Page 167 - Daniel

the justification for the injunction in the first place. No doubt the
Scriptures do not record all the conversation between King Darius and
these officials. It is probable that they had justified the law as a means
by which all the peoples in the kingdom would be forced to recognize
Darius as their ruler and present their petitions to their deities in

Darius’s name. There was little in this that would be offensive to a pagan
who worshiped many gods, and it could have been a useful device to
expose anyone who was rebellious against the king.

Yet now that the trap was sprung on Daniel, the king immediately saw
through the conspirators’ scheme. Instead of being angry with Daniel as
Nebuchadnezzar had been with Daniel’s companions in chapter 3, the
king realized that he himself had made a mistake and attempted in vain
to find a legal loophole by which Daniel could be delivered. But those
assembled before the king reminded Darius of what he already knew: the

law could not be changed according to their customs and beliefs. As the
representative of the gods, the king would have to enforce his decree.
There was no alternative but to issue the command that Daniel be cast
into the lions’ den.

DANIEL CAST INTO THE LIONS’ DEN (6:16–17)

6:16–17 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast
into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God,
whom you serve continually, deliver you!” And a stone was brought
and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own

signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed
concerning Daniel.

The king’s command was carried out and Daniel was thrown to the
lions—but not before Darius made this remarkable statement to Daniel:
“May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” The idea is
that the king was saying, “I have tried to save you but have failed. Now
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your God must save you.” Daniel’s personal piety and faithfulness to
God had made an obvious impression on Darius, giving the king some
hope that Daniel’s God might come to his rescue. Goldingay believes that

little can be read into the king’s statement regarding whether or not he