HOPE FROM THE LIONS' DEN

Daniel 6:1-28; 2 Peter 3:1-18; Psalm 119:129-152; Proverbs 28:21-22

“Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. When he got there, he called out in anguish, ‘Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?’ Daniel answered, ‘Long live the king! My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.’ The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.”

“Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, ‘What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.’ They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water…. But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief.”

“Come and show me your mercy, as you do for all who love your name. Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by evil.”

Scoffers, critics and jealousy abound. We need relief from the envy and distrust that so permeates our world. But they can be difficult temptations to resist, and at times are unrecognizable until we’ve hurt someone. We need to understand the crowd almost never has the best interests of any individual in mind. This is exactly what Darius learned, and why it makes sense to remember the lessons of the lions’ den.

We begin with an ugly fact. There will always be those so threatened by others’ success they cannot grasp the Truth behind it. The so-called “wise” men of Babylon hated Daniel for just this reason. They could not accept his worldly accomplishments for what they were, the blessings of a loving God. They looked for ways to destroy his credibility instead. Finding nothing in his life to undo him, they decided to capitalize on his religion, and in the process, made Darius a victim, too.

Let’s stop here to consider why some people are so driven to find the flaws in others. Jealousy is certainly a sufficient explanation for the advisors’ malice. I wonder if that’s the whole story, though. When we erect pitfalls or obstacles for others, might we also be testing them (at least subconsciously) to prove something or someone actually is worthy of worship? Little is more problematic than the bitterness of intelligent people repeatedly betrayed by unworthy faith. (Many of us live it daily.) Daniel’s faith was different, and his way of life was an obvious threat to what the pagans believed. But as important, it was an untested option for all those who knew Daniel.

The cynicism and sarcasm which has become such a part of our culture thus may not be quite what it appears to be. We don’t mean to tear down all the good things and good people in life. It’s simply that we’ve been disappointed so often that we are reluctant to trust much of anything or anyone that has not been thoroughly tested. To protect our own fragile psyches, we wield a mighty shield of skepticism and a sword of lingering pessimism we challenge God to disarm. We need a faith that will survive the lions’ den. We just don’t know how to properly go about finding it. (Farfetched as it sounds, the same concept of trying to “force” God to prove Himself has been applied to explain Judas’ betrayal of Christ. Explainable or not, betrayal is never the right thing to do. However, understanding our hidden motives and their possible manifestations may help us avoid others’ mistakes.)

So, while Darius’ advisors turned to the literal lions’ den for their own reasons, Darius only did so as – and because - other options failed him. First, he put trust in his “wise” men, who obviously and painfully manipulated him for their own purposes. When they suggested Darius himself was worthy of worship, he made the mistake of believing that. Self-help never lasts long for anyone who knows their own heart, though, but by the time he recognized this, Darius was overcommitted. He had no escape, no hope of redeeming his self-worship from the injustice it caused Daniel. Except for one: the God of Israel had to be as good, and as strong and capable, as Daniel believed Him to be. This is one of the few places in Scripture where an emperor or leader actually hopes the Lord will intervene to change events he set in motion. In the vernacular, Darius realized he’d been “had;” he also knew it would take a divine miracle to set things right. Daniel bet his life on Jehovah. Darius could only watch and pray Daniel’s faith would be rewarded. He looked for hope out of the lions’ den.

Darius’ journey is not all that different from our own. We tend to put faith in the advice of others, or our own innate wisdom, long before we will trust Christ. One day, however, all of us will face insurmountable difficulties we have no ability to alter or avoid. Our ill-considered thoughts and actions may even place innocents in jeopardy. If we have a soul, we will regret our decisions. Then, we can only confess our sins and observe how the Lord will respond.

The Book of Daniel’s message here was not written for those who actually find themselves in the lions’ dens of life. It is primarily a gift for those who put them there, for whatever reason. The Father can redeem any situation. Whether He will may depend on our willingness to repent, as Darius clearly did. But the Lord is capable, so there is always hope.

We frequently overlook the effects our thoughtlessness, jealousy and self-centeredness have on others... until it is too late for us to do anything about them. In just a moment of pique, we can wound those we love, sometimes mortally. We need to turn from and repent of our envy and our insecurities. We desperately need Jesus to intervene to help us treat others as we would treat ourselves, and to make our first priority their needs and situations. The good news is there is no place, no situation, outside the reach of the Holy Spirit. No demon or adversity is so overwhelming it cannot be controlled. There is no circumstance beyond the ability of Jesus Christ to redeem it.

Sometimes, we give ourselves too much credit… or too much blame. We obsess about what others think and the things we cause, both good and bad. As this becomes more and more habitual, we can easily forget that our last resort needs instead to be our first option. In the final analysis, this is the lesson of the lions’ den. Whether we are the ones who wield the keys, or those facing its trials, we can rejoice that the Lord will come and stand beside us. In the lions’ den, the Spirit can save us not just from external forces, but from ourselves and our bad decisions, too. We have but to ask.