"In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom." (Daniel 5:30-31)
Belshazzar had been associated with his father, Nabonadius, in the rulership of the kingdom. This is why it was that when Belshazzar would offer the highest possible position and reward to whoever would read for him the terrible writing on the wall, he could bestow only the position of "the third ruler in the kingdom." (Daniel 5:7)
This was next to the king himself. And if there had been but one king, Daniel, in the position to which he was raised, would have been the second ruler in the kingdom. Having been by the king exalted to the highest position, next to the throne, he was accordingly clothed "with scarlet," and they "put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom." (Daniel 5:29)
And now the two kings being out of the way, when Darius the Median, and Cyrus the Persian, his general, came to inquire into the affairs of Babylon with respect to establishing order and reorganizing the realm, they found Daniel in his royal robe and the insignia of the highest office. And when they asked him about the affairs of the kingdom, its revenues, etc., they found him to be so thoroughly informed, and so able, that they took him into their council, and gave him the chief place in the reorganization of the kingdom. "It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm." (Daniel 6:1-3)
This arrangement of three chief officers, of whom one of the three was chief, corresponded to the governmental system established by David,--as any one can see by reading 1 Chronicles 11:6,11,12,21,--and plainly could have been adopted only at the suggestion of Daniel himself.
A new people had now come upon the scene of action. Another kingdom and other rulers were now called by the Most High, and given a charge concerning the world. These must be taught the knowledge of the true God and the principles of his truth. God would now further use His captive people to extend the knowledge of God and the principles of His truth to all peoples, nations, and languages. And He would make the wrath of man to praise Him. (Psalm 76:10)
When the other presidents and princes saw Daniel preferred before themselves, they were, like all politicians, dissatisfied. And when they saw that he was likely to be yet further promoted, they determined to break him down utterly. Accordingly, the whole company of them formed a conspiracy, and diligently "sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom." (Daniel 6:4)
But with all their diligence, and with all their suspicious and prejudiced care, "they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him." (Daniel 6:4)
What a commendation is that for a man of business in public affairs! Think what a test it was that was put upon Daniel. Everything that occurred in his daily business was watched and spied upon with the closest possible scrutiny, and with the definite purpose to find every fault that could be found. Every document that passed his hand, every item of business that arose in connection with his office, every direction that he gave, even the most jealous and suspicious prejudice. Yet these envious men exhausted every device and every means of information, only in vain. And such men were compelled to confess their complete failure. No fault, and not even an error, could be found in Daniel's conduct of the business of the empire.
There was, however, one last resource which, by a trick, they might employ. They knew that he feared God. They knew that his service of the Lord was actuated by such firm principle that, in rendering that service, he would not dodge, nor compromise, nor swerve one hair's-breadth, upon any issue that might be raised. "Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God." (Daniel 6:5)
But even in this, there was nothing upon which they might base an "occasion." In order to find it, they would have to create it; and create it they did. Pretending to be great lovers of their country, and to have much and sincere concern for the honor of the king and the preservation of the state, they "[they] assembled together to the king, ... [and proposed] to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever should ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of [King Darius], should be cast into the den of lions." (Daniel 6:6-7)
They presented the matter in such a plausible way, and with such evident "care for the public good," that Darius was completely deceived, and "signed the writing and the decree." (Daniel 6:9)
Daniel knew that the writing was signed. He knew that it was now the law,--and the law of the Medes and Persians, too, "which altered not." (Daniel 6:8,12) Yet, knowing all this, "He went into his house, and ... kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime." (Daniel 6:10)
He knew perfectly that no law of the Medes and Persians, nor of any other earthly power, could ever of right have anything to say or do with any man's service to God. He went on just as he did aforetime, because, practically and in principle, all things were just as aforetime: so far as concerned the conduct of the man who feared God, any law on that subject was no more than no law at all on that subject. "Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God." (Daniel 6:11)
Of course they found him doing so. They expected to find him doing so. That was precisely what they "assembled" for. And Daniel was not afraid that they would find him doing so. He did not go out and advertise that he would do so; neither did he dodge it when his regular time came to pray. He simply proceeded "as he did aforetime."
Then these men hurried away to the king, and asked him, "Have you not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which alters not. Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regards not you, O king, nor the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day." (Daniel 6:12-13)
Then the king awoke to the fact that he had been trapped, and he "was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him." (Daniel 6:14)
But the conspirators were persistent to defeat every effort which the king could make. And they had a ready and unanswerable argument against everything that might be proposed. That argument was: "The law, the law." "Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establishes may be changed." (Daniel 6:15)
There was no remedy; the law must be enforced. Daniel was cast to the lions. The king gave him the parting word of faith: "Your God whom you serve continually, He will deliver you. ... Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of music brought before him: and his sleep went from him. Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spoke and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God, whom you serve continually, able to deliver you from the lions?" (Daniel 6:16,18-20)
And to the delight of the king, Daniel answered: "O king, live forever. My God has sent His angel, and has shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before Him innocency was found in me; and also before you, O king, have I done no hurt." (Daniel 6:16,21-22)
That is divine testimony that innocency before God is found in the man who disregards any law touching his service to God. It is also divine testimony that the man who disregards such laws, in doing so does "no hurt" to the king, to the state, or to the government. "Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for He is the living God, and steadfast forever, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivers and rescues, and He works signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions." (Daniel 6:16,25-27)--Advent Review, May 10, 1898.