“So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, ‘May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!’
“A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep. At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, ‘Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?’
“Daniel answered, ‘O king, live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king.’
“The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.” (Daniel 6:16-23, NKJV)
Uncle Bud was holidaying in a national park and got out of his car in the vicinity of a black bear. Bud was eating a chocolate bar. The bear ambled up to him, put his mouth over his hand, took the chocolate bar without injuring him, ate the bar, then licked the chocolate off Bud’s fingers before ambling off into the bushes. Bud returned to his car and tried to calm his hysterical wife.
Obviously the bear was more into chocolate than eating people. Was this story about Daniel in the lion’s den something like that? The lions didn’t eat Daniel because they were not hungry? Some think so, but verse 24 says, “At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.”
Why is it so difficult to believe that the God who created all things can control what animals do? Evolutionists would argue the first point. There is no God. They just dismiss the Bible.
People with the “Bambi” view of wildlife would have problems with verse 24. How could these previously ‘gentle’ lions attack Daniel’s enemies? They must have been provoked.
Why not take God’s Word at face value? Why try to explain away extraordinary events? If the God that I worship cannot perform a miracle, then why ask Him to do anything? He is either all-powerful or limited—and if limited, how can anyone know the limits? By reasoning? Experience? It seems that such thinking comes from a faulty view of God.
God is not a magician who performs to show off what He can do and get even with those who mock Him. He is above such nonsense and has no need to prove Himself. At the same time, don’t call Him God if He is not Lord of all.
Biblical faith says our Commander in Chief can do anything, conquer all, change or alter whatever, and overcome anything. His strategy is often a mystery to me, but because even hungry lions can ignore their instincts and do what God says, I’ve no excuse for not doing the same.
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