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.
In Daniel 6:22, Daniel says, “My God knew that I was innocent, and he sent an angel to keep the lions from eating me.” Daniel's faith in God kept him from being harmed (Daniel 6:23).
In the New Testament of the Bible, in Revelations 5:5, Judah is again tied with the lion, and this time, it extends through the lineage of Judah to David, then Joseph, then Jesus: "Then one of the elders said to me, Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed.
I never did anything wrong to you, King.” 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.
In particular, the story Daniel and the lions' den gives us three separate lessons we can learn: The world will often turn their back on us and find ways to target our faith; We need to focus on God no matter the distraction or opposition we find in our lives; and God will always reward our faith in Him.
Daniel is a story of a person being faithful to God. More importantly, the life of Daniel recorded in the Old Testament gives evidence of God's faithfulness. God knew Daniel – He knew Daniel's needs and what Daniel was struggling with – and it's clear that God cared for Daniel.
When the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the prophet who had brought him back saddled his donkey for him. As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was thrown down on the road, with both the donkey and the lion standing beside it.
The biblical account states that Samson was a Nazirite, and that he was given immense strength to aid him against his enemies and allow him to perform superhuman feats, including slaying a lion with his bare hands and massacring an entire army of Philistines using only the jawbone of a donkey.
Only the bravest and strongest men were able to kill a lion (Judges 14:5-6; 2 Samuel 23:20). However, David had killed both a lion and a bear. He had killed animals that were stronger than him. David did not believe that the strongest man would win the fight.
At daybreak the king hurries to the place and cries out anxiously, asking if God had saved his friend. Daniel replies that his God had sent an angel to close the jaws of the lions, "because I was found blameless before him".
The bible tells us that David had a vow of praise unto the Lord. Seven times a day he would praise the Lord, and three times a day he would pray.
Personal faith
Some scholars believe that Daniel had a prayer chamber built on top of his house, with the windows permanently open toward Jerusalem. It was an act of faith on the part of an exiled Jew to pray three times a day toward the land from which he had been taken captive.
Daniel, along with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, resolved to not give in to the temptations of the Babylonian Empire. They made a resolute effort to remain faithful to their culture, faithful to the Lord. Faithfulness to the Lord despite temptation is an essential quality of Christian leadership.
Daniel 6:22 New Living Translation (NLT)
My God sent his angel to shut the lions' mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.”
The story of Daniel in the lion's den has been widely retold throughout history. It stands as a symbol of courage and divine protection. Over time, the phrase a lion's den has become a metaphorical expression used to describe vicious or contentious circumstances.
The only human beings in the Hebrew Bible who killed a lion were Samson, David and Benaiah. In I Kings 13 the story is related about a man of God who was killed by a lion (I Kings 13:24-27). A similar incident is reported in I Kings 20:35-36 where a prophet was killed by a lion because of his disobedience.
From Persia to Rome, the lion was a symbol of the sun god Mithra, whilst the Etruscan lion with wings stands at the entrance of the Temple Mountain at Troy. In Islam, Muhammad's son-in-law and cousin was known as the Lion of God, whilst a lion-headed angel is one of four beings that supports Allah's throne.
He told the king that God sent an angel to shut the lions' mouths. The lions did not hurt him. The king was happy that Daniel was safe.
By identifying Jesus as both “the Lion of the Tribe of Judah” and “the Lamb who was slain,” Revelation directs our attention back to earlier scripture and establishes his identity firmly in the Old Testament prophecies. Why is this important? It demonstrates God's consistent faithfulness to us.
Daniel was Thrown into a Lion's Den
Daniel explained to the King that God had saved him by sending an angel. He told Darius that the angel put shucks over the lions' mouths and they were not able to hurt him at all.
His name is Benaiah and we learn about him in II Samuel 23:20-23: 20 Benaiah was a valiant man who had done many deeds. He killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also killed a lion down in a pit on a snowy day.
Love God and your neighbor
When asked which commandment was the most important, Jesus said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.
Though Daniel had been exiled from his homeland, and lived in the midst of an idolatrous nation, he resolved not to be swayed by his surroundings. He stayed true to his God. In his life, Daniel not only proved his own faithfulness, but he also helped to change the culture around him.
“True faith is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ—confidence and trust in Jesus Christ that leads a person to follow Him.” After quoting Daniel 3:17–18 and emphasizing the statement “But if not,” Elder Simmons added: “That is a statement of true faith.