The Lord is the living God and no one else! Daniel also says this when he tells Darius what happened that night in the lions’ den. The Lord has sent an angel who shut the lions’ mouths. The hungry lions did nothing to Daniel. He was able to be with these lions and walk among them without fear or threat.
This is because Daniel truly lived as a child of God, truly obedient as a servant of the Lord. He lived for the Lord and so did his work in service to Darius. It is important that Darius and the entire kingdom see that the Lord cares for his faithful servants and protects his people. The Lord makes it clear that he is the only God worthy of all worship. In this way the Lord throws out the law of the Medes and Persians that stipulated that Darius was the only one who could be worshipped for thirty days.
We see here how the Lord protects his church. The Lord intervenes. He shows that resisting this law of the government does not mean the end or ruin of his people. God protects and keeps open the way to the great Deliverer. Here the Lord shows the truth of what Paul writes later on: No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it
(1 Corinthians 10:13).
The Lord is the living God! No one can stop him when he saves. He proved this gloriously when Jesus Christ was in the grave. It seemed as if the church was dead and without hope. It seemed as if the devil and eternal death had conquered. Even the promised Saviour lay in the grave. It seemed as if no one would be able to rescue the people of God from the mouth of eternal death and the devil. Then the third day after Jesus’ death arrives. Despite the seal and the guards, there is an earthquake. A special light shines from heaven. Angels come down. The Lord Jesus then rises from the dead full of power and majesty. He shows: I am the King of life. He shows that with his work he has earned the victory over death, the deliverance from the clutches of the devil for all believers. Now the victory song may sound, Death, where is your sting? Grave, where is your victory
(1 Corinthians 15:55)?
We should not draw the conclusion from Daniel’s rescue that every believer will be saved from all the troubles and dangers in this life. When it is necessary for the building of God’s kingdom, this happens. However, the Lord always gives his children the strength to endure trials and tribulations in prayer, and to continue to trust in Christ. Then it may happen that believers do get killed by lions, but they may know that they will live on with the Father in heaven.
One sees these two sides very clearly in Hebrews 11: And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mockery and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment
(Hebrews 11:32–36). For those who did die despite their faith, see Hebrews 11:37–40.
It is the Lord who protects Daniel, showing the world and the devil that he protects his people according to his promise and he will continue to do so. God’s people and God’s promise will not be buried in the grave of exile.
22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”