Read Daniel 6:1-24
At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” –Daniel 6:19-20
Daniel and his friends were among the very first Israelites who were taken to Babylon in exile. The Babylonian king chose some of the young men in Israel’s royal family to enter into his service: “Young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace.” Daniel and his friends met each of those qualifications.
But first, Daniel and his friends were given Babylonian names. Daniel’s name became “Belteshazzar.” And just to give you a sense of how complete this new identity was, we know his three friends by their Babylonian names—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—instead of their Hebrew names! For the next three years, Daniel and his friends were immersed in Babylonian language and customs.
Can you imagine how difficult this crossing must have been for Daniel? He was cut off from home and family, unsure if he would ever return. He knew that his survival depended upon his ability to adapt to this new environment in which he found himself. But Daniel also knew his survival depended upon something else. He didn’t just need to adapt to a new place. He also had to figure out how to hold onto who he was. If he let go of his faith and identity, he would’ve been lost.
The first test came in the form of diet. The king ordered that food be provided for Daniel and his friends from his own table, which in some ways was quite an honor. The problem was that the king’s food had been sacrificed and dedicated to false idols. Eating the food would’ve represented a tacit acknowledgment of the Babylonian gods’ superiority, that they were the ones who provided for his life. This was a step Daniel could not take.
So Daniel petitioned the chief steward to eat a special diet of vegetables and water. The chief steward was afraid to disobey the king’s order—if the king noticed Daniel and his friends looking worse than the others, it would mean his head. Daniel suggested a short trial period, and by the end of ten days Daniel and his friends were stronger and healthier than their peers. Indeed, by the end of the three years set aside for their training, the king “found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Michael, and Azariah; in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.”
Because of the king’s favor, though, Daniel and his friends made enemies—advisors and officials who were jealous of their position. These rivals saw their faith in a foreign God as an opening to be exploited. First, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were threatened with a fiery furnace unless they bowed down to a golden idol that Nebuchadnezzar created. “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace,” they told the king, “the God we serve will rescue us from your hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O King, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Dan 3:18)
Daniel faced his own test. Daniel’s prayed three times a day at an open window in his home, facing in the direction of Jerusalem. But the king that followed Nebuchadnezzar (Darius) issued an edict that for thirty days, no one could pray to any god except to him. Anyone found praying to another god would be thrown into a lion’s den. Daniel continued to pray at his window, making no secret of his devotion to Yahweh. Sure enough, his enemies told King Darius of his practice, and the king had no option but to throw Daniel into the lion’s den.
In both cases, God used these tests to vindicate the faith of Daniel and his friends. The flames of the furnace did not consume Shadrach, Meshach, or Abednego. In fact, observers witnessed a fourth man in the fire with them! Daniel likewise testified that God sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions, so that he could sleep among them in peace. In response, King Darius issued an edict that “in every part of my kingdom people must fear and revere the God of Daniel, for he is the living God and he endures forever. His kingdom will not be destroyed; his dominion will never end. He rescues, and he saves; he performs signs and wonders; he has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions!” (Dan 6:26-27)
Daniel and his friends faced real dangers—an actual furnace and a lion’s den. But those places also served as metaphors for the rest of the Israelite people. When you’re surrounded by those who hold different beliefs and values, it can feel like you are under constant threat. In places, it is important for us to define our “internal” thresholds—what we are willing to do to serve those around us, and what boundaries we cannot cross without compromising our integrity. Holding to those boundaries can be scary—perhaps even costly—but we can trust that the God who watches over all our crossings is with us, even in the lion’s den.
When I feel threatened, O God, remind me that You are my help and my shield. Help me to remain true to what I believe in my heart, and so serve as Your witness to those around me. Amen.