rescued

Written by Matt Lange

Read Daniel 6 and John 20

"So the king gave the order and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, "May the God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!" Daniel 6:16

This is one of my favorite bible stories. As this friendship between two men unfold, we realize they are from such different backgrounds. One was the king whom everybody served, and the other was a slave, stolen from his home while he was a kid. Daniel was then trained for the king’s service.

As their story unfolds, we come to the place where Daniel is told to worship something he knows is not right. He makes a stand against the king’s law and chooses instead to worship God alone. Knowing the consequence of breaking the law, he still chose to worship God alone. Darius (the king) gets word by the backstabbers of that day that his precious Daniel defies the law. These "backstabbers" didn't like Daniel. They viewed him as the goody-two-shoes.

Darius had tried to figure out a way around punishing Daniel but finally had to uphold the law. And the punishment was given... a night with the lions. The lions were pretty hungry (obviously not from Detroit) and Darius feared for Daniel’s life. So Daniel is thrown to the lions and Darius calls out to him "May the God whom you serve continually, rescue you!"

What an impact Daniel’s life had on this king. He stood for what he believed in. He believed in a living God and he let nothing come between himself and his God. He took ownership in that relationship. Even though he had people on his tail trying to trap him at any given moment, he stood firm ... and saw the salvation of the Lord.

Anyway Darius goes home to a sleepless night. In the morning, first light, Darius rushes to see what happened to Daniel. Let’s think about this for a moment... hungry lions, man of flesh, together all night. Why would Darius hurry to see what had happened? Did he enjoy a bloody scene?

Daniel 6:20 tells us that the king called to Daniel as he got close to the den. "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually been able to rescue you from the lions?"

I don’t know about you but I am not in the habit of rushing to see if someone is dead, and then calling out to them and expecting them talk to me! But Darius knew that Daniel served a God unlike any other. Even though Darius had a sleepless night, he had confidence that God would deliver Daniel. Otherwise why would he have rushed to him, and risked looking like a fool? I think  Darius had to know.

What a testimony Daniel had with Darius. It makes me think of all the times God rescued me from myself when I needed Him the most. Have I been a faithful servant? Have I stood up for what I believe in? Do I live a life of integrity? Do others KNOW I serve a Living God?

I like to think so.