“Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy” (Daniel 6:4).
MOTIVATION
The background to Daniel’s time in the “Den of Lions” is that Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province. The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king’s interests. Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers, therefore, because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.
So what motivated the other high officials to find a fault in Daniel? The answer points strongly at “jealousy” and “anger”. They were “put out” that Daniel was recognised with greater ability than them. They probably thought, “Who is he, to be better than us?” “Who does he think he is?” and other such uncharitable thoughts.
Evil spiritual forces will motivate us if they have an opportunity, and anger and jealousy can stir people up to act in ways that they later regret.
The high officials in Daniel’s case, designed an evil plan that ended up with Daniel in the lions’ den. And that’s exactly what happened. But little did the high officials know Psalm 7 which says, “He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making. His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head” (Ps 7:15–16).
God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt Daniel. We see wicked spirits at work in this story, motivating the high officials into malicious cunning, but we also see good holy angels at work too.
This is the war we are engaged in, and we pray that we will always be aware of the devil’s devices. We need spiritual discernment and wisdom to see through the enemy’s wiles.
We may think that the high officials of the Medes and Persians would be clever people simply because they had been chosen by Darius as “high officials”, and we would be right, they were intelligent men. But intelligence alone will not help us in the war of darkness and light. People who are clever can become clever devils, and people who are simple in heart can become great in the kingdom of heaven.
“Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge” (Ps 31:4).
The clever high officials ended up deeply regretting giving vent to their jealousy for it was they who ended up in the den of lions with no angel there to offer them protection.
“Woe unto those who are so clever at net laying; they who tempt others shall be destroyed themselves” (CH Spurgeon).
CH Spurgeon is correct, laying a net for people to become entangled in is not God’s way, nor is it pleasing to God. These lessons are in the Bible for our good, that we may learn from them, walking in a way that pleases the Lord.
Help us to walk straight and true today oh Lord we pray.