SERMON: “Ending Well” (Dan. 6:1–11)
Series: “Daniel:
God’s Sovereign Plans” #14 Text: Daniel
6:1–11
By: Shaun
Marksbury Date: September 28, 2025
Venue: Living Water Baptist Church Occasion: PM Service
I.
Introduction
You know too well how the broader
church has suffered many recent losses.
We were still reeling from the disqualification of Steve Lawson when the
founder and president of G3 disqualified himself in a different way. Then, we lost John MacArthur, then a strong
Christian voice in the public square (Charlie Kirk), and a few weeks ago,
Voddie Baucham. This must be a bit of
what David felt when he received news about the deaths of Saul and Jonathan; he
said, “Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How have the mighty fallen!” (2 Sam.
1:19). All of these men taught us in
different ways, encouraged us, and we grieve what is no longer available
through them — though their media and legacy lives on.
Sin hasn’t taken just a few believers, though. It’s taken all of them. We’ve seen loses in our own congregation, and
we know it’s not just probable that more will come — it’s certain. As Romans 5:12 explains, it was “through one
man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to
all men, because all sinned.” Because of
sin, we all will eventually die one day.
Perhaps this fact, and the contrasting lives of these men,
have spurned some thinking within you.
How are you living now, and how will your story end? Is there unrepentant sin leading you down a
bad path, or are you generally striving for the glory of God in all
things? Will people say that you have
finished well?
We see with the life of Daniel an example. In this part of the chapter, we can draw
three principles to help us to finish strong.
First, finishing well requires faithfulness, both before others and God
(vv. 1–5). Second, finishing well
requires discernment, for we have enemies (vv. 6–9). Third, finishing well requires prayer, no
matter what (vv. 10–11). Let’s begin to
consider how to end well!
II.
First, Finishing Well Requires Faithfulness,
Both Before Others and God (vv. 1–5)
It seemed good to
Darius that he set 120 satraps over the kingdom, that they would be in charge
of the whole kingdom, and over them three commissioners (of whom Daniel was
one), that these satraps might be accountable to them, and that the king might
not suffer loss. Then this Daniel began
distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because an
extraordinary spirit was in him, and the king planned to set him over the
entire kingdom. Then the commissioners
and satraps began seeking to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in
regard to matters of the kingdom; but they were not able to find any ground of
accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no
negligence or corruption was to be found in him. Then these men said, “We will not find any
ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with
regard to the law of his God.”
We have to begin by briefly considering who this Darius
might be, since this isn’t clear historically.
There are a lot of ideas — skeptics, for instance, think that Darius was
invented by some Jew in the Maccabean period, but that’s supposition.[1] But, the text gives us clues. First, he’s supposed to be 62 years of age
when he conquered Babylon (5:31), and Cambyses would have been too young at
this point. Another factor in that verse
is that Daniel calls him “Darius the Mede,” and says similarly in 9:1.
Cyrus best fits the descriptions available. He conquered Babylon, he’s both a Mede and a
Persian, and he was about 62 at the time.
Moreover, it’s possible to translate 6:28 as, “Daniel prospered in the
reign of Darius, even [Aramaic conjunction waw]
the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”[2] Both the Septuagint and the Apocrypha state
that Darius is Cyrus. Many leaders in
the ancient world had dual names, and Daniel is probably evidencing that he
knows both[3] — perhaps
Daniel simply references the Median heritage of Cyrus as a fulfillment of
Isaiah and Jeremiah’s prophecies, as well (cf. Isa. 13:17, Jer. 51:11, 28).[4] Viewing Darius as Cyrus the Great is not
without problems, but it fits the evidence well enough.
Whoever Darius is, the text opens with his reorganization of
the kingdom. This was a time of change
not only for Babylon, but also for Judah.
The Babylonian exile is officially over, and some Jews are following
Zerubbabel back to Jerusalem[5]
(recorded in Ezra/Nehemiah). Meanwhile,
Darius appoints 120 satraps over the whole kingdom to establish his
administration. These satraps are provincial
governors, and their task is not just rule, but also collecting tribute and
maintaining security.[6] A good leader knows he must delegate tasks, as
one man cannot monitor a vast dominion on his own.[7]
Verse 2 notes that there was an administrative structure to
all of this. There would be three “commissioners”
or “high officials” (ESV), “administrators” (LEB, HCSB, CSB, NIV), or “supervisors”
(NET) over the satraps. As the MacArthur
Study Bible notes, “They were responsible to prevent loss from military
revolts, tax evasion, or fraud.”[8] So, these three would oversee the satraps, ensuring
accountability and preventing financial or administrative loss to the king.
Notably, Daniel is one of them. He was a Jewish exile and semi-retired, yet
the king lifts him up. While we may
wonder how he was recognized so quickly, history records the party Belshazzar
was holding when Babylon was invaded, so it’s likely that news of the
miraculous handwriting on the wall and Daniel’s correct interpretation reached
the ear of Darius.[9] It may also be that Daniel brought the
prophecy of Isaiah 44:28 to Cyrus, which names Cyrus as the Lord’s shepherd and
commands the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
Just as God exalted Daniel under Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar’s reigns,
God continues to demonstrate His sovereignty over all!
In fact, we see in verse 3 that Daniel was again rising to
the top of the top. We read, “Then this
Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because
an extraordinary spirit was in him, and the king planned to appoint him over
the entire kingdom.” The verb
“distinguishing himself” simply means he was becoming prominent or preferred. We read again of his “extraordinary spirit”
(cf. 5:12, 14), likely coming from his God-given wisdom and integrity. He had these resources from God, and he used
them faithfully over his seventy years in Babylon.
This is where a challenge for all of God’s people comes into
the text. Faithfulness in service
glorifies God, even in a pagan land. Daniel’s
promotion wasn't self-seeking but a result of God's blessing on his integrity,
and we should strive to be people of integrity.
That doesn’t mean that we will be problem-free,
however. Moving to verses 4–5, we see
the jealousy arising among the other commissioners and satraps. They were “seeking,” implying diligent
searching, much like the Jewish leaders’ spying on Jesus (Luke 20:20).
Yet, they found nothing — neither negligence nor corruption. As one
commentary notes, this chapter begins with a miracle: “a squeaky clean
politician!”[10] Daniel was conducting himself as being above
reproach, like church elders should (cf. 1 Tim. 3:2). And those who would accuse him found he
always dotted every I and crossed every T.
Just as the wise men were unable to interpret, these
coconspirators are unable to find fault in Daniel. This not only shows the impeccable service
Daniel rendered, for he is capable of sin and error like the rest of us, but
that God was helping Daniel to be such a good administrator. Ultimately, Daniel writes this not to praise
his own ability, but God’s preserving force.
If we are afraid of our own flesh getting in the way of service, we
should similarly trust that God will work things out in a pleasing way.
So, they pivot in v. 5.
They realize that the only way they can accuse Daniel is if they can
find a way in which his faith can conflict with his service in government. As one commentary notes, “In order to find
fault with Daniel, his opponents have to make his religion temporarily
illegal.”[11] This is how unbelievers operate — they, like
Satan, will try to use God’s Word against us, one way or another.
As the Reformation Study Bible notes, though, they
unintentionally affirm Daniel’s piety. Finishing
well demands faithfulness in all spheres while resting in the preserving power
of God. Live so that no accusation
sticks except your loyalty to Christ, and consider what’s happening around you
(bringing us ot the next point).
III.
Second, Finishing Well Requires Discernment, For
We Have Enemies (vv. 6–9)
Then these
commissioners and satraps came by agreement to the king and said thus to him:
“King Darius, live forever! All the
commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials
and the governors have counseled together that the king should establish a
statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who seeks to make a petition to
any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be cast into the
lions’ den. Now, O king, establish the
injunction and sign the written document so that it may not be changed,
according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.” Therefore King Darius signed the written
document, that is, the injunction.
We read here of a conspiracy. Sometimes, we hear rumors of conspiracies,
but God’s word warns, “You are not to say, ‘It
is a conspiracy!’ in regard to all that this people call a conspiracy; and you are not to fear what they fear, and
you shall not tremble” (Isa. 8:12). In
environments where trust in authorities wane, and enemies grow, there will be
more accusations of conspiracy, and we must beware trusting each theory. Yet, it would be just as foolish to assume no
true conspiracies exist, as this shows us here.
Verse 6 says “these commissioners and satraps came by
agreement.” This phrase can suggest a thronging
— as though they all come in as a mob, but that doesn’t quite fit the context.[12] Rather, they as a group hatched a plan,
colluding together, and this is repeated in verse 11 for emphasis. It seems that they present themselves in such
a way that Daniel’s absence goes unnoticed.
They begin with flattery, the common courtly address: “King
Darius, live forever!” They then state
in v. 7 that they had a large meeting of each level of government, and reached
a decision that would be beneficial for the land. Of course, they lie, implying unanimous
support (excluding Daniel). They state,
though, that they have an injunction or a binding decree.
This would be a statute that would temporarily restrict
religious freedom in the land. This
would have been a rare edict in that day and age; most religion would be
tolerated as long as it also bowed to the religion of the rulers. In this case, though, this decree would
forbid petitioning a god directly or through a priest other than Darius himself.[13] This
decree would last for thirty days (and so not give an appearance of targeting
Daniel).[14] By making Darius the divine mediator, in
addition to stroking the king’s ego,[15] all in the land would be
showing loyalty to their new government.[16]
With this political aspect established, then the punishment
of injunction violators would be severe — after all, it would be seen as a
threat to the authority of the new king.
Thus, this would result in a brutal execution in a lions’ den. The term here can also mean “pit,”[17] a
place where half-starved lions are kept and a stone can be placed over the
opening as a means of capital punishment.[18] Those who defied Darius as the temporary
mediator would find themselves facing a fearful judgment.
So, in v. 8, they ask the king to establish and sign the
injunction. Yet, they add something: This
edict would be “according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not
be revoked” or “cannot be
changed” (ESV). This was an interesting piece of history, and
the Reformation Study Bible notes that this is attested in extrabiblical
writings. Perhaps the implication was
that “changing a decree was an admission that it had been faulty.”[19] It’s also fascinating to consider that, while
King Nebuchadnezzar could do what he wanted, Darius was bound by certain laws
(and one commentary suggests this might be why Nebuchadnezzar was the head of
gold, while the Persians were only silver[20]).
This is similar to what happened in Esther 3:12; 8:10, and
here, the conspirators attempt to keep the king from revoking his word to
protect Daniel. Darius doesn’t perceive
the conspiracy, so in v. 9, we read that he signed it. Perhaps he became too proud in this moment to
notice, as vanity does have a way of distracting us from wisdom.
Discernment recognizes our enemies’ schemes. Zerubbabel understood this, for he saw through
the Samaritan deceit and would not allow those adversaries help build the house
of the Lord (Ezra 4:1–6). The Lord also
knew about the Sanhedrin’s schemes against Him.
This tells us to beware, for “a flattering mouth works ruin” (Prov.
26:28). Of course, the Lord know we will
miss things and offers grace, but we must not forget that we have enemies;
let’s discern their tactics so we can stand without compromise.
Oddly enough, Daniel seems to be aware of this. He probably had spent enough time in politics
to know when something is amiss. And he
makes a choice based on that knowledge, bringing us to the final point:
IV.
Third, Finishing Well Requires Prayer, No Matter
What (vv. 10–11)
Now when Daniel
knew that the written document was signed, he entered his house (now in his
roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling
on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he
had been doing previously. Then these
men came by agreement and found Daniel seeking to make a petition and making
supplication before his God.
Here, we see Daniel’s resolute prayer. Note what v. 10 says: “Now when Daniel knew
that the document was signed.” Here, we
see more of his faithfulness — he’s the same as he was as a young man, refusing
to violate God’s command to worship Him alone (cf. Exod. 20:30).[21] He knows of the danger, and yet, he persists
in prayer.
Indeed, it’s because of the danger that he needs prayer even
more. So, he entered his house and went
up to his roof. Like many homes in that
region, he had an upper room with latticed windows to allow a breeze
through. In this case, his roof chamber
windows face Jerusalem.
This allows him some prayer practices that we may not
consider. First, he prays facing
Jerusalem, ultimately the temple. This
reflects Solomon's prayer (1 Kings 8:35–48; cf. Psalm 5:7), for he’s praying
toward the seat of God’s presence on earth.[22] Of course, we as New Testament believers have
the indwelling Holy Spirit, so we don’t need to face a location, but we must
remember the presence of the Lord in prayer.
Second, he also prayed three times a day. Three times daily echoes David (Psa.
55:16–17).[23] The Lord does not tell us we must pray three
times, but we do see this practice (presumably, morning, noon, and night). The Lord tells us to always pray, without
ceasing (1 Thes. 5:17). Yet, we can grow
neglectful, so there is something to be said about building prayer habits
around specific times of the day, so we do not grow forgetful of prayer.
Note with that point that Daniel is consistently in prayer,
praying “as he had been doing previously.”
Though some men might have been tempted to pray in secret, or to pause
for the thirty days to save their own lives and positions, this was not
Daniel. We’re reminded of our Lord’s
words, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his
soul? For what will a man give in
exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36–37).
As the apostles said, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). He would not be deterred.
Third, he prayed kneeling on his knees. Kneeling here may reflect a humility before
God while making a bold stand for God; he’s not simply defying orders for
others to see, but he’s humble before the true King. While God does not command us to kneel in all
our prayers, and even commends standing, we should remember that we are bowing
before our Creator and King. As one
commentator notes, God is not our “errand boy,” and we must not neglect that
the throne of grace is still a throne.[24]
Related to that kind of humility is that Daniel is praying
for specific requests. In the next
verse, we read that he is “making petition and supplication before his God.” He is making his pleas before his King. Even though he was an experienced politician,
he never lost sight of his need for God’s guidance and strength, even as he got
older. He prayed for God’s help with his
duties,[25] and
he may have been praying specifically that he would remain faithful in his
trial at the finish line of his life.[26] He also may have been praying for his people
to also be strong and faithful, now that they’ve reached the end of their
captivity (cf. 9:1–19).
Finally, note that he was also “giving thanks before his God.” When we pray, we should not neglect to give
thanks, for the Lord has offered us much help in the past. Indeed, it can be that the reminder that
God’s previous help encourages our hearts for the current trial we face.
Of course, in v. 11, we see the expected. These “men came by agreement and found Daniel
seeking to make a petition and making supplication before his God.” As one commentator notes, “These
dignified officials went to spy on Daniel.
Like little children, they were peeking around corners and looking in
windows. Within a short time they
observed what they had hoped.”[27] And
they appear to have the upper hand.
Daniel would have expected their actions. However, he may not have known what would
come next. Would he fall to the lions in
his old age? Until the Lord revealed
otherwise, he may have concluded that he just reached the end of his race. Yet, he didn’t hide or waver at the end.
V.
Conclusion
Daniel finished well, despite the threat against his
life. Daniel knew about the injunction,
but he did not cease his normal practice of prayer. His example inspires us to do the same. Beloved, amid whatever losses you may face,
emulate Daniel.
So, train yourself today to run the race faithfully,
discerningly, and prayerfully. Trust
God's sovereignty; He preserves those who honor Him. By His grace, may we end well for His glory.
[1] Ted Cabal, Chad Owen Brand, E. Ray Clendenen, Paul
Copan, J. P. Moreland, and Doug Powell, The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight
Answers, Stronger Faith, (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible
Publishers, 2007), 1280.
[2] Stephen R. Miller, Daniel, The New American Commentary,
(Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 18:176.
[3] Ibid., 18:175.
[4] Ibid., 18:175–176.
[5] Ibid., 18:171.
[6] John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael
S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R.
Grigoni, and David Bomar, Faithlife Study Bible, (Bellingham, WA:
Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Da 6:1.
[7] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and
Unabridged in One Volume, (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994),
1442–1443.
[8] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible,
electronic ed., (Nashville, TN: Word Pub., 1997), 1236.
[9] Miller, 18:178.
[10] Dale Ralph Davis, The Message of Daniel: His Kingdom Cannot Fail,
eds. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today, (Nottingham,
England: Inter-Varsity Press, 2013), 82.
[11] Barry, et. al., Da 6:5.
[12] Miller, 18:179–180.
[13] Cabal, et. al., 1280.
[14] Barry, et. al., Da 6:7.
[15] MacArthur, 1237.
[16] Miller, 18:180.
[17] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update, (La
Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995).
[18] Barry, et. al.
[19] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne
House, The
Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version, (Nashville: T.
Nelson Publishers, 1997), Da 6:8. Also,
note, “Critics have challenged
Daniel’s statement that ‘a law of the Medes and Persians’ was ‘irrevocable’ and
could not ‘be changed’ (see Est 1:19; 8:8), but Diodorus Siculus (17.30)
reported that Darius III (336–330 b.c.) executed an innocent man because he could
not change what had been decreed by royal authority. The phrase ‘a law of the Medes and Persians’
(Dn 6:8, 12, 15; see Est 1:19; 8:8), shows that Daniel knew the Medo-Persian
Empire existed jointly, and not as a separate Median Empire followed by a
Persian Empire as some critics allege (see Dn 2:31–43)” (Cabal, et. al.).
[20] J. Dwight Pentecost, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures,
1985, 1, 1348.
[21] Barry, et. al., Da 6:10.
[22] Miller, 18:182.
[23] MacArthur, 1237.
[24] Davis, 88–89.
[25] Pentecost, 1348.
[26] Miller, 18:183–184.
[27] Miller, 18:183.