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Daniel And The Lions Daniel 6
King Darius ruled Babylon sometime after King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel was a Hebrew captive, but he was so responsible and trustworthy that Darius decided to put Daniel in charge of the whole country. The other servants of King Darius became jealous of Daniel. They tried to bring charges against him, but they could not find anything wrong to report.
“He won’t
disobey the king unless it is to honor his God,” they said. So they went to
Darius and said, “O great king, we have all decided that you are so
wonderful that no one should pray to anyone but you.” “That sounds like a good idea to me,” said Darius. “So be it.” The men were delighted. Soon Daniel heard the king’s decree. He went to his room, opened the window that faced Jerusalem and prayed and thanked God, just as he always did three times a day. The men saw him and ran to the king. “Daniel, that exile from Judah, is ignoring your command. We have seen him praying to his God three times a day!” Darius liked Daniel and did not want him to die. The king tried everything he could think of to save Daniel, but he could not change his own decree. So at sundown, Daniel was thrown into a den of lions. The king said to Daniel, “I hope your God will rescue you!” And Daniel was sealed in with the hungry lions. The king worried about Daniel all night. As soon as the sun began to rise, the king hurried to the den. “Has the God you serve rescued you, Daniel?” Darius shouted. “O king, I am alive and safe. God sent an angel and kept the lions from harming me, because I am innocent.” “Wonderful! Get Daniel out of there at once!” Darius ordered. “Daniel’s God is great, and I decree that everyone in my kingdom must respect the Lord God, who rescued Daniel from the hungry lions.”
(From Classic Bible
Stories, A Family Treasury retold by Lise Caldwell (c) 1998 Standard
Publishing. Used by permission. This book may be purchased at your local
Christian Bookstore or from Standard Publishing (800-543-1301).
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