One day Daniel’s town was invaded by a king named Nebe-nezzer. He had his men gather all the people and they took the people to the place that Nebe-nezzer ruled as king. Daniel was not alone because his three friends were with him. The king changed their names and made them dress like the king’s people, but Daniel and his friends knew who they were, and they were not going to change, no matter what. Daniel and his friends found favor with the king, but the king’s men waited till they could find something on Daniel and his friends and one day they did. They went to the king and said that these men were not bowing down to their false gods. At this time Daniel was not with his friends. The king made the boys bow down to his false gods, but they refused, so this is what happened. The king ordered that Daniel’s three friends be thrown into the fiery furnace.. But Daniel’s friends knew God, and they knew that God was with them, so they were not afraid. The furnace was so hot that the men who threw them in got burnt. When the king looked inside the furnace he saw four men and he asked, “Did we not throw in three men? Why is it I see four and they are not bound , but free walking around in the midst of the fire and the fourth man looks like the son of the gods.” So the king ordered the men to come out of the furnace and when they did, the king and his guards were amazed that the fire never touched them nor their clothes and they did not even smell of smoke. The king began to praise the God of Daniel’s friends.
Isaiah 43:1-2 says, “But now, this is what the Lord says, He who is your Creator, Jacob, and He who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.”
So as time went on, Nebe-nezzer was no longer the king, but a man named Darius, and he found Daniel to be faithful in his duties. So the king’s men plotted against Daniel, and they made the king sign an order to enforce a law that in the next thirty days if anyone prayed to another god they would be thrown into the lion’s den. Why, the lion’s den? 1 Peter 5:8 tells us this,
“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
These men knew that Daniel would go up on his roof and openly pray to his God. The king signed the document, and it went into law, not knowing that it was a plot to kill Daniel. Well, sure enough, Daniel went up on his roof and prayed to God like he did every day, and there they were ready to bring Daniel before the king. The king tried everything to release Daniel, but his men would not let him violate the law that he had just made. So the king had Daniel thrown into the lion’s den, but before they did, the king said to Daniel, “You God whom you serve so faithfully will deliver you Daniel.”
The men had a large stone rolled in front of the lion’s den and the king sealed it with his signet ring. Matthew speaks to us about Jesus when He was laid in the tomb and the large stone was placed in front of it.
Matthew 27:65-66 says this, “Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.” And they went and made the tomb secure with the guard, sealing the stone.”
The king went off to his palace and spent the night fasting and he had no entertainment brought in and he did not sleep all night. Then the king rose early in the morning and quickly ran to the lion’s den to check on Daniel.
When he got there he called out, “Daniel, Daniel, has your God whom you serve been able to rescue you from the lions?”
Daniel yelled back, “O king live forever! My God sent His angel, and shut the lion’s mouths, and they have not harmed me as I was found innocent before Him.”
The king gave orders to take Daniel out of the lion’s den and when he came out the king was pleased to see Daniel. Then the king made another law that said, that all men should praise the God of Daniel, for He is the living God and that His kingdom is forever and He rescues and performs wonders and great things in heaven and on earth who has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions”
Psalm 21:11 tells us, “Though they intended evil against you and devised a plot, they will not succeed.”
Wow! What a great story about God’s faithfulness to those who are faithful to Him. We have seen that God is able to do all things. He not only rescued Daniel’s friends from the fiery furnace, but He stood with them in the furnace.
We also saw that God was with Daniel in the lion’s den. God is always with us. He is there with us during our times of trouble. You can call on Him, and He will hear you, and He will be with you when you need Him the most. He will take you through your times of trouble, and He will not walk away from you as 1 Peter 1:6-9 says, “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
What about you? Are you a Daniel? Do you have such faith and devotion to God, that nothing will stop you from praying or speaking about Him? Daniel and his friends were like- minded, and that is why they were friends. They knew what was the right thing to do, and that was not to bow down to a false god or worship anything other than the One True God. Today people are afraid of being canceled or snubbed if they do not go along with the crowd, but just think of what it means to be canceled by God? When Daniel and his friends needed God the most, God was faithful, and He was there even in the midst of the fiery furnace or the lion’s den. Today stand up and be counted in the ranks of God’s people, and be on the right side of every area of your life and you too, will see God’s hand in your life.
You never know when you may have to escape a fiery furnace, or the mouth of the lion, and remember, Hell is a fiery furnace, and the devil is a roaring lion.