Darius Schooled

 Dan 6:13  Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. 

Dan 6:14  Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him. 

Have you ever noticed that Darius when Daniel was found guilty, Darius himself worked for hours to find a way to get Daniel free from the impending punishment?

Now this fascinates me because Darius caused the problem in his pride, or in his naivete, I have not decided which, because he signed a decree his advisers brought before him. A decree designed solely to remove one man, Daniel, from power.

Now as we all know Daniel could not be accused on his character, or job performance or lifestyle, so they had to frame him and make his faithfulness to his God a crime. This they did, and Darius who knew Daniel, who was Daniel's immediate superior, who was aware of Daniel's faithfulness to his God signed this decree into law.

The king, when he realized he had fallen into their trap, was sore displeased with --- HIMSELF. He did not pass the buck, he did not blame his advisers, he messed up and he knew it. He set about finding a loophole to get Daniel out of the predicament that he, Darius, had put him on.

Yet there was no way out, so Darius says 

Dan 6:16  Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. 

This amazes me. He knew that Daniel was faithful when he signed the decree, he knew that Daniel would never follow such a foolish decree. So why did he sign it???

ok anyways, Daniel survived the night in the lions den and Darius recognized that Daniel's God is the God.

So when Daniel survives the night and the king goes out to see if his stupidity was ruinous this is what happens.

Dan 6:21  Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. 

Dan 6:22  My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. 

Daniel lives, he tells the king that God saw that he, Daniel was innocent before him and the king and therefore no hurt ccame to him.

Daniel scolds the king and says, I have done no wrong and you have tossed me in here. You caused this but God saved me.

Daniel and his God school Darius on faithfulness, virtue and justice. The Book of Daniel is a fascinating one.

Daniel purposed.Nebuchadnezzar dreamed. Nebuchadnezzar recognized. God Testified,  Nebuchadnezzar Certified. Darius Schooled and that is just the first 6 chapters.