Obeying God vs Obeying Man
“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.” Daniel 6:10
Darius was the king of the Medo-Persian empire which had overtaken Babylon wherein Daniel had been a captive for several years along with many of Israel’s people. The king’s staff hated Daniel and found a way to attempt to eliminate him from the land. They talked Darius into making a decree that if anyone asked for anything from any God or man other than king Darius, then that person would be thrown into a den of lions. This decree would be effective for only 30 days because the king’s staff would also be subject to the decree, and possibly they didn’t want the king to have that much power without a time limit. Since this decree was practically going to make Darius a god, why would he not sign it? It would give him complete control over everything and everybody in the kingdom. I can almost hear Darius saying, “Where’s my pen?” He signed the decree never stopping to consider the consequences of such absolute power nor how it could affect others. Many times men and women get into trouble by not considering possible outcomes of their impulsive behavior. Darius would come to regret his decision.
It likely was only a short time before Daniel heard that the writing was signed, indicating that he was aware of the decree before it was presented to the king. Being an intelligent and insightful man of God, Daniel knew that this decree was targeted toward him. Folks know when they are not liked by others or are the subject of others’ envy. Daniel knew that the king’s men would be watching him very closely, thus what was he going to do? Would he avoid praying to God for these 30 days? Not Daniel, the loyal servant of the God of Israel. He had depended on God for His provision and protection, therefore not praying was not an option. What about if he just prayed in secret “under his breath” or just in his mind? God’s people do not have to be in a certain physical position to pray. We can pray anytime, any where. However, if Daniel prayed in secret without anyone knowing, then others would assume that he had forsaken prayer to his God in deference to the king, giving others the notion that Daniel was more loyal to Darius that to his God. Therefore, that was also not an option.
Daniel was determined not to allow any decree, law, king, or threat deter him from his thrice daily commitment of prayer to his heavenly Father. As soon as the decree was signed by the king, Daniel knew his only option was to pray to the LORD. He went home, into the area where he was accustomed to praying and where the windows were open, the windows that faced toward Jerusalem, knelt down, and began to pray and give thanks to God. We are not given the content of his prayer, but I would expect that he began by praising God, thanking Him for all of His blessings, and asking for His protection and mercy. I wouldn’t be surprised if he also prayed for his enemies, the ones who were out to destroy him. He likely would have asked God to touch their hearts and convict them of the sin of rejecting God, His word, and the sin of hatred of the people of Israel. This was a long time before Jesus would appear on earth and earnestly admonished people to love and pray for their enemies (Matthew 5:44). Daniel had already demonstrated this principle when the former king, Nebuchadnezzar, had threatened to destroy the wise men of Babylon for not being able to interpret his dream, and Daniel urged for these men to not be harmed, saying that he could interpret the dream (Daniel 2:24). Daniel likely ended his prayer by submitting to God’s will for him, whether it was for life or death.
With no fear or trepidation, Daniel prayed three times a day before an open window, his usual daily custom, bowing toward Jerusalem, his home and the home of God’s temple. Even though he had been captive in Babylon for several decades, his heart was still in Israel with the remnant that had been left behind. Jerusalem was in ruins, but was remembered by Daniel as the place where the Spirit of God dwelt. He was aware that he had found favor with Darius who had installed him as the administrator over the whole realm of Babylon. Darius saw an excellent spirit in Daniel, but Darius was not a worshipper of the God of heaven and most likely was not familiar with Daniel’s God, yet he recognized that Daniel possessed an inner strength and insight that was virtually unknown among the Gentile world at that time (Daniel 6:3). However, Daniel also knew that a decree signed by the king was iron-clad, no exceptions, and thus Daniel was not counting on his friendship with the king to give him cover. Even with man’s law against him, he did not waiver one bit in his loyalty to the God of Israel.
Tomorrow: Daniel is caught praying to God by his enemies. What will be the outcome?