Daniel 6.19 [6.20]-Darius Arises at Dawn the Next Morning and Rushes to Lions' Den
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday March 21, 2013
Daniel: Daniel 6:19 (6:20)-Darius Arises at Dawn the Next Morning and Rushes to Lions’ Den
Lesson # 190
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 6:19.
Daniel 6:1 Now, Darius the Mede received the kingdom at sixty-two years of age. 2 It was considered a good idea by Darius to establish one hundred twenty satraps over the kingdom in order that they would be in authority over the entire kingdom. 3 Also, out from, over them, three supervisors, of whom Daniel was one of them in order that these satraps would exist in the state of having to give an account to them so that the king would never be able to suffer loss. 4 Then this Daniel was distinguishing himself above the supervisors as well as satraps because an extraordinary spirit was in him. Consequently, the king intended to establish him over the entire kingdom 5 as a result, the supervisors as well as the satraps were repeatedly attempting to cause a pretext to be found against Daniel with regards to governmental affairs. However, repeatedly they were totally unable to cause any pretext in the form of corruption to be found because he was trustworthy. Indeed, no negligence in the form of corruption was found against him. 6 Therefore, these men concluded, “We will never be able to cause a pretext to be found against this Daniel unless we cause it be found in connection with the law originating from his God.” 7 Consequently, these supervisors as well as the satraps conspired together to the detriment of the king and said the following to the king, “King Darius, live forever! 8 Each and every one of the supervisors over the kingdom, namely the senior officials well as the satraps, that is the royal officials, in other words the governors are in agreement that the king should issue an edict. Specifically, an interdict, which should be enforced in order that whoever makes a request from any god or human being during a thirty day period except from you, O king, must be unceremoniously deposited into a lion’s den. 9 Now, please O king establish an interdict. Specifically, please sign the document into law in order that it can never be changed according to Medo-Persian law, which can never be revoked.” 10 Because of this, King Darius signed the document into law, that is, the interdict. 11 Now when Daniel was aware that the document was signed into law, he entered his home, which had windows in its upper room swung open toward Jerusalem. Then he worshipped on his knees three times during the day. Indeed, as was his custom, he prayed while giving thanks in the presence of his God just as he had been doing previously. 12 Then these men conspired together, namely, they found Daniel making request, specifically, making an earnest and urgent prayer request in the presence of his God. 13 Consequently they came into the king’s presence and posed a question with regards to the interdict issued by the king, “Did you not sign an interdict, namely that, any person who makes a request from any god or human being during a thirty day period except from you, O king, must be unceremoniously deposited into a lion’s den?” The king replied and said, “Absolutely, the decree is according to Medo-Persian law, which can never be revoked.” 14 Thus they replied in the presence of the king and said that, “Daniel, who is one of the deported people from Judah, has absolutely no respect for your command, O king, that is, for your interdict, which you signed into law. Instead, three times during the course of the day, he regularly makes his request.” 15 Consequently when the king heard the charge against him he was extremely upset. Thus, with regards to Daniel, he was determined to deliver him. Indeed, until sunset, he repeatedly made every effort to rescue him. 16 Then these men conspired together to the detriment of the king and said to the king, “Please remember, O king that with regards to Medo-Persian law, each and every interdict, specifically, edict, which the king does issue, is irrevocable.” 17 Therefore, the king issued an order for the purpose of causing Daniel to be brought in to be unceremoniously deposited into a lion’s den. The king encouraged Daniel and said, “Your God, because you yourself serve Him faithfully, will rescue you.” 18 Then a particular stone was brought for the purpose of being placed over the den’s mouth. Next, the king sealed it with his signet ring as well as with his nobles’ signet rings in order that this matter could never be altered. 19 Then the king returned to his palace. However, he spent the night fasting. Also, diversions were never ordered to be brought into his presence. Indeed, to his detriment, his sleep fled. (My translation)
Daniel 6:19 Then the king arose at dawn, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions’ den. (NASB95)
“Then the king arose at dawn, at the break of day” describes the next event that took place after the king spent a sleepless fasting and having no entertainment brought into his presence.
“And went in haste to the lions’ den” presents to the reader the purpose of Darius getting up at dawn the day after executing Daniel.
“Went” is the verb ʾǎzǎl (אֲזַל) (az-al´), which means “to return, go back to a place” and denotes Darius “returned” to the lions’ den at dawn to see if Daniel was still alive.
“In haste” is composed of the preposition bĕ (בְּ) (beh), “in” and its object is the hitpeʿel (Hebrew: qal passive) passive infinitive construct form of the verb behǎl (בְּהַל) (bĕ-hal´), “haste.”
The verb behǎl means “to hasten” in the sense of moving or acting quickly and is used of Darius “hastening” to the lions’ den at dawn the day after executing Daniel and expresses the idea that Darius did not delay returning to the lions’ den once the first light of day poured out across his kingdom.
The word is in the infinitive construct form and is the object of the preposition bĕ, which is marking the manner in which Darius returned to the lions’ den and functions as an adverb and means “immediately.”
Daniel 6:19 (6:20) Afterward the king at dawn, at first light got up in order to return immediately to the lions’ den. (My translation)
After spending a sleepless, restless night in his royal bed, at the first crack of dawn, Darius got up in order to rush to the lions’ den in order to see if Daniel’s God had in fact delivered him from the mouths of the lions.
Interestingly, the fact that Darius arose the next morning at dawn to see if Daniel was alive indicates that spending a night in the lions’ den was the minimum that Medo-Persian law required after an execution.
The king’s actions here demonstrate his faith in the God of Israel to deliver Daniel.
From the human perspective, Daniel was dead.
The conspirators were not worried since the den was sealed so that no one could spring Daniel like the king.
So for Darius to rush to the lions’ den the very next morning was an expression of his great faith in the God of Israel, thus he was clearly a believer before seeing Daniel alive the next morning.
In fact, the king would never have gone down to the pit the next morning to see if Daniel was alive if he didn’t think that God could deliver him.
He simply would never have come down and would have mourned for Daniel instead and never would have called out to Daniel to see if he was alive if he didn’t have confidence that the God of Israel could deliver him.
If he had no faith, he would never called out to Daniel but simply ordered the body to be removed from the lions’ den.
Faith says that God is able.
Darius’ action in rushing to the tomb the next morning even after having Daniel unceremoniously deposited into the lions’ den and calling out to him reveals that the king believed that the God of Israel was able to deliver Daniel from death.
In Daniel 6:16 (6:17), we read of Darius acknowledging the ability of the God of Israel to deliver Daniel from death.
He views Daniel’s God as a God of deliverance and recognizes that God can overrule his decision and save Daniel from death.
The king’s statement in this verse makes clear that he recognizes that Daniel’s God is sovereign over him and has the ability to shut the mouths of the lions.
The king would have never made this encouraging statement to Daniel if he did not believe that Daniel’s God was powerful enough to save him from the lions and sovereign to overrule his decision to execute Daniel.
Furthermore, in Daniel 6:20 (6:21) when Darius calls out to Daniel he describes the God of Israel as the “living” God in contrast to the inanimate gods the pagans worshipped, which also makes clear that Darius had faith in the God of Israel.
By describing the God of Israel as the “living God” the king was also acknowledging that He is active and powerful as well as executing judgment and bestowing blessings on mankind as well as having the power of life and death in His hand.
Now, some might argue that Darius didn’t sound to confident in God’s ability in Daniel 6:20 (6:21) since this verse records the king crying out in a troubled voice to Daniel and asks if his God had delivered him from death.
It appears that Darius is expressing doubt in Daniel’s God’s ability to save him but the king recognizes that God is sovereign and could have decided not to save Daniel, thus, the king’s question in this verse simply reveals the king was not sure if God was willing to save Daniel.
He wasn’t doubting God’s ability to save Daniel but only doubting whether or not it was God’s will to save him.
If Darius didn’t think Daniel’s God could save him, he would have simply said goodbye to Daniel and even apologized to him.
As we noted, the king was fasting in order to demonstrate his repentance to the God of Israel in the hopes that He would reverse his action in executing Daniel.
Like the king of Nineveh, Darius fasted in order to demonstrate to the God of Israel his repentance and desire that God would relent.
Darius repented because he wanted God to intervene and save Daniel.
It’s quite possible that Darius heard about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego miraculously being delivered from Nebuchadnezzar’s hand.
Nebuchadnezzar had issued a proclamation throughout his world-wide kingdom praising the God of Israel for delivering in such a manner as we read in Daniel chapter three.
Daniel more than likely spoke quite a bit with Darius about his God and led the king to have faith in the God of Israel and even Nebuchadnezzar’s proclamation decades before could have contributed to leading Darius to faith in Daniel’s God.
As we will see in the next verse, not only was Daniel’s faith in the God of Israel rewarded but also Darius’ faith in the God of Israel was rewarded as well.