Usually the big chunks of meat would be thrown through the opening in the gate to the hungry lions on the other side. Today Dan also needed to check on the pregnant lioness that was going to deliver at anytime. She’d been having problems lately. He threw the meat to the other three lions to distract them while he checked on Penny. The usual procedure for an exam like this would be to move the other lions to another cage, and tranquilize the female. The only problem with this was one never knew what effect the tranquilizer could have on the cub.
Dan had worked with these lions long enough
that he trusted them implicitly. As he checked Penny over, her mate came over
and rubbed his big head on his leg as if to say, “Take good care of her she’s
my life.” Dan nodded he would. So far everything looked fine with Penny. Dan’s
mind started wondering to the three co-workers who’d complain to Darren, his
boss about him quietly praying three times a day at his lunch and his break time’s
at the zoo. It really was none of their business.
After the big cats were fed and taken care of,
Dan figured it wouldn’t hurt to crawl in the corner and get a few minutes of
uninterrupted shut eye, which he did immediately. In what seemed like a few
seconds of sleep, he heard someone calling his name. Darren showed up, and
spoke in amazement,
“Dan, you are a daring man. It looks like you
were rescued from these lions once again. Please get out of the lion’s cage.
You make me nervous. By the way, your wife has been trying to reach you on your
cell phone about something important. She called my work number to tell me.”
As his boss left, Dan pulled his cell phone
out of his pocket to see a multitude of missed calls and text messages from his
wife. He had put his cell phone on silence around the lions, and forgotten to
check it. He quickly dialed home.
An irritated wife answered, “Dan, what have
you been doing I’ve been trying to reach you for hours. The twins and I are fed
and ready to go with you as a family to the special deliverance service the
church is having tonight. Stop by and get yourself something to eat on the way
home. We’ll be cutting it close to get there on time.”
“Do I really have to go? The only thing I
want to be delivered to is bed.”
“Dan, there’s no bail out option with this.
We’ve been planning on this for weeks. I am just as tired as you are. I love
you, and will see you home soon.” And that was that. Dan had lost, Pen (short for Penelope), his
wife, had won another marital discussion. [i]
BIBLICAL
INSPIRATION:
Among those young men
were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah from the tribe of Judah. (Daniel 1:6)Darius thought it would be a good idea to choose 120 satraps to rule throughout his kingdom. 2 He chose three men to rule over the 120 satraps. Daniel was one of the three supervisors. The king put these men in this position to keep anyone from cheating him. 3 Daniel proved himself to be a better supervisor than any of the others. He did this by his good character and great ability. The king was so impressed with Daniel that he planned to make him ruler over the whole kingdom. 4 But when the other supervisors and the satraps heard about this, they were very jealous. They tried to find reasons to accuse Daniel. So they watched what Daniel did as he went about doing the business of the government. But they could not find anything wrong with him, so they could not accuse him of doing anything wrong. Daniel was a man people could trust. He did not cheat the king, and he worked very hard.
5 Finally, they said, “We will never find any reason to accuse Daniel of doing something wrong. So we must find something to complain about that is connected to the law of his God.”
6 So the two supervisors and the satraps went as a group to the king. They said, “King Darius, live forever! 7 The supervisors, prefects, satraps, advisors, and governors have all agreed on something. We think that the king should make this law and that everyone must obey it: For the next 30 days, whoever prays to any god or man except you, King, will be thrown into the lions’ den. 8 Now, King, make the law and sign the paper it is written on so that it cannot be changed, because the laws of the Medes and Persians cannot be canceled or changed.” 9 So King Darius made the law and signed it.
10 Daniel always prayed to God three times every day. Three times every day, he bowed down on his knees to pray and praise God. Even though Daniel heard about the new law, he still went to his house to pray. He went up to the upper room of his house and opened the windows that faced toward Jerusalem. Then Daniel bowed down on his knees and prayed just as he always had done.
11 Then the supervisors and satraps went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. 12 So they went to the king and talked to him about the law he had made. They said, “King Darius, you signed a law that says, for the next 30 days anyone who prays to any god or man except you, the king, would be thrown into the lions’ den. You did sign that law, didn’t you?”
The king answered, “Yes, I signed that law, and the laws of the Medes and Persians cannot be canceled or changed.”
13 Then they said to the king, “That man Daniel is not paying any attention to you. He is one of the captives from Judah, and he is not paying attention to the law you signed. Daniel still prays to his God three times every day.”
14 The king became very sad and upset when he heard this. He decided to save Daniel. He worked until sunset trying to think of a way to save him. 15 Then the men went as a group to the king and said to him, “Remember, King that the law of the Medes and Persians says that no law or command signed by the king can ever be canceled or changed.”
16 So King Darius gave the order. They brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May the God you serve save you!” 17 A big rock was brought and put over the opening of the lions’ den. Then the king used his ring and put his seal on the rock. He also used the rings of his officials and put their seals on the rock. This showed that no one could move that rock and bring Daniel out of the lion’s den. 18 Then King Darius went back to his house. He did not eat that night. He did not want anyone to come and entertain him. He could not sleep all night.
19 The next morning, King Darius got up just as it was getting light and ran to the lions’ den. 20 He was very worried. When he got to the lions’ den, he called to Daniel. He said, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God been able to save you from the lions? You always serve your God.”
21 Daniel answered, “King, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel to save me. The angel closed the lions’ mouths. The lions have not hurt me because my God knows I am innocent. I never did anything wrong to you, King.”
23 King Darius was very happy. He told his servants to lift Daniel out of the lions’ den. And when Daniel was lifted out of the den, they did not find any injury on his body. The lions did not hurt Daniel because he trusted in his God.
24 Then the king gave a command to bring the men who had accused Daniel to the lions’ den. The men and their wives and children were thrown into the lions’ den. The lions grabbed them before they hit the floor. The lions ate their bodies and then chewed on their bones.
25 Then King Darius wrote this letter to all the people from other nations and language groups all around the world:
Greetings: 26 I
am making a new law. This law is for people in every part of my kingdom. All of
you must fear and respect the God of Daniel. Daniel’s God is the living God; He lives forever. His kingdom will never be
destroyed. His rule will never end. 27 God helps and saves
people. He does amazing miracles in heaven and on
earth. He saved Daniel from the lions.
28 So Daniel was successful during the time
Darius was king and when Cyrus the Persian was king. (Daniel
6)
BIBLICAL
PARTICIPANTS:
Daniel (Belteshazzar), King Darius, and the unnamed lions
[i] Adapted from the 2011 America Star book, All for One: the Towns of Ohio Complete
Trilogy by Robert A. Kinker, part two (“They’re Just Like Us”), chapter thirty-one.
All scripture is from the Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) of the Bible.
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