In this Bible Story, Daniel is saved from the jaws of ravenous lions. This speaks to the King of the Medes, Darius. And he proclaims the goodness of God, and the Lord became famous in the land. This story is inspired by Daniel 6. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.
Today's Bible verse is Daniel 6:22 from the King James Version.
Episode 167: King Darius of the Medes was now ruler in the land and he leaned heavily on the wisdom that God gave Daniel. As Daniel’s influence grew so did the jealousy of the other leaders around him. But Daniel was a righteous man and they could find nothing to accuse him of. So they conspired and made it a law that no one in the kingdom was allowed to worship anyone but Darius for 30 days. However, even the threat of being thrown into the lion’s den would not stop Daniel from praying to our God.
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Let us pray. My God hath sent his angel and hath shut the lion's mouths, that they have not hurt me, forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me, and also before thee O King, I have done no hurt Daniel six twenty two. Thank you, Lord for giving me divine favor. Thank you for increasing my favor amongst men and women. When others plot my downfall because of my divine favor and blessing, I thank you that you have already prepared a way for me. In the moments I find myself in the pit with the lions of fear, doubt, and uncertainty. Like Daniel in to day's reading, I will pray and then watch as you shut their mouths. Because of your goodness, whoever desired to see my downfall will instead be introduced to your saving grace and protection towards your children. Because I'm yours, I will use my redemption and elevation to bring praise, honor, and glory to your name. You are the God that protects, and this truth will never change. In Jesus' name, Amen, thank you for praying with us today. Continue your time with God by listening to Today's Bible Story brought to you by Bible in a Year dot com.
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Daniel and the Lions Den and our last story. We were introduced to King Belshazzar, the son of King Nebuconezzer. He carried the pride of a prince that did not earn his throne. He threw lavish parties for the nobles of Babylon and defiled the vessels taken from the temple of God. He trifled with the maker of heaven and Earth, and was not left unpunished. As Daniel foretold, his kingdom was stripped from him, and the Persians seized Babylon for themselves. Now we are introduced to King Darius, King of Persia. He elevates Daniel to a high position. However, Daniel becomes the object of other leader's jealousy. Daniel's favor will be shown before the whole nation as God protects him from the lion's den Inspired by the Book of.
Daniel, thank you for joining us for today's episode of the Bible in a year. This is Pastor Jack Graham. In our last episode, we heard how God sent a message to King Belshazar. It was a message of judgment and death because he failed to humble himself. Before the Lord Babylon fell to an outside enemy and Belshazzar's life was ended, Daniel maintained a position of power. Righteous. Daniel's influence even in the midst of all of this would continue as God would make his own name known to the nations. Today we'll hear how Daniels served King Darius and earned his trust. Yet Darius would listen to the counsel of wicked men seeking to get rid of Daniel. He therefore few issues a decree that places Daniel in danger of death. But God's hand of protection will be upon Daniel. It's a powerful story of God's power Before an entire nation. It's one of the most famous stories in the Bible, Daniel and the Lions den Let's listen to that story in God's word.
Today, the Persian Empire stretched its wide arms over the land of Babylon. Its rule was like the sun, covering the entire nation with intensity. King Darius, the lesser king of the Medes, assumed the throne of Babylon. Darius is not like King Belshazar. He was wise and open to the knowledge of Daniel and other Jewish scholars. He leaned on Daniel's experience with governing the exiles and elevated him as one of the one hundred and twenty say traps to rule over Babylon. Of these say traps, three were appointed to rule over them. Daniel quickly gained any a favor to be one of these three. He was distinguished above them, and the spirit of God shone on him. It was not long before King Darius was willing to set Daniel in charge of the whole kingdom. As Daniel grew in favor and wisdom, the other high officials grew in jealous rage. They teemed with anger against Daniel. They sought to undermine him in front of the king. They watched him carefully and set men to spy on him. There looked for any form of corruption in him, but could find none. Daniel was blameless in all his dealings. There were no secrets to be exploited or lies to be exposed. Late at night, the leaders conspired against him. There are no grounds for complaints against him. One yelled, what if we made up a reason? What if we created a law that we knew he would break? The other whispered. They thought carefully about how to trap Daniel. The only thing they could think to exploit was his faithfulness to God. God. It was dawn and King Darius was enjoying his mourning in the gardens of the palace. Darius was a better king than most, but he still lacked a knowledge and reverence for the Lord. Therefore, he was vulnerable to self worship and pride. His men knew this and approached him with a plan to use Darius against Daniel. The two of them met the king in the garden and bowed before him, Our King, live forever. You are truly worthy of our praise and affection. Their words pleased Darius. All of the high officials have been speaking of your greatness. We believe it should be admonished before all the people of Babylon. Let us create a holiday. For thirty days, we are to worship no god except for you. The king was interested. How would we enforce such a law, he asked, simple, they replied, If anyone is caught praying to or worshiping any god besides you, then they will be sent into the lions dead. We will order our guards to keep a close watch on the whole nation. This idea thrilled the king, so he made an official decree that for the next thirty days, no other god shall be worshiped but him. A few days passed and the same leaders came to Darius in his palace. They wore grim faces and feigned dread our king. We have terrible news, they said, trying to hold back their smiles. Daniel, the exile from Judah, continues to pray to his God three times a day. When the king heard these words, he was greatly troubled. Daniel was his most trusted servant and the wisest governor under his rule. He purposed in his heart to find a way to relieve Daniel of his punishment, But there were no loopholes in his decree, Plus, he could not look weak in front of the other Satraps Darius did not sleep that night. He grieved what he had to do to Daniel, and he, deep down knew that it was his own pride that would kill his friend. The next day looked as though the sun never rose. Dark clouds covered the sky, and the King's heart ached with regret Daniel. The leaders of Babylon and the guards escorted Daniel to the lion's den. Daniel did not struggle, and he did not protest. He walked with them with his head held high. A rumbling could be heard from the lion's den. Their roars shook the earth below him. The color had left the king's face. He looked more worried than Daniel did before Daniel was sent in. The king embraced him and said, may your God protect you. The two men looked at one another. Daniel could see the pain in Darrius's eyes. He smiled and allowed himself to be thrown deep into the lion's den. The lions were deep within the den, and Daniel could see the light reflecting against their eyes. Then, as the stone of the den was rolled over, the entrance, all went black. Daniel's eyes had not yet adjusted to the darkness. He bent his knees to gain better footing. He was prepared to fight, or to submit, or to pray. He did not know which would be called for first. The low growls of the lions echoed off the walls of the den. The sound rumbled the earth. He could feel their roars in his chest. Daniel began to see shapes against the walls around him. Finally, his eyes were adjusting to the light. The shadows moved around him. Daniel shifted to the left and then to the right. The lions were surrounding him. Daniel prayed to the Lord in his mind. He knew that any word could set the lions pouncing. He looked to his left and saw the largest of the lions crouching next to him. It was getting ready to pounce, as its hind legs bent back like a spring. A bright light broke through the darkness. It was blinding, and Daniel could hear the painful roars of the lions scraping back against the wall. Daniel fell to his knees, barely able to see what was happening. The darkness was cut in half with light like a sword through flesh, and Daniel saw each lion cowering in fear. The lions hissed and roared at the light, but were soon quieted as their jaws were forced to shut. Then, in an instant, the light vanished. All returned to darkness, and Daniel sat in the middle of the den praying to the Lord. It was still night and the sun was a few hours from rising. King Darius paced his room, worrying over Daniel. He did not eat or sleep all night. Instead, he set his mind on the welfare of his friend. He waited for the light to break so we could roll away the stone of the den. As soon as the light touched the bottom of the horizon, Darius put on his clothes and rushed to the den. He and all the men raced together and pulled away the stone. All was silent. Darius approached the entrance to the den. He looked down and listened for any sound. He could hear nothing. He became worried and shouted, Daniel, servant of the Living God, has your God delivered you from the lions. There was a long pause. Darius's heart was beating fast. Then a small voice echoed up to the entrance, O King live forever. Of course I am safe, for I was blameless. My Lord upheld me and shut the mouths of lions. Darius let out a sigh of relief and ordered his men to send a rope to bring him up from the den. Daniel was brought back into the light. The king embraced him and then looked back at the men who had accused Daniel. The king's rage burned against them. Immediately they were taken. The guards grabbed them and threw them into the lion's den. It took no time at all for the lions to pounce and tear the men into them. Their cries burst through the whole of the den. The sound of ripping flesh and bloody screams the air for a moment, and all was silent again. Darius praised Daniel and his God. He was another king that was humbled by the favor of God on a faithful servant.
We begin today's reading with King Darius as ruler in the land. Unlike Belshazar, he is thirsty for knowledge and understanding, and he's willing to lean on others for help in ruling the people. God's great favor was upon Daniel, and he is soon elevated to a very prominent position, so prominent that he was among three of King Darius's closest advisers, and he was a standout among those. God's spirit, an excellent spirit, rested upon Daniel. Of course, when God is at work, the enemy does not rest. It's been said, when God opens the windows of heaven to bless us, then the devil opens the doors of hell to blast us. Daniel's sucess provoke jealousy among other powerful officials. And while Daniel acted in the interest of the king and ultimately the King of glory, God's glory, others were interested in exalting themselves, and that would require taking Daniel out. But try as they might, he was above reproach. It is a powerful reminder that when we are doing God's will, there will be a tax. When we live in integrity, we must be vigilant not to give the enemy a place. The Bible says, don't give the devil a foothold. The only thing the other officials could imagine as a weakness was Daniel's devotion to God. Can you imagine that they thought his weakness is his love and devotion to God. He was a man of deep faith and conviction, and they knew he would not bow to any false God, not even a king. So they concocted a plan. It was devious as it was clever. They appealed to darius own pride and filled his head with flattery. He was king, after all, and kings were to be worshiped like God's. So they proposed a thirty day celebration of his majesty, and during that time no other God was to be worshiped but Darius. He fell for it, so the decree was signed that anyone caught worshiping a God other than Darius for the next thirty days would be thrown into a den of ravenous lions. It was a death penalty with no hope of escape. Now Daniel had some choices. He could have just yielded to the pressure and appeased the king for a month. Who would know, who would care? But this was no choice at all. He resolved long ago to have no other gods between himself and the Lord God. He could just worship God in private, hiding away for safety. That was another alternative method, but that was not good either. He was not a cow. He was courageous and feared no one. So Daniel did exactly what he always did, not for show, but for prayer. He opened his windows upstairs, kneeling facing Jerusalem, worshiping God for all to see who desired to see. I wonder how many of us would have had this kind of courage, that we would dare to be a Daniel, just like this great man, praising God, even if it might cost us our life. There are countless Christians who faced persecution in the world today, and some even have to worship God in secret. But Daniel's calling was different and unique. He obeyed and remained faithful and fervent in his faith. These evil officials got just what they wanted and quickly turned him into Darius, who realized too late the big mistake that he had made. He knew very well that Daniel worshiped only God, but he was blinded by his own desire for fame and fortune and adoration. A Persian law forbid even a king from changing his decree. Perhaps you've heard of the law of the Medes and the Persians, so there was no escape. Darius gave the order for Daniel to be thrown into the lions den, but we see his heart already hopeful that God would save this innocent man. He says this to Daniel in chapter six, verse sixteen, May your God, whom you serve, continually rescue you. The King knew that only God could rescue Daniel, so the next morning, when he checked on Daniel, the response came from below. God had sent an angel to shut the lion's mouths, just as his friend Shadrak Meshak and a Bendigo had been saved in the Fiery furnished years ago, God rescued Daniel. What a miracle. So the King glorified God and saying the praises of Yahweh. The officials who conspired to kill Daniel are thrown into the den of lions. Once again, God is not maught. What a person sows, that person reaps. These evil men sowed lies, and so they lived and died by their life, and God's greatness was once again shown to his people and everyone and all of the land. Surely God has the power to save his own. We live in God's protection always, And in our next reading we'll hear how he begins to restore the exiled Israelites to their land. Dear God, we thank you that your word says no weapon formed against us will prosper. We praise you for your goodness and grace in our lives to keep us alive until our time comes to be with you. Help us to courageously, boldly pray and serve you, and commit our lives to do everything in your will, regardless of the cost or the consequences. May we obey you and leave the consequences there help us to trust you completely. Amen. Once again, thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Let me encourage you to download the pray dot Com app and make Bible study and prayer a real priority in your life. And if you are enjoying this podcast, share it with someone you know, someone you care about, because sharing God's word has a powerful impact upon people's lives. And if you want more resources as to how you can find faith, grow in your faith, develop as a disciple and follower of Jesus, be sure to visit me at Jack Graham dot org. We have plenty of resources that will encourage you and equip you for life. God bless you.