Daniel 6:24 – And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.
In one of the most famous stories in all of Scripture, some crooked politicians make a law that outlaws the worship of God. Defiantly, Daniel worshipped and prayed openly and publicly as he had every day. As punishment, the elderly Daniel was thrown alive into a lion’s den but was rescued by God. That’s the good news.
The story also has some bad news that you’ve probably never heard. They don’t put the entire story in the children’s Bibles. The men who wrongly sought the demise of Daniel were thrown into the same pit along with their wives and children. In that culture, to discourage criminal conduct, a person’s family could be punished with them. In this case, we see how a bad man who makes bad decisions creates pain and loss for his family. We also see that God does not deliver everyone. The believer got delivered. His enemies got devoured.
In the end, some will be delivered unto heaven, some will be destroyed in hell. That’s the lesson we learn in Daniel.
Did you know about the men and their families being thrown into the lion’s den? Why do you think that the entire story is not often told?
In addition to this introduction to and overview of Daniel, you can find the corresponding sermons, daily devotions, men’s ministry resources, and hundreds of additional sermons and Bible teaching resources for free at markdriscoll.org or on the Mark Driscoll Ministries app.
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