So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed. (Daniel 6:16-17)

A Daily Faith

The story of Daniel’s faith is a hallmark of godly devotion in a time of crisis. Along with his friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Abed-Nego, Daniel had been taken captive from Judah under the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. As captives to a foreign nation, the four young men were at the mercy of captors who did not serve the true and living God. When they arrived in Babylon and were assigned to serve in the king’s palace, they were indoctrinated into the Babylonian culture through language, education, and diet. It was the latter concern for the kinds of foods they would eat, the four purposes in their hearts not to accept. It was an incredible test of faith.

Through God’s grace, Daniel and his friends were exempt from defiling themselves with the king’s delicacies. Their faith established a pattern that would follow them all their lives. The faith of the four was tested when Nebuchadnezzar began killing the wise men because they could not reveal a dream he had or give its interpretation. Daniel interceded, and as he and his friends prayed, the Lord revealed the dream and its meaning. Their faith was clearly evident in their lives, as they trusted in the Lord’s will to do the impossible.

Hanahiah, Mishael, and Abed-Nego faced their own crisis when Nebuchadnezzar set up a gold image on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. He commanded everyone to fall down and worship the gold image that the king had set up. The three men from Judah refused, knowing the penalty for disobedience was death by the fiery furnace. God delivered the three men from certain death, and their faith prompted the king to praise the one true God.

The Medes defeated the Babylonians, and Darius became the ruler of the kingdom. Darius set over his kingdom 120 satraps (governors), to be over the whole kingdom. Daniel, in his eighties or nineties, was also chosen as one of the satraps. Jealousy arose against Daniel because he had distinguished himself above all the other governors and satraps, because he had an excellent spirit. The king considered putting Daniel over the whole realm. This angered his political enemies, who devised a plan to destroy him. Their efforts were in vain because they could find no charge or fault in Daniel’s life.

Daniels’ faith was evident. He was not a perfect man, but he lived perfectly before the Lord. Failing to find something to accuse Daniel, his enemies used his faith against him. The only way to accuse Daniel was to find something against him concerning the law of the Lord. Daniel was taught from an early age to pray three times a day. As an older man, Daniel continued to pray three times a day, and for this, he was arrested and charged. The penalty for disobeying the king’s command (trumped up falsely by others) was death by lions. The king was deeply remorseful about having Daniel executed, but Persian law could not be changed.

The summation of Daniel’s law came from the lips of the king of the Medes, when Darius said to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve toninually, He will deliver you.” There was no question where Daniel’s faith was found. Darius did not believe in the one true God, but he knew Daniel did. The life of Daniel was an expression of faith and love to the Lord – even in the face of Babylonian captivity. Like Joseph, Daniel did not allow his surroundings to define his faith. His faith was a daily walk with God. Everyone knew what Daniel believed. Even the enemies of Daniel knew the only way to trap him was to find something in his faith.

The lessons are legion. Christians have the greatest opportunities to show the dark world the light of Jesus Christ by their example of faith. Daniel’s faith should be an example of how those who are in the grace of Jesus Christ let the world know they serve only one Lord. Live in such a way that the king of the Medes would honor you by saying you serve the Lord continually. Do you serve the Lord continually?