Daniel in the Lions' Den
Daniel is so far above the other administrators that the king plans to set him over the whole realm, and they can find no ground for complaint against him except in the matter of his religion. So they engineer one: flattering the king into signing an irrevocable decree that for thirty days petitions may be made to no one but himself.
Daniel goes home, opens his windows towards Jerusalem, and prays three times a day as he has always done. The conspirators are waiting.
Darius, realising he has been trapped into destroying the man he valued, spends the day trying to find a way out and the night fasting and sleepless. At first light he goes to the den and calls out. Daniel answers that an angel shut the lions' mouths. The story is a study in the limits of law: the decree cannot be revoked, only outlasted.
Where in scripture
[1] It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred twenty satraps, who should be throughout the whole kingdom; [2] and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one; that these satraps might give account to them, and that the king should suffer no loss. [3] Then this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. [4] Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom; but they could find no occasion or fault, because he was faithful. There wasn’t any error or fault found in him. [5] Then these men said, “We won’t find any occasion against this Daniel, unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.” …
Daniel 6:1–28 — opening verses
[32] What more shall I say? For the time would fail me if I told of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets; [33] who, through faith subdued kingdoms, worked out righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, [34] quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, grew mighty in war, and caused foreign armies to flee.
Hebrews 11:32–34
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
