Lions and Laws

Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. Then these men said, "We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God." Daniel 6:4-5

     Daniel was a man whose faith was proved to be genuine when tested by fire. Well, not literally by fire -- that is another story entirely and belongs to his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (aka Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego). Daniel, however, though he was taken captive and was far from home, apparently did not waver in his obedience to God's laws. When it was commanded by the capturing king, Nebuchadnezzar,  that he and several other select youths were to be fed a diet consisting of the same foods the king age, Daniel requested an all-vegetable diet, likely to avoid being served any meats that would have been forbidden by Levitical law (see Daniel 1:8-21). This was an excellent solution, for rather than attempting to educate the Babylonian guards on the finer points of the Jewish dietary laws--entirely meaningless to them--the request for vegetables and water was a simple and straight-forward solution that made compromising the Law impossible. So we see that Daniel was a wise man even in his youth.
     Many years later, we see the same man continuing in service under a new king as well as continuing faithfully in his commitment and service to YHWH. Daniel's "excellent spirit" set him apart and he was in favor with King Darius. Jealous over the king's , some of the other leaders conspired to set a trap for Daniel into which he would surely fall. Knowing of both his integrity in obeying the laws of the land and of his devotion to God, they tricked the king into writing a temporary injunction that he alone could be prayed to for 30 days. The penalty? Being fed to the lions. This was one law that Daniel simply could not obey, and so he received the penalty along with a sincere wish from the king that his God would deliver him. God rewarded Daniel's faithfulness and did indeed deliver him from the lions. The king was both overjoyed to have his favorite president returned to him unharmed and likely also somewhat awed at the power of Daniel's God. He then made a new law: Daniel's God was to be feared and respected.
     Oddly, I was reminded of this story when reading in 1 Peter:

Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.
1 Peter 2:18-20

     I suppose it was the bit about enduring "sorrows while suffering unjustly" that brought Daniel to mind. He had done no wrong, nor did he openly flout the kings law. Instead, quietly and in the privacy of his chambers, he prayed to God despite the king's injunction. He was no rebel and he was in the habit of obeying the king as we see in Daniel 6:4. Yet he did have his priorities in order. He knew to always obey the authority God had put him under, even his Babylonian masters, but if that authority came into conflict with God's Law, then it is God first, king second. He did good as Peter exhorts the church many years later, but rather than put to "silence the ignorance of foolish people," they conspired against him to have him killed. However, he did a gracious thing in the sight of God, and God rewarded him for it. It pleased the Lord to keep Daniel in His service while here on earth for a time longer, and God was with him and showed him many other things after his night in the lions' den.
     Daniel could have been martyred for his faith that day, but God chose to deliver him from suffering because of his faithfulness. In other cases, God chooses to deliver the faithful into suffering, just as Christ also suffered and was later glorified and many of His disciples were put into prison, tortured, or killed (for a sampling, see Paul's list in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28). What struck me today was the raw fact that in either instance, God is good. His way is good. His plans are marvelous. It is doubtful that Daniel knew he would survive the lions when he took to his kneese that day, but his actions show that he did have a hearty trust in God. He simply obeyed the Lord and left the outcome to Him--even if that meant death.
     We could learn a lot from Daniel. Very few of us today are willing to risk all on obedience. In fact, we frequently obey the laws of the land or the laws of God when it pleases us; excusing our insubordination because our boss is a fool,  justifying our speeding on the way home because the limit is really too low, or within the church, overlooking our "minor" sins because we are under grace. This all fits into the bigger picture of dying to myself that God has been revealing to me; however, there is also an unadorned command. I need to be upholding the laws in everything I do: God's law first, then the law of my country. If the two should ever conflict, I must obey the Lord with all my heart, suffering patiently if that is what He wills, and trust that He really does know what is best, even when it hurts. For it brings Him glory if I am an upstanding, law-abiding citizen, and it declares His utter trustworthiness if I meekly bear up under harsh treatment for the sake of His ways, bringing Him greater glory still.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV^® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.