God the Vindicator

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jan 30, 1912

God the Vindicator

THE first six chapters of Daniel are a revelation to the nations of the great God of heaven, in all the great, practical affairs of life which pertain to a people and to a nation. We do not believe that any one, be he Christian or infidel, could study the principles revealed in these chapters, who would not concede that adherence to these principles would make a people great, a nation strong, rulers wise. We have God the Educator in the first chapter, the Revealer in the second, the Deliverer in the third, the Ruler in the fourth, the Judge in the fifth, and now we study God the Vindicator, who rises up for the vindication of His children, those who are willing to do His will whatever the consequences. These chapters bring us directly into the presence of God and show us personal responsibility to Him — the greatest thought which the mighty brain of Daniel Webster could conceive.

The chronology of this chapter is immediately after that of the last, the beginning of the rule of Darius the Mede. Let us learn —

The Answer of the Text

1. What steps did Darius take for the organization of his kingdom when he came to the throne?

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, who should be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one; that these satraps might give account unto them, and that the king should have no damage. Then this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Verses 1-3. Note 1.

2. What was the result, among the rulers, of the elevation of Daniel?

Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom; but they could find no occasion nor fault, forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Verse 4. Note 2.

3. What plot did they enter into, and how did they carry it through?

Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. Then these presidents and satraps assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live forever. All the presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the counselors and the governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a strong interdict, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the interdict, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Wherefore King Darius signed the writing and the interdict. Verses 5-9. Note 3.

4. What effect had this upon Daniel?

And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem); and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. Then these men assembled together, and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. Verses 10, 11. Note 4.

5. What pressure did these nobles bring to bear upon the king?

Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's interdict: Hast thou not signed an interdict, that every man that shall make petition unto any god or man within thirty days, save unto thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the interdict that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to rescue him. Then these men assembled together unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians, that no interdict nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed. Verses 12-15. Note 5.

6. How was the decree executed?

Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, He will deliver thee. And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting; neither were instruments of music brought before him; and his sleep fled from him. Verses 16-18. Note 6.

7. What was the result to Daniel and the king?

Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. And when he came near unto the den to Daniel, he cried with a lamentable voice; the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live forever. My God hath sent His angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, and 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. Then was the king exceeding glad, 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 had trusted in his God. Verses 19-23. Note 7.

8. What was the result to these nobles?

And the king commanded, and they brought those men that 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, before they came to the bottom of the den. Verse 24. Note 8.

9. How did the whole event redound to the glory of God?

Then King Darius wrote unto all the peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you. I make a decree, that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for He is the living God, and steadfast forever, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed; and His dominion shall be even unto the end. 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. So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. Verses 25-28. Note 9.

Note and Comment

1. IT PLEASED DARIUS. — In other words, Darius thought it good. The division of his kingdom was a wise plan. Afterward it seems to have been enlarged. See Esther 1:1. Evidently the king saw that one man could not overlook all the 120 divisions, and so he placed over the 120 three presiding officers, and these princes — better, satraps, as in the Revised Version, in reality only governors of smaller divisions — looked after the local civil and military matters of the separate divisions of the great empire. The fact that there were three presiding officers over the 120 was also a wise step. Each, of course, would be jealous of the administration of his own particular division, and would be anxious to strengthen himself in the favor of the king. Of these Daniel was ONE, not the first, as in the Common Version. He was simply one of the three presidents, equal divisions, of which the king was at the head. Evidently to Darius' ears had come the knowledge of Daniel's greatness through the long reign of Nebuchadnezzar, and his late appearance before the last king of Babylon at the godless feast. But in the testing of the three men it was found that Daniel was superior to the other two, so that he was distinguished above all the presidents and the satraps, because of his excellent spirit, and this superiority was so apparent to the king that he thought to set him over the whole realm.

2. SOUGHT TO FIND OCCASION. — Rising above mediocrity always brings jealousy and calumny. No man rises above his fellows without arousing the jealousy and envy of some. He may not have superior ability, but he has superior faithfulness. Jealousy was aroused on the part of the presidents and the satraps, and they sought to find occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom. They evidently examined into all his official and private acts in every way possible, and finally decided that no occasion or fault could be brought against him in any way. He was not only faithful in his duties, unselfish in the performance of them, but he was accurate in all of his accounts, and all that he rendered to the king.

3. CONCERNING THE LAW OF HIS GOD. — It would seem that envy is hard put to it when it must take a man's virtues as a basis for an accusation, but that is just what was done with Daniel, and these men actually confess it to themselves, that "we shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God." He worshiped a God whom they did not worship, and yet in no way did his worship of the God of the Hebrews affect the faithfulness and devotion of his service to the king, or do otherwise than to make his work only the more faithful and accurate. And yet, as have bigots in all ages, they used the very thing as the basis of accusation that made the man what he was. But this could not come about easily; they could not put it as baldly as that before the king. They must in some way induce the king to carry out their desires for a different reason, and therefore they came before him with fawning flattery, and asked him that he should establish a royal statute, and make a strong interdict that whoever should ask any petition of any god or man for thirty days, save of the king, he should be cast into the den of lions. In other words, the king was to be raised to divine honors, and of course when he himself was to be so exalted, he would accede to their request, and establish the writing, and sign the interdict. It was to be tested for a month. We get an insight into Persian customs in this chapter that is excellent: having high regard for their own wisdom, and desiring the government to be firmly fixed and established, when a law was passed it could not be changed. When signed by the king, it was irrevocable. There is but one Being in all the universe that can afford to take such a stand as that, and that is God. The infallible One can make infallible laws, but fallible men, when they see that the law is not working for the purpose designed, see that it is bringing ill instead of good, ought not only to have the right and power to change it, but the willingness to change it. There is a tremendous likeness of the example of those

days with the days in which we are now living. Flattered by the rulers, Darius signs the decree.

4. WHEN DANIEL KNEW. — Daniel knew that the writing was signed, knew what it meant, knew the character of the laws of the Medes and the Persians, that they changed not, knew that the law would be executed because of the jealousy of the nobles; but it did not affect his moral conduct. He owed certain obligations to Darius; he owed greater obligations to God. He owed certain duties to the country where he dwelt, to the king whom he served; he owed still higher duties to God; but in God's great plan and order, no duty rendered to Him will diminish or detract from the duty that we owe to man. In fact, he who recognizes his primal obligation to God, will be all the more earnest and careful to render his duty to mankind, because he cannot truly serve God and illy serve his fellow beings. His duty to God includes also his duty toward his fellow men. And so when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house and worshiped the God of heaven three times a day, just as he had done aforetime, and the men assembled and saw him worshiping God. They knew they would; they had no question as to Daniel, and his duty. They had laid a sure trap for him, and they thought there was nothing in the world that could save him from their wrath, their envy, their murderous jealousy.

5. THEY . . . SPAKE BEFORE THE KING. — Having spied out Daniel offering his devotions to God, they come again to the king. They ask him that question, Hast thou not signed such a decree concerning the worship that we are paying to thee, O king? Does not that become the law of the Medes and Persians, and is it not unalterable? and the king declares it is. He does not know what is going to be the result of his foolish act; but they tell him that "that Daniel" (we can imagine the contempt with which the words were used), "That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king," nor the law which thou hast made. He prays three times a day before his God. Their accusation did not please the king. He was sad when he heard the words. He saw the folly of his act, the envy of the rulers; he had nothing against Daniel's petitions to his God; he knew that the man was faithful. He labored for hours to effect some change, but in vain; he had to admit that it was a law of the Medes and Persians, and that it could not be altered.

6. THEN THE KING COMMANDED. — The law must be executed. How many of God's servants, the whitest souls of earth, have been put to death because some evil law had to be executed, some law which attempted to control conscience, attempted to mold religion! Men are seeking just such laws as that to-day. Every man who is seeking to place a Sunday law upon the statute-books of any State, or of the United States, is working for just the same principle, whether he knows it or not, as were the Persian satraps. He is by that very thing putting the human in the place of God. He is attempting to control a man's relationship to God, which must be controlled only by faith, by a man's own personal yielding. He is planning that which will bring under stress, and trial, and persecution, and penalty, the most conscientious people in the State in which he may live; for the people without conscience will yield to a law in order to save themselves the penalties; they will nominally concede the authority of the State, or will act the hypocrite, and declare that they favor such a law. But the conscientious, the devoted, the true in heart, those who seek first of all the duty which they owe to God, will rise above the fear of all human law, and make God first in everything. They will trust, as did Daniel, in God to vindicate them,

and while He may do it in a different way than He did in the days of old, He will just as truly do it as He did then. Many of the martyrs have gone down to horrible deaths without number. It seemed, sometimes, as if God had forgotten; but God has left us this record, and other records, to show that He does not forget, and sooner or later the time will come when His vindication will be manifested in the resurrection of His own people, and the everlasting shame of those who have endeavored to set themselves in His place. But the king did what the nobles knew that he would have to do, signed the unholy decree. And then he goes back to his palace and passes the night in fasting and praying, we may be sure, for aught we know, for the God of Daniel. He would have no instruments of music brought before him to cheer him, and his sleep fled away.

7. THE KING AROSE VERY EARLY. — He could not lie upon his bed, with his faithful servant in the den of lions. He knew something of Daniel's character; he did not know, after all, but Daniel's God would overrule in some way for the salvation of His servant; and so he comes to the den of lions and cries in a lamentable voice, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?" and it must have brought joy to his heart when there came the response, "O king, live forever. My God hath sent His angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, and 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." The decree had been signed; the decree had been executed. The king had thus far met all the requirements of the law. But Daniel was still living. The lions, under the control of heavenly powers, had refused to coöperate, and the faithful man was immediately released from the den of lions. "And no manner of hurt was found upon him," and the reason of the whole thing is stated in the one sentence, "because he had trusted in his God." We doubt not that he was willing to die if God had so overruled, but God could get glory to His name by His servant living then, and the divine power is exercised in response to living faith.

8. THE KING COMMANDED. — He issued another decree. He gave commandment concerning another thing. There is an old tradition that comes down to us from the Jews, that before Daniel was cast into the den of lions the lions were left to famish, until they were almost starved, and even then they would not harm the prophet. But when the rulers were cast into the den the lions were fed to repletion, so that they would not be hungry; and yet, before these plotters against Daniel had reached the bottom of the den the lions had obtained the mastery over them, and had broken and torn them utterly to pieces. Thus God vindicated His servant. The very power that men thought to enlist against God and His representative, in the end turned against them. In the words of the psalmist, the things that they had plotted came down upon their own pate.

9. KING DARIUS WROTE. — Our readers will recall that in the beginning of these studies the thought was emphasized that God's Gospel must go to the earth, that if His own people are unfaithful He will raise up others who will carry it forward. In the words of Jesus, if His disciples should have held their peace, the very stones would have cried out in His praise. God's own children had gone into captivity. They were unfaithful in the giving of His message to the world, and therefore Darius gives it. He sends out a proclamation to all nations and languages that dwell in all the earth, a message of peace, a decree, and that decree is to the effect that in all the dominion of his kingdom men should "tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for He is the living God, and steadfast forever, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed; and His dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and He worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth."

There is something of the intolerant national reform in the decree of Darius, for no law can make men tremble before God. No human law can make men fear a God, either true or false. That must come about by the soul's own recognition of what he owes to his Creator. Having that in his heart, he needs no law to compel reverence or fear, no law that will engender hatred against the government who issues it. He will render from a glad heart his duty to his Maker, and having rendered that, like Daniel, he can trust Him, and find relief and blessing.

Marvelous, indeed, has been the career of this noted Hebrew. Coming to Babylon when he was a mere boy, having in his heart a great, holy purpose to do God's will, and not to yield to the things which would defile soul or body, holding to that purpose through a long and varied and trying life, he comes down to life's close with honor untarnished, character unsullied, soul stronger and firmer in God, ballasted by eternal righteousness against all the storms of hate, or envy, or human expediency.

How long he lived we do not know. He continued, at least, until the reign of Cyrus the Persian. For the thought is not as in the Common Version, that he lived until that time, but he prospered in the reign of Cyrus. He may have been one of the counselors of the great Persian, even as he was of the last king of the Medes.