THE KING’S BUSINESS
844
times think it is impossible for a man to be a statesman and continue as states man and serve God continually. The exam ple of Daniel shows that it is not so. But certainly it does take a man of character to be a statesman and to serve God with out compromise. There is a striking incon sistency between Darius’ testimony to Daniel and his treatment of Daniel. Such a friend as Darius was is scarcely worth hav ing though he is in a place of power; but Daniel, as we shall see directly, had a far better friend than Darius the king.' vs. 21, 22. “Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live forever. My God hath sent His angel, and Has shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not hurt m e : foras much as before Him innonecy was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt." Daniel’s answer was in a cheery tone, in marked contrast with the king’s "lamentable voice.” God had wrought another deliverance. He is always work ing deliverances for His faithful servants. If He be for us no enemy can harm us (Rom. 8:31). Deliverance was wrought through an angel. It is the business of angels to look after God’s own (Heb. 1:13, 14; Ps. 34:7; 2 Chron. 32:21; Acts 12:11; 27:23). The angel “shut the lions’ mouths.” He could shut everyone of their mouths without the least difficulty. Paul was delivered out o f ,the mouth of the lion in another way (2 Tim. 4:17). Daniel was delivered because he was innocent: “innocency” is the best shelter from every ill. Daniel is very respectful in his address to the king in spite of the outrageous treat ment that he had received from the king. He asserted his innocence of any wrong against the king, but did it in a most modest and humble and gracious way. v. 23. “Then was the king exceeding glad for him (omit, for him ) and com manded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed
in his heart he longed to do, let Daniel go free (cf. Prov. 29:25). As Pilate at a later day sought to appease his conscience and cover up his own infamy by washing his hands, so Darius here seeks to cloak his infamy by piously saying, “Daniel, thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.” That was all true, but it was a truth used to excuse sin. Darius had no right to do wrong trusting God to over rule the wrong he did. But after all Darius was not as sure that God would deliver Daniel as his statement might indicate (cf. v. 20 ). v. 18. “Theft the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting : neither were instruments of music brought before him : and his sleep went from him." The king had a bad night of it, he deserved to have. Daniel had a fine night of it. He had a far better time in the lions’ den than the king had in his palace. It is far better to be in the lion’s den with God than in the palace with a guilty conscience. vs. 19, 20. “Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste into the den of lions. And when he came to ( near unto ) the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and (he came near unto the den to Daniel, he cried with a lamentable voice ) : the king spake and said to Daniel, 0 Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?’’ For once at least the king was up early. Dignity was forgotten and he hastened to the man he had wronged. He addressed Daniel with a high title, calling him “Servant of the living God,” and fur ther testified that Daniel served this living God continually. That is a grand testi mony to a man. Daniel had evidently made an impression on this potent but time serv ing king. This testimony of the king to Daniel was true as thé whole record shows. No better testimony than that to a man’s character could be given. And remember Daniel was a statesman nearly all his life and he was now nearly ninety. We some
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker