Daniel 6:18 - Meaning and Application

Here is the sad night the king spent because of Daniel, Daniel 6:18. He had said that God would deliver Daniel from danger, but he could not forgive himself for putting him there. In doing this, he had acted cruelly toward a man who had served him well, and he knew it. So he went back to his palace troubled and ashamed, because he had gone against the law of God and the law of right, even while trying to obey the law of the Medes and Persians.

He ate no supper, spent the night fasting, and kept music away from him, because cheerful songs do not fit a heavy heart. He went to bed, but he did not sleep. He kept tossing and turning until daylight came. The lesson is plain, the best way to have a peaceful night is to keep a clear conscience, then we can lie down in peace.

The next morning, the king urgently asked about Daniel, Daniel 6:19-20. He got up very early, because he could not rest in bed while thinking about Daniel. He was also too troubled to stay still. He hurried to the lions’ den himself, because he did not want to send a servant, which would have shown less care for Daniel, and he could not wait for someone else to come back with word.

When he reached the den, he cried out in a mournful voice, full of concern, "O Daniel, are you still alive? Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve, been able to save you from the lions?" If he had fully understood what he said about the living God, he would not have doubted God’s power. The God who has life in himself can give life to whom he will. Still, the king was wondering whether God had chosen to use that power here. What he doubted, we know: those who serve the living God have a Master fully able to guard them and uphold them in his service.

Then came the joyful answer, Daniel 6:21-22. Daniel was alive, safe, well, and unharmed in the lions’ den. He recognized the king’s voice, though it was full of grief, and answered with great respect: "O king, live forever." He did not reproach the king for abandoning him to his enemies or for giving in so quickly to their malice. Instead, he met him with kindness, showing that he had truly forgiven him.

Daniel’s report was full of triumph. God had saved his life by a miracle. Darius had called him "your God, whom you serve," and Daniel replied in effect, "Yes, he is my God." God had sent his angel. This same glorious heavenly messenger, who had appeared with the three young men in the fiery furnace, had likely come to Daniel in visible form, filled the den with light, kept him company through the night, and shut the lions’ mouths so they did not harm him. The angel’s presence turned the lions’ den into Daniel’s strong room, his palace, even his paradise. He had never had a better night.

See how great God’s power is over the fiercest creatures. He can still the roaring lion that goes about seeking whom he may devour, so it cannot harm those who belong to him. See also how God watches over those who remain faithful to him, especially when he calls them to suffer for his sake. If he keeps their souls from sin, fills them with peace, and takes their souls to himself, he has in effect shut the lions’ mouths. And see how ready the angels are to serve for the good of God’s people, since they call themselves their fellow servants.

God had also defended Daniel’s cause. Daniel had been accused of being disloyal to the king and to the kingdom. We do not read that he defended himself, but left it to God to prove his innocence, and God did it fully by preserving him in the den. Daniel had not wronged either God or the king. He could truly say, "I was found innocent before him whom I prayed to." He did not claim any special merit. His comfort was the witness of a good conscience, and also this, "Before you, O king, I have done no harm and meant you no insult."

Then Daniel was taken out of the den, Daniel 6:23. His enemies had to admit that the law had been satisfied, even if they were not satisfied. If the law was changed, it was changed by a power greater than that of the Medes and Persians. So there was no reason Daniel should remain in the den. The king was extremely glad that Daniel was alive, and he ordered that he be brought out at once, like Jeremiah being lifted out of the dungeon. When they examined him, they found no injury at all. He had not been crushed, scratched, or hurt in any way, because he had trusted in his God. Those who boldly and cheerfully trust God in the path of duty will not be put to shame. They will always find him ready to help.

Then Daniel’s accusers were thrown into the same den, Daniel 6:24. The miracle for Daniel gave Darius courage, and now he began to act like a king again. Those who would not let him show mercy to Daniel were now made to feel his anger. And he did justice for God, who had shown mercy to him. Daniel’s accusers had their own trap turned back on them. Since Daniel’s innocence was now clear, they received the punishment they had planned for him, in line with the law against false accusers (Deuteronomy 19:18-19). They had been false accusers indeed, because while the facts they reported were true, Daniel had done no wrong. They were cast into the lions’ den, perhaps a punishment they themselves had invented. It is only right that those who devise cruelty should perish by it (Psalm 7:15-16; Psalm 9:15-16). So Solomon’s words were proved true, "The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked comes in his place" (Proverbs 11:8).

In this judgment we can notice the king’s severity, since he ordered their wives and children to be thrown to the lions with them.

How righteous God’s laws are above the laws of the nations! God commanded that children should not die for their fathers’ crimes (Deuteronomy 24:16). Yet in special cases, such as Achan, Saul, and Haman, whole households were put to death.

The lions were also fierce. They overpowered the men at once and tore them apart before they reached the bottom of the den. This made God’s rescue of Daniel even greater. It showed that the lions did not spare Daniel because they lacked hunger, but because they were not allowed to touch him.

Dogs that have been muzzled often grow even more violent when the muzzle is taken off, and so it was with these lions. In this way, the Lord makes himself known through the judgments he carries out.