thanksgiving, realizing that we
draw strength from the Lord to live a faithful Christian life as a
result of this consistent spiritual discipline.
 Daniel prepared his heart daily to face whatever difficult situation he might
face.
 He had internalized God’s Word. He knew when to take a stand and when to
avoid conflict in an environment that was often hostile to his own personal
values.
 There are lines you should not cross (like bowing to idols a la Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego).
 Romans 13:3

9. A couple of questions:
 To what extent are you serving your employer/teachers as if you were serving
the Lord, giving the very best of your talents, abilities, and the gifts God gave
you?
 To what extent are you practicing your faith in front of your
superiors/teachers, maintaining that intricate balance between not being
ashamed of the Gospel and sharing your faith in a wise, discreet, and humble
way?
 To what extent are you preparing your heart each day through prayer and
reading Scripture in order to face the challenges you will encounter in life?
 I Corinthians 10:31-33