SERMON: “Only God Shuts the Mouths of Lions” (Dan. 6:12–24)
“Only God Shuts the Mouths of
Lions”
(Dan. 6:12–24)
Series: “Daniel:
God’s Sovereign Plans” #15 Text: Daniel 6:12–24
By: Shaun
Marksbury Date: November 2, 2025
Venue: Living Water Baptist Church Occasion: PM Service
I.
Introduction
It’s a joy to see an administration that is promoting some
Christian truths in this country. This
is after years in which the previous administration seemed to be doing
everything it could to suppress Christianity: targeting pro-life believers,[1]
the denial of religious exemptions to the Covid vaccine,[2]
sending the FBI to infiltrate churches,[3]
making it harder for Christians to become foster parents,[4]
choosing Easter Sunday to name the “Transgender Day of Visibility,”[5]
inadequate responses to church vandalism,[6]
etc. Starting in 2025, though, we’ve
seen pardons for pro-lifers,[7]
the formation of a task force against anti-Christian bias by executive order,[8] restored
religious exemptions,[9]
reversals of foster-care rules,[10]
enhanced church vandalism protections,[11] and more. For instance, Secretary of War Hegseth began
hosting a monthly prayer meeting in the Pentagon,[12] our military chaplains are freed
from Biden-era codes censoring their sermons,[13] and in contrast to Biden’s
2024 Easter recognition of transgenderism, Trump’s 2025 Holy Week message vowed
a defense of religious freedom in this country.[14] The contrast this year has made is stunning; American
Christians who follow the news might have a case of whiplash!
We rightly praise God for this turnaround, praying for our
president “and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and
quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Tim. 2:2). This is the right direction for this country
and for our neighbors. The change must
have been just a bit of what Daniel felt when the wicked Belteshazzar fell to
Cyrus, whom the Lord named his “shepherd” to lead the exiles back home (Isa.
44:28).
We noted last time that Cyrus was likely a man with two
names like many of his period, and his Median name would have been Darius,
making him the Darius of Daniel. Of
course, being a Medo-Persian, Darius didn’t know the true God until after he
came to power. Someone showed Darius the
prophecy from Isaiah, and Darius knew of the feast, so he may have also known
about the handwriting on the wall.
Darius saw enough to let the children of Judah depart in peace and
elevate Daniel to a position of power in the kingdom.
One might think that this means the end for the problems of
God’s people. However, God reminds His
people that, while He often works through people, we should not place our faith
in man. One of the temptations we face
is thinking that the having the government on our side is the goal; our trust
must be in the Lord who can protect us at all times.
Despite how solid our position seems, adversity can
come. Such times remind us to place our
faith in God alone, rather than those around us. While it’s true that He can work through
people, we can fall into idolatry if our trust in those people outpaces a trust
in God.
This evening, we’re going to see that only God can deliver
us from adversity, and we’ll see that in a bad-news/good-news presentation in
this passage. First, the bad news is
that we’ll see that we will always have enemies from whom we need deliverance
(vv. 12–13). Second, we’ll see that not
even a supportive king can always deliver (vv. 14–15), which is even more bad
news! Third, the good news is that God
can deliver (vv. 16–24). Let’s start
with some of the bad news.
II.
First, We Will Always Have Enemies from Whom We
Need Deliverance (vv. 12–13)
Then they approached and spoke before
the king about the king’s injunction, “Did you not sign an injunction that any
man who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty
days, is to be cast into the lions’ den?” The king replied, “The statement is true,
according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.” Then they answered and spoke before the king,
“Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king,
or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps making his petition three
times a day.”
We noted our need to see that we have enemies last time when
we considered how Daniel demonstrated ending well. He knew his adversaries, their plans against
him, and he planned accordingly. Of
course, he chose to be faithful, praying to the Lord! Their conspiracy did not deter him.
Still, they sprung their trap and, by all appearances, had the
victory. As one commentary notes, “It’s
remarkable how people can work together quickly to do evil but find it
difficult to get together to do anything good.
‘Their feet are swift to shed blood’ (Rom. 3:15).”[15] Thus, in v. 12, they approach the king.
In a calculated move, they remind Darius of his own decree,
quoting it verbatim to corner him. We
noted last time that “the law of the Medes and Persians” was a code known in
history and echoes verses like Esther 1:19.
As another commentary notes, “Nebuchadnezzar
the Babylonian was above law, whereas Darius the Mede was bound by law. This was intimated in the contrast between
the gold and the silver in the image in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (2:32, 39).”[16] This creates the tension in the
account because of the irrevocable nature of Persian edicts. Darius affirms it, saying, “The word is
certain.”
It's almost as though they can’t wait to deliver the
punchline! They begin by pointing at
Daniel in malicious accusation. They
identify him, not by his title as governor, but as as one of the “exiles from
Judah.”[17] This seems to be an ethnic slur, reducing him
to a captive and evidencing part of their issue with the prophet.
They also say he has been disloyal, even though Daniel had
served faithfully for over sixty years (5:13).[18] The charge that he “pays no attention to you” are
obviously false, but they though that noting his thrice-daily prayers would be
evidence of rebellion.
Again, we must remember that such problems will come. As 2 Timothy 3:12 declares, “Indeed, all who
desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Godliness provokes opposition, and the world
will always find a way to accuse the faithful.
One might think that a ruler with a favorable disposition
might be able to provide salvation.
However, that is not always the case.
The news continues to get worse, as we see next:
III.
Second, Not Even a Supportive King Can Always
Deliver (vv. 14–15)
Then, as soon as the king heard this
statement, he was deeply distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel; and
even until sunset he kept exerting himself to rescue him. Then these men came by agreement to the king
and said to the king, “Recognize, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and
Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be
changed.”
Darius obviously cared for Daniel. He was greatly or “deeply distressed”
within himself (LSB). So, he “set his
mind” on saving Daniel and “kept exerting himself” until sunset. Perhaps he was engaged in frantic legal
maneuvering, though Persian law allowed no loophole.
We see these enemies of Daniel — or, more accurately, of the
Lord — reenter the narrative in v. 15.
We read here that they “came by agreement,” the same term in vv. 6 and
11. They decided to give the king a
command at this point, to “recognize” or to “know.” They call on him to submit to realization
that the law is absolute, and there’s nothing that he can do.
The distressed king is unable to deliver Daniel. This mirrors the inability of man in the
previous chapters, but this time, a man with good intentions toward one of
God’s servants is thwarted. This tells
us two things — first, God will sometimes allow good plans to fail at times,
and second, that while it is good to have the support in high places, it is no
guarantee against persecution. As Psalm
146:3 says, “Do not trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no
salvation.” Our trust cannot be even in
the best of men, for even they can let us down.
Our supreme faith must be in the Lord of hosts.[19]
We will always have enemies, and not even a supportive king
can always deliver us. That is a lot of
bad news in this passage. From here,
though, there is good news, for those who would hear and believe it. Let’s consider the fact that only God can
deliver next.
IV.
Third, God Can Deliver (vv. 16–24)
Then the king gave
orders, and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions’ den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Your God
whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.” …
King Darius has reached the end of himself. The text doesn’t say whether Daniel was as
worried as the king, but it would be understandable if he were; he was about to
be dropped into an underground pit with a top opening for food.[20] There’s only one thing that he can do —
encourage Daniel in his faith, even if Darius doesn’t quite share it
himself.
Perhaps Darius was impressed with the confidence Daniel had
and his consistency, so he believed it was possible that God could deliver
Daniel.[21] Whatever the case, no one knows quite what
will happen next. That brings us to the
two points here: we’ll see that God’s deliverance isn’t always apparent (vv.
17–20), but God’s deliverance is complete (vv. 21–24).
A.
God’s Deliverance Isn’t Always Apparent (vv.
17–20)
A stone was brought and laid over the mouth
of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet
rings of his nobles, so that nothing would be changed in regard to Daniel. Then the king went off to his palace and spent
the night fasting, and no entertainment was brought before him; and his sleep
fled from him. Then the king arose at
dawn, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions’ den. When he had come near the den to Daniel, he
cried out with a troubled voice. The
king spoke and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your
God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
This seems to be the end. There’s no voice from heaven, nor are there
angels appearing to stop the men placing Daniel into the lion’s den or placing
a stone over the top of the opening.
God’s people do face moments like this; it’s reminiscent of what Jeremiah
said in Lamentations 3:53 — “They have silenced me in the pit and have placed a
stone on me.” We could also consider
Christ’s own burial (cf. Matt. 27:66).
We also see that the
stone is sealed. As one commentary
explains, “Soft clay was attached to the chains draped over the stone,
and the king and his nobles made their personal marks (seals) by pressing their
rings into the clay. After the clay
hardened, the chains could not be removed without breaking the seals. Surely no one would attempt to remove the
chain containing the names of the king and some of his highest officials.”[22] No one could tamper with the stone without
others knowing, not even the king himself.[23] However, it also would serve to show how God
worked miraculously.
For now, we see Darius return to his palace. There, he refuses the typical “entertainment,”
perhaps musicians or some other royal comfort.[24] Instead, this pagan king fasts and mourns for
a Jewish exile.
According to v. 19, at the first light, Darius rushes “in
haste” or “hurriedly” (LSB) to the lion’s den.
There’s been no vision in the night, no divine dream to tell him of
Daniel’s fate — only silence. So, Darius
wants to know if Daniel has survived the night.
We continue to read that the king cries out with a “troubled
voice.” Daius did not care about keeping up a detached appearance. His concern was in his voice as he called out
to Daniel.
He calls God “the living God,” a title contrasting lifeless
idols (cf. Jer. 10:10). Perhaps there is
an ember of faith there — would this God keep His faithful servant safe? Could not a living God be able to deliver
where man could not?
The deliverance of the Lord is not always immediately
apparent. While there are times when He
gives us an answer to prayer right away, but often, He will make us wait. If we believe that God is sovereign and good,
then we must trust that His ways are best.
When He delivers, though, we can be confident that His deliverance is
complete, bringing us to the next point:
B.
God’s Deliverance Is Complete (vv. 21–24)
Then Daniel spoke
to the king, “O king, live forever! My
God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths and they have not harmed me,
inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I
have committed no crime. Then the king
was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no
injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. The king then gave orders, and they brought
those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they cast them, their
children and their wives into the lions’ den; and they had not reached the
bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their
bones.”
Daniel’s voice must have been somewhat surreal but an
immediate relief to the king. His first
words are to honor the king.[25] It’s amazing that Daniel, in that situation, would
keep decorum before the king, but he likely heard the worry in Darius’s voice
and desired to comfort him. Moreover, it
speaks to his consistency of character.
Daniel then testifies of the deliverance that God
provided. He says that God “sent His
angel” and “shut the lions’ mouths.” The term “angel”
simply means “messenger,” but they can carry out other great tasks. As such, this may be speaking of one of the
particular employments of angels. As
Psalm 91:11 says, “For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard
you in all your ways.” They are great
protectors for God’s people, carrying out His divine will.
Still, this also may be speaking of “The Angel of the Lord” (cf.
Dan. 3:25),[26]
which may be a preincarnate appearance of Christ. In Exodus 3:2, the Angel of the Lord enters
the burning bush, but we read in context that God Himself speaks. He is also a protector; as Psalm 34:7
promises, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues
them.” This is the means by which the
Father delivers Daniel.
When Christ came, He came as a Savior and a refuge. Deliverance through Christ can be physical,
like with the closing of lions’ mouths, and it can be spiritual, delivering us
from hell and the second death. As one
commentary notes, “The angel was evidently visible to Daniel, and it is
comforting to think of the faithful old prophet spending the night in
fellowship with the Lord during this trying ordeal.”[27] The Lord was with Daniel, and Daniel could
know that he was considered “innocent” before God — just as we can know when we
have fellowship with the Son of God.
So, v. 23 says that the king was pleased, which may be an understatement! He gave orders for Daniel to be brought up,
breaking the seal, for the sentence had been carried out (nothing said Daniel
had to die, just that he be thrown into the lion’s den). Regardless of what the wicked conspirators had
expected, we read that there was “no hurt” or “injury” upon him — no scratch
from a claw, nor a bite wound to be found!
God had delivered Daniel as completely as He delivered
Daniel’s friends years ago (cf. 3:27). The
reason God did this wasn’t because Daniel was perfect or had served God so
faithfully, though — it was because “he had trusted” God. As Hebrews
11:33 notes, it was “by faith” the prophet Daniel “shut the mouths of lions.” The good news of the gospel is that deliverance
from God comes through faith, not through our imperfect and inconsistent works. Daniel’s works only evidenced the grace and
favor of God in his life (cf. Dan. 1:9; 17).
In fact, Daniel won’t need to worry about this ever
again. The final verse here says the
king tossed Daniel’s accusers into the lion’s den. There’s some irony in this statement, because
the term “maliciously accused” literally means “ate his pieces.” [28] This idiom for slander becomes literally fulfilled
as they face the fate of the lions they had planned for Daniel.
Some have trouble with this section, though, because it wasn’t
only the accusers who died — it was also their wives and kids. Judgment falls on all those associated with
the sin. [29] We do not know if they were adult or small
children, but it’s difficult to imagine why children would be included, as
Jewish law forbade the punishing of the children for the sins of their fathers.[30] Yet, it was the Persian custom to execute
families to prevent vendettas,[31] though
it may not have been a lot of people.[32] We can be certain that, though this meant
safety for Daniel, he took no joy in watching this.
The lions’ ferocity proves the miracle. As one study notes, “This judgment of God was
also an important detail in the miracle, lest some critic suggest the lions
were tame or toothless or not hungry.”[33] These lions were previously tamed by the Lion
of Judah, but now, they are unleased in their ferocity.[34]
V.
Conclusion
God is a God of means, but we must not place faith in those
means. We see in this account that God
will protect His remnant, even if they are in a foreign land. The temptation might be to place faith in the
good-will of those in authority, but even in times of respectability, they may
not be able to deliver God’s people from the hands of an enemy. Some may even face martyrdom.[35]
We are not dependent upon the powers of this world; just as
the Jews survived for some 1,800 years in exile, we can survive no matter the
situation in which we find ourselves because of the sovereign hand of God.
This is likewise true of our dealing with our sin. We can’t trust in supposed experts and the
means of fallen man, even if they prove helpful from time to time. Our ultimate trust must always be in the Lord
who shuts the mouths of lions.
[1] Ben Solis, “Biden Abandons Christians Abroad as His
DOJ Persecutes Them At Home,” February 21, 2024, https://amac.us/newsline/politics/newsline/politics/biden-abandons-christians-abroad-as-his-doj-persecutes-them-at-home/.
[2] Amira Abuzeid, “U.S. Department of Justice report
faults Biden administration for anti-Christian bias,” September 8, 2025, https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/266447/us-department-of-justice-report-faults-biden-administration-for-anti-christian-bias.
[3] Adeola Adeosun, “State Department Seeks Reports of
Anti-Christian Bias Under Biden,” April 13, 2025, https://www.newsweek.com/state-department-seeks-reports-anti-christian-bias-under-biden-2059200.
[4] Pam Bondi, “Attorney General Pamela Bondi Hosts First
Task Force Meeting to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias in the Federal Government,”
April 22, 2025, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-pamela-bondi-hosts-first-task-force-meeting-eradicate-anti-christian-bias.
[5] Michael Rubin, “Why Does Biden Treat Christians with
Disdain?” April 10., 2024, https://www.aei.org/op-eds/why-does-biden-treat-christians-with-disdain/.
[6] Jon Brown, “Anti-Christian hostility reaching
'unprecedented' levels in culture, government under Biden, observers warn,”
April 13, 2023, https://www.foxnews.com/us/anti-christian-hostility-reaching-unprecedented-levels-culture-government-under-biden-observers-warn.
[7] The White House, “Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias,”
February 6, 2025, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/eradicating-anti-christian-bias/
[8] Ibid.
[9] Léonie Chao-Fong, “Veterans affairs agency orders
staff to report each other for ‘anti-Christian bias,’ ” April 22, 2025, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/22/veterans-affairs-anti-christian-bias.
[10] Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, Francesca Chambers, and
Jayme Fraser, “Trump signs executive order targeting ‘anti-Christian bias,’ ”
February 6, 2025, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/06/trump-task-force-christian-religious/78286967007/.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Natasha Bertrand and Haley Britzky, “Hegseth hosts
first meeting of what he says will be a monthly Christian prayer service at
Pentagon,” May 21, 2025, https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/21/politics/hegseth-pentagon-christian-prayer-service.
[13] The White House, “President Trump’s Top 100 Victories
for People of Faith,” September 8, 2025, https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/09/president-trumps-top-100-victories-for-people-of-faith/.
[14] The White House, “Presidential Message on Holy Week,
2025,” April 13, 2025, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/04/presidential-message-on-holy-week-2025/.
[15] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be
Resolute, “Be” Commentary Series, (Colorado Springs, CO: Victor, 2000), 78.
[16] J. Dwight Pentecost, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures,
1985, 1, 1348.
[17] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne
House, The Nelson Study Bible: New King
James Version, (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1997), Da 6:13.
[18] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed., (Nashville, TN: Word
Pub., 1997), 1237.
[19] 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), 89.
[20] MacArthur.
[21] Pentecost, 1349.
[22] Stephen R. Miller, Daniel,
The New American Commentary, (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers,
1994), 18:185–186.
[23] Radmacher, Da 6:17.
[24] Miller, 18:186.
[25] Radmacher, Da 6:21.
[26] MacArthur.
[27] Miller, 18:187.
[28] New American
Standard Bible: 1995 Update, (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995).
[29] Radmacher, Da 6:24.
[30] Wiersbe, 82.
[31] Miller, 18:188.
[32] Ibid.
[33] MacArthur.
[34] Miller.
[35] MacArthur.