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Daniel 6:6-12

⁶So the administrators and high officers went to the king and said, “Long live King Darius! ⁷We are all in agreement-we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors-that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human-except to you, Your Majesty-will be thrown into the den of lions. ⁸And now, Your Majesty, issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed, an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.” ⁹So King Darius signed the law.

¹⁰But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. ¹¹Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help. ¹²So they went straight to the king and reminded him about his law. “Did you not sign a law that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human-except to you, Your Majesty-will be thrown into the den of lions?”

“Yes,” the king replied, “that decision stands; it is an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.”

Reflect

One thing that must have been in large supply back then was pride. King Darius was full of it! Daniel’s jealous co-workers knew this and used the king’s vanity against Daniel. In Babylon, the king’s word was the law but in the Medo-Persian Empire, when a law was made, even the king couldn’t change it. By appealing to his vanity, Darius was convinced to effectively make himself God for 30 days. This law could not be broken, even by important people like Daniel.

Daniel knew all of this but yet, he went home and thanked God. That seems a little strange at first glance but if you think of all of the miracles Daniel had experienced, you might understand why he would give thanks to God. I imagine that he knew that this would be a great opportunity to once again show a new king how God was always in control and that He is the only God to be worshiped.

Respond

1. Why couldn’t Daniel just close the windows and pray in private to avoid obeying the law?
2. Why did Daniel continue to pray in the open?
3. When you are faced with a situation in which you might be ridiculed for practicing your faith, what do you do?

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The sixth lion in our message series entitled, Living With Lions, is the Lion of Reputation. We learn from Daniel Chapter 6 that even a good reputation can be used against us.

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Daniel 6:1-5

¹Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province. ²The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king’s interests. ³Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.

⁴Then 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. ⁵So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.”

Reflect

Daniel was about 80 years old now and he was one of the kings top three advisors. Daniel was working with those who didn’t believe in his God but he proved himself more capable than all of the others. So much so, that he attracted the attention of the pagan king and earned a place of respect. The jealous administrators and officers he worked with couldn’t find anything about Daniel’s life to criticize, so they attacked his religion.

One of the best ways to influence non-Christian employers or co-workers is to work diligently and responsibly. This could also turn against you as some co-workers will try to find ways to hold you back and tear you down. As you excel, there will be those who would cheer at your downfall. This is why you should always conduct yourself above reproach. If you do this, you will have nothing to hide. If they criticize you because of your faith, maybe, like Daniel, that is all they can do. Respond by continuing to believe and live as you should and always remember that God is in control.

Reflect

1. If Daniel was faithful, responsible and trustworthy, how did his co-workers try to tear Daniel down?
2. How do you respond if someone criticizes you because of your faith?
3. How well do you represent God to your employer?

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Daniel 5:25-30

²⁵“This is the message that was written: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. ²⁶This is what these words mean:

Mene means `numbered’-God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end.
<sup>27</sup>Tekel means `weighed’-you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up.
²⁸Parsin means `divided’-your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
²⁹Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was dressed in purple robes, a gold chain was hung around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.
³⁰That very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed.

Reflect

King Belshazzar had power and wealth but his kingdom was totally corrupt and he could not withstand the judgment of God. He knew what had happened to his predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar, but completely disregarded the lessons his predecessor learned. He had forgotten God and he ran out of opportunities to repent. God’s judgment was fulfilled by the Medes and Persians, who joined forces to overthrow Babylon. This whole event was foretold in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in chapter 2 - the silver chest and arms.

Snap your fingers. In the snap of your fingers, your life could end - removing any further chance to repent of your sin. King Belshazzar found this out the hard way. He lost any further opportunity to repent. If you have forgotten about God, don’t let that happen to you.

Respond

1. What kept King Belshazzar from acknowledging God?
2. Did God keep his promise foretold in Chapter 2?
3. Why did God give King Nebuchadnezzar twelve months to repent but demanded immediate judgement on King Belshazzar?

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Daniel 5:17-24

¹⁷Daniel answered the king, ‘Keep your gifts or give them to someone else, but I will tell you what the writing means. ¹⁸Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, majesty, glory, and honor to your predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁹He made him so great that people of all races and nations and languages trembled before him in fear. He killed those he wanted to kill and spared those he wanted to spare. He honored those he wanted to honor and disgraced those he wanted to disgrace. ²⁰But when his heart and mind were puffed up with arrogance, he was brought down from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. ²¹He was driven from human society. He was given the mind of a wild animal, and he lived among the wild donkeys. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of the world and appoints anyone he desires to rule over them.’

²²‘You are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself. ²³For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny! ²⁴So God has sent this hand to write this message.’

Reflect

The king offered Daniel beautiful gifts and great power if he would explain the writing, but Daniel turned him down. Daniel was not motivated by material rewards. His entire life had been characterized by doing right. Daniel was not showing disrespect in refusing the gifts, but he was growing older himself and knew the gifts would do him little good. Besides, being third highest ruler in a kingdom Daniel knew was about to be destroyed was not exactly motivating! Daniel wanted to show that he was giving an unbiased interpretation to the king. Secondly, kings would often kill the bearer of bad news. But Daniel was not afraid to tell the truth to the king even though it was not what he wanted to hear.

Doing right should be our first priority, not gaining power or rewards and, we should be just as courageous in telling the truth under pressure.

Respond

1. Do you love God enough to do what is right, even if it means giving up personal rewards?
2. How hard is it for you to tell someone the truth even if it is something they won’t want to hear?
3. What can we do to be more like Daniel in these situations?

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Daniel 5:13-16

¹³So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king asked him, ‘Are you Daniel, one of the exiles brought from Judah by my predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar? ¹⁴I have heard that you have the spirit of the gods within you and that you are filled with insight, understanding, and wisdom. ¹⁵My wise men and enchanters have tried to read the words on the wall and tell me their meaning, but they cannot do it. ¹⁶I am told that you can give interpretations and solve difficult problems. If you can read these words and tell me their meaning, you will be clothed in purple robes of royal honor, and you will have a gold chain placed around your neck. You will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom.’

Reflect

Daniel has been in this situation before. God had given Daniel alone the ability to interpret the message of doom to Babylon. The wise men of the kingdom were ignorant of God’s wisdom, no matter how great the reward. Daniel’s loyalty was to God and not to the king. That is why Daniel didn’t rush to the king but waited to be summoned.

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Daniel 5:7-12

⁷The king shouted for the enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers to be brought before him. He said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed in purple robes of royal honor and will have a gold chain placed around his neck. He will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom!”

⁸But when all the king’s wise men had come in, none of them could read the writing or tell him what it meant. ⁹So the king grew even more alarmed, and his face turned pale. His nobles, too, were shaken.

¹⁰But when the queen mother heard what was happening, she hurried to the banquet hall. She said to Belshazzar, “Long live the king! Don’t be so pale and frightened. ¹¹There is a man in your kingdom who has within him the spirit of the holy gods. During Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, this man was found to have insight, understanding, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your predecessor, the king—your predecessor King Nebuchadnezzar—made him chief over all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers of Babylon. ¹²This man Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, has exceptional ability and is filled with divine knowledge and understanding. He can interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.’

Reflect

Some notes to consider:

1. When the king offered the person who solved the mystery the position of third highest ruler in the kingdom, it meant that he would be directly below King Belshazzar because at that time, King Belshazzar’s father Nabonidus was still in power and was the 1st king. King Belshazzar was the 2nd king.
2. Although the writing on the wall contained only three words in Aramaic, a language understood by Babylonians, the people could not determine its prophetic meaning.
3. The queen mother was either Nabonidus’s wife or the wife of one of his predecessors, possibly even of Nebuchadnezzar.

So, the stage is set. Daniel has been living in peaceful obscurity for a number of years. The Babylonians have ignored God and once again, God is going to pull Daniel out of his tranquility into the fire!

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Daniel 5:1-6

¹Many years later King Belshazzar gave a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles, and he drank wine with them. ²While Belshazzar was drinking the wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups that his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to drink from them with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. ³So they brought these gold cups taken from the Temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. ⁴While they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

⁵Suddenly, they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king’s palace, near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote, ⁶and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him.

Reflect

Chapter 5 introduces us to a new ruler of Babylon - King Belshazzar. A few notes to provide us some background for this chapter:

• Sixty-six years have elapsed since Chapter 1.
• Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 B.C. after a reign of 43 years. He was followed by his son, Evil-merodach (562-560), and then his brother-in-law Neriglissar(560-556). Following a two month reign by Labashi-marduk in 556 B.C., the Babylonian Empire continued from 556 to 529 B.C. under the command of Nabonidus. Belshazzar was the son of Nabonidus. He co-reigned with his father from 553 to 539 B.C..
• Considering the number of changes in rulers since Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel is unknown to King Belshazzar.

So, this is the setting for Chapter 5. King Belshazzar hasn’t continued the faith in God that King Nebuchadnezzar had found. The kingdom had returned to worshipping false idols. You would think that they would learn from history! They forgot about God - but God did not forget about them! God decided to insert Himself directly into their lives in an interesting way!

Respond

1. Can you think of a time in your life where you should have learned from someone else’s mistakes, but didn’t?
2. Why did God decide to become involved in King Belshazzar’s life?
3. Why do you suppose King Belshazzar didn’t know about Daniel and King Nebuchadnezzar’s experiences?

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