What is the meaning of Daniel 6:20? When he reached the den - Dawn finds King Darius hurrying to the lions’ pit, driven by sleepless concern (Daniel 6:19). - His urgency recalls other moments when God-fearing people ran to confirm a miraculous work—such as the women “very early on the first day of the week” hastening to the empty tomb (Mark 16:2). - Scripture often portrays leaders pacing on city walls or gates in anxious expectation (2 Samuel 18:24–25), underscoring that human power is helpless when confronted with divine judgment or deliverance. He cried out in a voice of anguish - The king’s distressed tone shows genuine affection for Daniel and an uneasy conscience over a law he regrets (Daniel 6:14). - His cry resembles the desperate petitions of Psalm 22:1 and Luke 23:46, where voices lift heavenward in bleak circumstances, yet still cling to hope. - Even rulers bow emotionally before God’s mysteries; their authority cannot silence the anxious questions bursting from their hearts (Acts 12:19). O Daniel, servant of the living God - By calling Daniel “servant,” Darius recognizes that Daniel answers to a higher Master than any earthly throne (cf. Joshua 24:29; Romans 1:1). - The phrase “living God” contrasts the LORD with mute idols; Jeremiah 10:10 affirms, “But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and everlasting King.” - Unbelieving monarchs have used the same title once they witnessed God’s power—Nebuchadnezzar after the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:26) and later the crowd at Lystra when Paul healed a cripple (Acts 14:15). has your God, whom you serve continually, - Darius underscores Daniel’s consistent devotion: three times daily prayer was Daniel’s habit long before crisis struck (Daniel 6:10). - Continuity in worship marks many saints: David prayed “evening, morning, and noon” (Psalm 55:17); Paul urged believers to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). - Faithfulness in small, daily rhythms prepares God’s people for steadfastness in extraordinary trials (2 Timothy 4:2). been able to deliver you from the lions? - The question is not cynical but hopeful; Darius longs to see divine rescue overturn an irrevocable decree. - Deliverance from predatory beasts recalls David’s testimony: “The LORD … delivered me from the paw of the lion” (1 Samuel 17:37). - Earlier, Daniel’s friends trusted that “our God … is able to deliver” (Daniel 3:17), and Hebrews 11:33 celebrates those “who shut the mouths of lions.” - Paul later echoed the same confidence: “The Lord … shut the lion’s mouth and will rescue me from every evil deed” (2 Timothy 4:17–18). summary Daniel 6:20 captures a king’s frantic hope colliding with heaven’s reliable power. Darius runs, cries, and calls the prophet by a title that exalts God alone. He highlights Daniel’s unwavering worship and wonders aloud whether the living God can triumph over savage lions. Every phrase testifies that steady devotion meets sovereign deliverance, affirming that the Lord who rules beasts and kings alike is fully able to save those who trust Him. |
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