Daniel 6:22-28

Daniel 6:22-28

Daniel 6:22
My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

Daniel then begins to explain to the king what happened and how God protected him. God sent His angel into the den with him. This angel could have been one of the army of angels or it could be the same one who was in the furnace with his three companions. He stated that the angel had shut the mouths of the lions so they did not attack and hurt Daniel. Daniel also states that he was innocent of any false charges and that he did nothing sinful against the Lord or against the king whom Daniel states that he did not hurt or harm by disobeying the edict.

Daniel 6:23
Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.

The king was rejoicing that Daniel was fine and then gave the command to take him out of the den. Daniel was then extracted from the den and not a scratch was on him from the lions. He was protected because he was a firm believer in God. Daniel trusted in the Lord even though he had to go through the experience of the lion’s den. Isaiah 54:17 (KJV) No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. The weapon was jealousy and envy on part of the other leaders which led to the lion’s den but it did not prosper against Daniel because God protected him through the night.

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.

Never think sin only affects the person doing it. The king now turns to his guards and orders them to bring the men that accused Daniel for the purpose of throwing them into the lions’ den. Not only were the men to be thrown into the lion’s den but also their wives and their children. The king was taking no chances the children would grow up and seek revenge. Once they were thrown into the lion’s den, then the lions had taken total mastery of them, that is, the natural strength of the lions took over. God’s hand of restraint was off the lions and even before the victims hit the bottom of the den, they were ripped to shreds by the lions and the attack was so fierce, that even their bones were broken. The law of retaliation is not a pleasant one. The principle for this type of event is found in Psalm 75:15-16.

Psalm 7:15-16 (KJV) He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. {16} His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.

The rulers thought that they had done away with Daniel and all along they were really signing their own death warrants.

Romans 12:19 (KJV) Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Daniel 6:25
Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.

Then king Darius makes a decree to all the nations under his command in his entire kingdom. It is to every people group and of all different languages. Having seen the deliverance that God enacted on behalf of Daniel, he now wants to make it known throughout the entire empire.

Daniel 6:26
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.

Here the king makes another decree to his entire kingdom. Just as the decree against Daniel could not be violated by law, this decree must be obeyed according to the law of the Medes and Persians. He decrees that all people are to tremble, literally shake and to be in dread of the God of Daniel. Notice how he states that God is “the living God.” He uses a direct article stating that God is literally the only living God. He is also “steadfast” which carries the meaning of “permanency.” He states that the kingdom of God will never be destroyed and it shall rule over all nations until the very last day. He decrees a major principle found in the book of Daniel and that is the permanency and rule of the kingdom of God in this present world regardless of what earthly kingdom is in power at the time.

Daniel 6:27
He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.

Based upon what the king had witnessed, he now understands that God delivers, that is, to free people, and that He also rescues, that is, to extract His people from harmful situations according to His will. The king then sees Daniel’s great deliverance as a great sign that God’s favor rested upon Daniel and that Daniel’s deliverance from the lion’s den was nothing short of a miracle since the guilty men who formed that evil conspiracy were already torn apart by the lions before they even hit the bottom of the den. The king extends God’s miracles to not only earth based on Daniel’s deliverance but also to Heaven.

Daniel 6:28
So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

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