Trust God who saves us from the roaring lion.

 

Sermon for Oculi, Lent 3, March 8, 2026

The God of love and peace will be with you.  Amen.

Daniel 6:10-24  ¹⁰Now, when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went to his house.  It had windows on its upper story that opened toward Jerusalem.  Three times each day he would get on his knees and pray and offer praise before his God.  He continued to do that, just as he had been doing before this.  ¹¹Then these men came as a group and found Daniel praying and seeking favor from his God.  ¹²They then went and asked the king about the decree.  “Your Majesty, did you not sign a decree that anyone who prays to any god or person for thirty days except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the den of lions?”  The king answered, “Indeed I did.  The order is established as a law of the Medes and the Persians that cannot be revoked.”  ¹³Then they responded to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, does not pay attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree that you signed.  Instead, three times each day he is praying his prayers.”  ¹⁴When the king heard this report, he was very upset about it, but he was determined to save Daniel.  So until sunset he worked hard to rescue him.  ¹⁵Then these men came as a group to the king and kept saying to the king, “You know, Your Majesty, that it is the law of the Medes and the Persians that every decree or statute that the king establishes cannot be changed.”  ¹⁶Then the king gave the order, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the lions’ den.  The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you.”  ¹⁷A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the pit.  The king sealed it with his signet ring and the signet rings of his nobles so that nothing could be changed with regard to Daniel’s situation.  ¹⁸Then the king went to his palace.  He spent the night without food, and no entertainment was brought before him.  But he could not sleep.  ¹⁹At dawn the king arose as soon as it was light and hurried to the lions’ den.  ²⁰As he came near the pit, he cried out in a fearful voice.  The king said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, was your God, whom you serve continually, able to rescue you from the lions?”  ²¹Then Daniel spoke with the king.  “Your Majesty, may you live forever!  ²²My God sent his angel and shut the mouth of the lions.  They have not hurt me because he found me innocent in his presence.  Also before you, Your Majesty, I have committed no crime.”  ²³Then the king was very glad and said that Daniel should be brought up from the pit.  So Daniel was brought up from the pit, and he was unharmed because he trusted in his God.  ²⁴The king gave the order, and those men who maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the lions’ den—they, their children, and their wives.  They had not reached the bottom of the pit when the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones. (EHV)

Trust God who saves us from the roaring lion.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

            Sometimes rulers pass laws with good intentions but not foreseeing unintended consequences, they end up with bad results.  Sometimes, rulers simply issue foolish laws out of arrogance, selfish power grabs, or mistaken assumptions.  And then, there are times when a naïve ruler is misled by those with wicked intentions to make a law that is both foolish and harmful.  It appears that all three of these are the case here.

Last Sunday, we continued our journey through the Catechism by beginning to explore the First Article of the Apostle’s Creed which deals with the Father and His creation of the world.  Part of Luther’s explanation reminds us that God protects and cares for us throughout our life here on earth.  That is especially evident in this morning’s text where we learn to Trust God who saves us from the roaring lion.

The account of Daniel and the lions’ den is probably one of the most well-known Bible stories, but whether it is always properly understood is another question.  The fact that Daniel was saved does not mean that we should put God to the test and expect to be protected from harm in all ways.  Furthermore, it does not indicate that God allows bad things to happen to people because they are somehow less righteous than Daniel.  Jesus enlightened us when He told the people, “Those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse sinners than all the people living in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no.  But unless you repent, you will all perish too.” (Luke 13:4-5)  Still, the Lord does promise “that all things work together for the good of those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)  Therefore, we can rightly conclude that God had good purposes in allowing this event to take place.

Perhaps the first thing we should learn is not to put our full confidence in earthly authorities that are often subject to wrong ideas and evil intentions.  It also doesn’t mean we should disobey those put in authority over us.  St. Paul clearly relayed God’s command to obey those above us, yet we also must follow the apostles’ example when they declared, “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)  Therefore, we will obey the governing authorities in ordinary things, but when they demand obedience to laws that are clearly against God’s commands, then we will obey God and suffer whatever consequences may come our way.

On the other hand, we can clearly see our God working behind the scenes here.  First, Daniel somewhat foreshadows our Lord Jesus.  Daniel was faithful to God and the most dedicated, wise, and skillful of all the advisors to the king, which, unfortunately, made him subject to the jealousies of other advisors.  They could find no fault of which to accuse Daniel, so they convinced the king to use his authority to make a law they schemed to use to trap Daniel. 

Now, Daniel was not holy, but he was righteous by faith in the Lord.  Jesus, on the other hand, was and is perfectly holy and faithful to His Father in heaven.  No one could accuse Jesus of any guilt, because He had no sin at all.  Still, out of jealousy and hatred, Jesus’ enemies falsely accused Him of many crimes.  However, in the end, Jesus’ death sentence was carried out because He told the truth, that He is the Son of God who was sent into the world to save sinners.

Thus, it is in Jesus’ death sentence that we are taught to Trust God who saves us from the roaring lion.  Because all mankind is infected with sin, we are all subject to the curse of sin which is death.  We are all in danger continually because of the deceiver who brought sin into the world in the first place.  Therefore, the Holy Spirit through St. Peter warns us, “Have sound judgment.  Be alert.  Your adversary, the Devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

In our sermon text, it was the king’s foolish and idolatrous decision that put Daniel in danger of death.  Once the sentence was carried out, the king regretted his decision.  Does it bother you that he couldn’t sleep that night?  Likewise, I might ask, do you ever have trouble sleeping because of something you have done? 

At this point, we could recognize that it was our sin, as well as the sin of the whole world, that caused Jesus to be thrown into battle against the roaring lion.  Isaiah confessed, “Surely he was taking up our weaknesses, and he was carrying our sufferings.  We thought it was because of God that he was stricken, smitten, and afflicted, but it was because of our rebellion that he was pierced.  He was crushed for the guilt our sins deserved.  The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4-5)

When the king ran to the lion’s den that next morning, he really didn’t expect to find Daniel still alive.  Sure, he desperately hoped that the God Daniel worshipped could have done something, but the king wasn’t yet a believer in the true God.  In the same way, the women who came to Jesus’ tomb on Easter morning, and His disciples as well, didn’t really expect to find Jesus alive, even though He had told them several times that He would rise on the third day.

Of course, I am not saying that those women and disciples didn’t believe in Jesus, but they didn’t yet fully understand who Jesus is.  Jesus is indeed the dragonslayer and lion tamer God sent to rescue us from the jaws of certain condemnation at the gates of hell. 

Now, Daniel didn’t die that night because God sent His angel to keep the mouths of those hungry lions shut.  As the Lord promised in Psalm 91, “If you make the Most High your shelter, evil will not overtake you.  Disaster will not come near your tent.  Because he will give a command to his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:9-11)  On the other hand, the Savior Daniel foreshadowed, our Lord Jesus, had to die because of the guilt of those who falsely accused Him, and because of the sins we commit in foolishness, self-promotion, jealousy, and hatred.  At the same time, like Daniel, Jesus didn’t stay in the lion’s pit, for God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day.

After the king found Daniel alive that next morning, and brought him safely out of the pit, he gave a new order, and all “those men who maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the lions’ den—they, their children, and their wives.  They had not reached the bottom of the pit when the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.”  This is the same warning God has for anyone who rejects Jesus.  About those who serve primarily themselves in this life, Jesus declared, “Then he [The King] will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire, which is prepared for the Devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:41)  That eternal pit is what is in store for the devil and all who follow his ways.

Therefore, while many people might question why God would allow that king to be so foolish, or why He would allow those wicked men seemingly to have their way in the world, our Lord wants us to know that there is nothing that escapes His attention, and there is no sin that will go unpunished.  At the same time, God has already punished His own beloved Son for the sins of the world.  Therefore, it is only those who reject the Son who have no part with the Father.  Their eternal destination will remain the depths of hell as long as they continue in their wickedness and unbelief. 

Still, for those who continually turn toward the Son of God in faith there is everlasting rescue from the roaring lion who seeks to destroy us.  The victory has already been won, for Jesus lived holiness for us and died to pay for all our guilt.  Consequently, His resurrection on Easter morning proves that everything the Bible promises is true.  “Because I live, [Jesus says] you also will live.  In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.  The one who has my commands and holds on to them is the one who loves me.  And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father.” (John 14:19-21)  Just as Jesus replied to the woman in our Gospel lesson who shouted out to Him from the crowds, “Even more blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.” (John 14:18)  For all of us the message remains, Trust God who saves us from the roaring lion.  Amen.

Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.  Blessed be His glorious name forever.  May the whole earth be filled with His glory.  Amen.