“Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions”, Hebrews 11:33.
I was reading in the great book of Daniel today and it struck me about how this great story of Daniel and the lion’s den told to children all over the world has a side no one wants the kiddies to know. Only those that read all the text know the real story. Grab your Bible and follow along.
I am in the 6th chapter of Daniel where an evil plan is being developed. Darius the new king of Babylon was organizing and setting up his kingdom. He had 129 provinces and he appointed a governor for each one. (129 governors) Those 129 governors reported to 3 presidents. Daniel was made one of the 3 presidents and he was at this time a little more than 80 years old. Even at his age of 80 Daniel was still very much full of skill and abilities. So much that King Darius wanted to elevate him even further and put him in charge of the other 2 presidents. (Dan. 6:3)
Here we see the evil plan being orchestrated because the plan of King Darius made all the governors and the other two presidents green with envy and filled with anger. They began to plot as to how to kill Daniel. But the King was fond of Daniel.
They devised a plot to trick Darius into signing a 30 day decree saying all praying during that time was to be directed to the king himself (Dan. 6:6-9).
Daniel found out about this and saw right through it. Daniel was fearless and continued to pray 3 times a day as he always had and in plain view of all.
Of course the heartless plotters ran to King Darius to tie the noose around Daniels neck once and for all. Well, King Darius realized he had been had and tried to find a way out of it but the law of the Medes and Persians left no loophole to escape. (Dan. 6:11-15)
This is where Daniel had to be thrown into the lion’s den and sealed with the kings own signet ring. The king spent a very restless, miserable and sleepless night in his palace (Dan. 6:17-18).
Boy, o-boy when the morning broke the next day the King was up and rushing to that lion’s den. He called out in anguish, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has he delivered you from the lions? (Dan. 6:20 in my words)
Hah, out of the blackness of the den comes a voice. Daniel says to the king, “No worries sir, my God sent his angels in to protect me and the lions never touched me and I never hurt the lions either” (Dan. 6:21-22 again in my interpretation)
Now this is the part that is never told to the kids.
We have the reaction of the king! He had a twofold reaction to all that had happened. He was glad and he was mad.
This is the good part: He was glad and rejoicing that Daniel was saved and he issued a decree ordering all citizens of his kingdom to consider this almighty Judean God (Dan. 6:23, 25-27).
But oh boy, this is the bad part: It is real bad!
The king was furious and took immediate vengeance upon the ones that tricked him. He ordered them to be thrown into the same lion’s den that they had thrown Daniel into. Not only the tricksters but also all their families were to be thrown in the den with them. Yes, the king was mad.
The Bible says their bodies were instantly torn apart and ravaged by the lions. A horrific and bloody scene it was. It says in Daniel 6:24, “And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast [them] into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den”. (KJV)
Persian law was incredibly cruel back then. It was much crueler than Hebrew law. But even so our laws today are pale in comparison.
So now you see just as Paul Harvey always said on his radio show, “And now you know… the rest of the story”.
The story still has a good ending as this verse allows, “I make a decree, that in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he [is] the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion [shall be even] unto the end. (Daniel 6:26)
The end
