Daniel 6:18-23
18Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no food was brought to him, and sleep fled from him. 19Then, at break of day, the king got up and hurried to the den of lions. 20When he came near the den where Daniel was, he cried out anxiously to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you faithfully serve been able to deliver you from the lions?” 21Daniel then said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no wrong.” 23Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den.
Perhaps one of the more familiar stories, at least by general outline, from the book of Daniel is this one. Daniel gets thrown into the den of lions because, like his friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, he won’t follow a king’s decree of worship. So, into the lion’s den goes Daniel. He puts his trust in the Lord and God sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions overnight, saving Daniel.
It is at once a story that comforts us with miraculous protection and inspires miraculous trust. I truly hope that I never end up in a small space with hungry lions, but I cling to this image of God’s angels closing the mouths of the lions. And, like his friends before him, Daniel was steadfast in worshiping his God – regardless of the trials the world set before him.
Peace,
Pastor Jenn
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