This is a story about Daniel. He actually came to Babylon with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and each king that came and went liked these men because they were honest and hard workers. They were always given the most important jobs which made the other workers of the king jealous.
This time the king's name was Darius and he also liked Daniel. He knew that Daniel was a good worker so he decided to put Daniel in charge of the whole country. The other servants of the king were very jealous of Daniel and they tried to find something that would get Daniel in trouble. They were trying to get him fired, but Daniel obeyed God so they couldn't find anything.
Finally these men said to each other, "We can't find any reason for the king to fire Daniel. The only way we could get him to disobey the king is if we made a law against his god." So they went to king Darius and said, "O great king, you are so wonderful that no one should pray to anyone but you."
The king said, "That sounds like a great idea!" Then the men continued, "All of your workers have agreed that this should be done and that anyone that prays to any other god should be thrown into the lions den."
The workers lied and said that everyone who worked for the king agreed, but of course they never talked to Daniel because they knew he wouldn't agree. The king didn't know this, so he made the law and it couldn't be changed.
When Daniel heard about the new law he did what he always did. He went home to a room upstairs and opened the windows that looked out over the city. Three times that day he went down on his knees and prayed to God just like he always had.
These men went as a group to Daniel's house and found him praying and asking God for help. So they ran straight to the king and told him, "Your worker Daniel is ignoring your command. We have seen him praying to his God three times today."
When the king heard this he was very sad. He really liked Daniel and he didn't want him to die. He tried everything to get the law changed to stop Daniel from being thrown in the lions' den, but the men came to him and reminded him that the law could not be changed and Daniel would have to be punished.
So at the end of the day the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "I hope your God who you serve and pray to will rescue you!"
A large, heavy stone was rolled in front of the den and the king went back to his palace with tears in his eyes. That night King Darius couldn't eat or sleep he was so worried for Daniel.
The next day, as soon as the sun came up the king got up and ran to the lions' den. As he got closer he shouted, "Daniel, has your God who you serve and pray to rescued you from the lions?" The king waited quietly for a response.
Then all of a sudden Daniel said, "O king, live forever! My God sent an angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me because I have done nothing wrong."
The king jumped with joy and immediately ordered that Daniel be removed from the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, there wasn't even a scratch on him because he trusted in God.
The king knew that the men had tricked him into punishing Daniel so he punished them.
After that the king made a new law and he said, "Daniel's God is great, and I order that everyone in my kingdom must respect the Lord God, who rescued Daniel from the hungry lions."
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Daniel was brought to Babylon from Israel as a young boy by King Nebuchadnezzar.
When the king took over Israel, he took with him the most intelligent and handsome young
men from Israel to help him at his palace. Among these were Daniel and his three friends.
Daniel was very handsome, honest and intelligent. After a training period of three years, the
king chose Daniel and his three friends from all the other young men to help him in his
palace. Over time, Daniel earned the king's trust and affection as he helped the king
solve many problems and worked very hard for the king. He was known for being wise beyond
his years, and he was completely dedicated to his work.
After the time of Nebuchadnezzar, another king ruled Babylon, and then another. All
the kings who ruled Babylon trusted Daniel and depended on him for carrying out many
tasks. Over the years, Daniel earned a very good name among the people of Babylon. He
was praised for his intelligence, kindness and hard-working nature. He understood the
problems faced by the people and made wise suggestions that would help them to find a
solution. He was a very devout believer of God and prayed three times a day without fail.
When King Darius came into power, he was so happy with Daniel's services that he gave
him all the responsibilities for running the country. The other senior counselors and ministers
of the king grew jealous of him as they had to follow Daniel's orders.
They met with each other and talked about this often. Babon and Samuel were two of the
most senior men in Darius's court. They did not like the idea of the king's growing affection
towards Daniel. They feared that the king would favor Daniel over them.
The king was placing more and more responsibilities on Daniel now, and he consulted only Daniel
for solving the issues in the kingdom. The king felt that Daniel had the best possible
solution for any problem. The other senior members of the court were becoming afraid
that they would no longer be needed by the king and they would be thrown out.
The most senior members of the court were Babon and Samuel and they shared the same
worry, how to get rid of Daniel. One day, Babon and Samuel met at a wayside
inn to discuss this problem. This Daniel is becoming even more powerful
with every passing day. The king only listens to him now.
We have been serving the kingdom for so many years and yet the king does not even ask for
our opinion on anything. If this is the case, I am certain the king
will remove us from the service of the court. We will have to go back to the streets selling
pots to make a living. Quite true, my friend. We have to do something
about this. It is a matter of our survival. We must find a way to remove this Daniel from
the king's court immediately. It is not easy, Babon. He has a great reputation.
The king will not simply remove him because we say so. We have to be very careful.
We must destroy his reputation. I have observed him very closely for some
time now and it is next to impossible to find any fault with him. He is an extremely devout
man and prays to his God three times a day. He is very popular among the people as well.
Wait. You said he prays three times a day to his God, right?
Yes. Everybody knows about this. Why? I think I have something we can use against
him. If my plan works out, we will have to never worry about Daniel anymore.
What is it? Tell me! And so, Babon and Samuel devised a plot that
day. They returned to their homes agreeing to meet in court the following day.
The next day, Babon and Samuel arrive at the palace to meet with the king. They talked
about various issues of the state and how happy the people of Babylon are with the king
and his rule. They praised the king on his bravery, his sense of justice and how kind
and merciful he was. The king was very pleased with what Babon and Samuel had to say. Then
Samuel made a suggestion for a law to be passed. My lord, the people of Babylon are indebted
to you. The kingdom is thriving and its fame has reached the far ends of the earth. This
has all happened only because you are the king. No other king has achieved so much for
their kingdom as you have. I think that we need to celebrate this occasion and give the
people an opportunity to show their gratitude to you.
Your words please me, Samuel. You are truly a loyal subject of Babylon. What do you suggest
we do? My lord, I'll explain. We have a suggestion
that for the next 30 days, all the subjects of Babylon will praise and pray to no other
god or man other than the king of Babylon, you, King Darius. Yes, it is a great way to
find out who are truly loyal to Babylon and its king. We suggest that a decree be passed
for the next 30 days. Nobody will pray to any other god other than King Darius.
I think that is a wonderful idea, Samuel. You really have proven that you are worthy
of your position in my court. But I must first discuss this with Daniel before I go further
with this. Your majesty, I don't think that would be
necessary. We have discussed this with all the senior counselors of the court and they
are in agreement. Daniel would without doubt be overjoyed to have this law passed. Why
waste time over discussing it again with Daniel? We have prepared the decree for you
to sign on, your majesty. Here is the scroll. The king believed that Daniel was aware of
the law. However, Daniel was not consulted about this and so he was not aware of it.
Babylon had sent two guards to Daniel's house at the time that he offered prayers to his
god. As soon as the soldiers saw Daniel praying to god, they immediately moved in to arrest
him. Daniel, didn't you hear of the law passed
by the king? What law? What have I done wrong? Why are you arresting me?
A new law has been passed by the king stating that no citizen is to worship any other god
other than King Darius himself, for 30 days. I am not aware of this. Very well, take me
to the king. The soldiers arrested Daniel and took him
to the palace to be presented to the king. The king heard the news of Daniel's arrest
and he was very sad. He realized that his senior counselors had been plotting against
Daniel all along, but he felt helpless as the law had been passed. Nobody could be exempted
from the law once it was written, even the king himself. When Daniel was presented to
him by the soldiers, he felt heartbroken. Samuel and Babon were also present at the
court. They were happy that their plan was working out as they hoped.
Daniel, what have you done? I thought you were aware of this new rule. Do you have anything
to say to defend yourself? My lord, Daniel has defied the rule of the
kingdom. This is as clear as daylight. Several people have watched him offering prayers to
his god. You cannot pardon anybody who breaks the law. It will not be considered righteous
or just. Daniel must face punishment. He should be thrown into the lion's den.
I have nothing to say, your majesty. I am a servant of the kingdom and I am ready to
face any punishment that you give me. I have no choice, Daniel, but to command that
you be thrown into the lion's den. I hope that the god you pray and worship will save
you. As soon as the king commanded, Daniel was
taken away by the soldiers to be thrown into the lion's den. The king was very sad that
he had to send Daniel to his death. That night he could not sleep. He was saddened by the
fact that his most favorite servant would be ripped apart by the lions.
The next morning, as soon as the sun rose, he jumped from his bed and hurried to the
lion's den. He approached the den hesitantly and called out to Daniel hesitantly.
Daniel, can you hear me? Did the god that you serve and worship save you? Answer me,
Daniel. Are you alive? There was silence for a couple of moments.
Yes, your majesty. And then Darius heard a voice that made him jump with joy. It was
the voice of Daniel. Yes, your majesty. May the king live forever. I am unhurt, my lord.
The lions did not even touch me. My god sent an angel into the den who shut the mouths
of these lions. My god has indeed saved me, for I am innocent.
Soldiers, open the mouth of this den at once. Remove Daniel from the den at once.
The soldiers removed the huge boulder that closed the mouth of the cave.
Slowly Daniel stepped out of the cave. There was not even a single scratch on his body.
It was truly a miracle. Daniel, your god is indeed true. He came to
rescue you in the most hopeless hour. I am sorry that you had to endure this. Come, let
us go to the palace at once.
When news of what had happened to Daniel spread around the kingdom, the people were amazed
and stunned. Babon and Samuel realized that their evil plan had gone wrong. When the king
arrived at the palace with Daniel, he ordered the soldiers to throw Babon and Samuel into
the same lion's den. The lions pounced on them and killed them instantly, breaking their
every bone before they ate them. The king was overjoyed that Daniel was back at the
court. He reversed the old law and made a new one stating that everybody in Babylon
must pray to Daniel's god, the god who performs miracles to help those who serve him.
And so, Daniel continued to serve the king and execute his duties faithfully for a very
long time. He continued to pray to the true god until he died.
