Article July 24, 2017 Issue

Feeling boxed in?

Virginia Anders

In rereading the Bible story of Daniel in the lions’ den (see Daniel 6), I saw something I had not seen before. This is the story of a wise and faithful man who was appointed by the king of Babylon to be the highest president in the land. The king’s preference for Daniel apparently caused much jealousy, and other officials in the kingdom sought a way to discredit him. However, they could find nothing the man did that was wrong.

Daniel prayed to God three times each day, and those attempting his demise conspired to use that against him. They tricked the king into passing a law that for thirty days no one in the kingdom could offer supplication to anyone but the king. Daniel continued to pray and offer supplication to God, and he was arrested for breaking this unjust law.

When the king realized he had been tricked, he could find no way to prevent Daniel from facing cruel punishment—being cast into a den of lions. But even after Daniel was confined with the beasts, he continued to pray to God. When the king went to the lions’ den the next morning, he found Daniel safe, and he gratefully released him.

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