“When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.”
(Daniel 6:10)
In Sunday School a few Sundays ago, we were discussing a lesson on “Daniel and the Lions Den”, a very well know story to most who have attended church or vacation Bible school in their life time. But something was said in our class that really made me think, honestly something that had never crossed my mind. I mean my whole life I have known this story and have never thought about this one thing. That den of lions, should have been full of God’s people.
When you read back over the Jewish exiles that were taken to Babylon, there were thousands. Thousands of people who knew who God was. Thousands of people who were suppose to be God’s chosen people. Thousands of people who should have been petitioning God daily for their return to their homeland.
The law that King Darius so foolishly signed was this, “...whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions” (Daniel 6:7). That was a very broad law. It would have covered all in the kingdom, all the exiles would have been under this law also. But none were turned in.
Now it could have been that the men making the law couldn't care less if anyone else broke this law, and they were just focused on getting rid of Daniel. Even so, it makes you wonder if anyone else was breaking that law, other than Daniel.
What if that law was passed in America today? Would the den be full? I pray it would. I pray that we would be as bold as Daniel. But I pray more that we would just pray like Daniel. See he didn't wait until their was a law saying that he couldn't pray, he prayed three times a day, everyday. He petitioned God daily out of love, obedience and faith, not to defy an unjust law. He didn't picket or protest the law, he just did what he did everyday, he talked with God.
Vern
