Coffeeville First Baptist Church By Craig Baker, Pastor 10/9/25

By Marie | October 7, 2025 |

This week we continue our series on great nights of the Bible as we consider a night in the lions’ den. The account of this night is found in Daniel 6 and is one of the most well-known stories in the Bible. Daniel is believed to have been about 16 when he was taken captive by the Babylonians when they conquered Jerusalem. Through the successive reigns of various kings, Daniel rose to positions of great honor in the Babylonian kingdom. He was a valuable man to the Babylonian kings. That changed under the rule of Belshazzar. As far as we know, Daniel was not mistreated, but he was no longer relied on as a trusted advisor to the king. Belshazzar seemed to have no use for Daniel or the godly wisdom and discernment he possessed. The last we are told of Daniel in chapter 5 is that he interpreted the writing on the wall for King Belshazzar informing the king that the writing was a pronouncement of God’s judgment upon the king and his kingdom. That very night the judgment was fulfilled as Darius the Mede and his men raided the city of Babylon, taking the city, and killing King Belshazzar. When we come to Daniel 6, we find Daniel’s situation changed considerably under the rule of Darius.

Now that the Persian king Darius the Great ruled the land, Daniel was once again seen as a valuable advisor and placed in a position of leadership in the kingdom. In fact, Daniel found such favor with King Darius that he was given the second highest position in all the Persian empire. However, to the other rulers Daniel was an outsider, a foreigner, who should not hold such a position of influence and authority, so they begin plotting his downfall.

But the question was how? How could they bring him down? Perhaps someone suggested that they charge him with being dishonest with the treasury. That should be easy enough, but Daniel had a reputation throughout the years of being an honest man. So, they agreed that it would never work. Perhaps a charge of treason would do. They could frame him in some conspiracy with their enemies. Again, they agreed that would not work. Daniel’s record of integrity and loyalty to the kings and the empires he had served was too impeccable. So, his enemies went back and forth about how they could bring Daniel down, until finally decided that the only way to find fault in Daniel was to put him in a position where his loyalty to his God was in conflict with the laws of the kingdom.

Again, one of them likely asked, “How will we do this? Since he was a young man, all through his life, and under all the kings he has served, Daniel had found a way to remain loyal to his God and at the same time faithfully serve his earthly masters. The decision was made to flatter and deceive the king into signing a royal decree that for a period of thirty days no one could pray to any god or man other than the king and set the punishment for breaking this decree to be death. The king spoke. The decree was made. To the delight of the satraps and governors, the trap was set. It was now just a matter of watching and waiting, so they placed spies on Daniel to observe his every move both day and night. They had no doubts as to what Daniel will do. Daniel did not have any doubts either.

Since Daniel was such a high-ranking government official, he would have learned about this decree immediately. It seems that Daniel received the news of the king’s decree early that same morning. I can picture the aged, Daniel, in his eighties, gently spreading his prayer rug and kneeling at the appointed time that morning; without any concern for what may happen to him, he continued to honor his God. He continued to pray as he was instructed as a boy back in Jerusalem. Though he had no concern for the consequences, he knew full well what it would mean for him to defy the king’s command.

The first time he prayed that morning, perhaps Daniel lingered a bit longer on his prayer rug waiting on the guards to come, but no one came for him. As Daniel knelt for prayer that afternoon, I wonder if in his mind he thought this must be it, but still no one came for him.

I do not know why his enemies waited until his evening prayer time to turn Daniel in. Perhaps they could not risk Daniel getting off as it all being a misunderstanding, so when he went to pray for the third time towards the end of the day there was now no doubt that he was defying the king’s orders. This was sufficient evidence against him. Immediately these men rushed off to have a word with the king. I can imagine the satisfaction in their demeanor. Their plan had worked. Soon they would be rid of Daniel, this foreigner who the king has placed over them.

The king could not believe what he was hearing; how he had been tricked, and he must now honor his own decree by casting Daniel into the lions’ den. Daniel, whom the king honored and respected and feared as a righteous man, and perhaps even saw as a friend. This certainly grieved and troubled King Darius. I imagine the king watched helplessly as Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den. With agony, he watched as the stone was rolled over the entrance. With trembling, he did what he must do and pressed his signet ring into the seal. In despair, he returned to the palace. That night sleep escaped the king. His heart was troubled. He struggled with the fact that he had been deceived into casting a trusted friend and righteous man into a horrible death at the jaws of the lions. As dawn begins to break and the first rays of light pierced through the windows, the king rushed to the lions’ den and had the stone removed. To the king’s amazement, Daniel had survived the night. He had escaped the lions’ den unharmed. God had closed the mouths of the lions.

Daniel was willing to give up his life for his faith and his God. We will likely never have to worry about being thrown into an actually den of lions, but whether we realize it or not, we are in the lion’s den. Peter warned us, “Your adversary the devil walks around like a roaring lion seeking those he can destroy.” Daniel challenges us to stand up for our faith no matter the circumstances or consequences. The lion is prowling about, but the same God who delivered Daniel has and will deliver you and me.

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