Daniel 6. You’ve heard it. You know it like the back of your hand. You may not know it’s Daniel 6, but you know the story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den. It was a nice bedtime Bible story when we were kids. A story of faith and God’s protection of the faithful.

Did it ever just hit you, though, that there was a “simpler solution” for Daniel? I mean to me, it was like, “Come on Daniel! It’s great that you’re praying and all. but why do you have to stand by an open window when you do it?

Read the story again.

"1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom;

2 and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss.

3 Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.

4 Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him.

5 Then these men said, "We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God."

6 Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, "O King Darius, live forever!

7 All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.

8 Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked."

9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.

10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

11 Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God.

12 Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, "O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?" The king answered and said, "The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked."

13 Then they answered and said before the king, "Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day."

14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him.

15 Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, "Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed."

16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!"

17 And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.

18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.

19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions.

20 As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?"

21 Then Daniel said to the king, "O king, live forever!

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."

23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

24 And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions-they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces."

I want to highlight verse 10.

When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

Daniel knew. Daniel prayed. As he had done previously. Daniel didn’t pray by an open window out of ignorance, to disrespect King Darius (vs. 3-5), or to show off. He did it simply because that’s what he did. This is how he prayed and he did it after the decree too, not out of habit, but because he had more respect for God than he had for any decree the King could make. We obey the law of the land, but we do not compromise God’s law in doing so. Daniel understood that. Daniel was respectful and obedient to King Darius, even in a foreign land surrounded by pagans who had captured his beloved Jerusalem. He still obeyed. It’s clear throughout the book of Daniel that he respected the Kings, and they respected him for that. But never did Daniel compromise his faith in any way to obey these pagan Kings. You can say, “Daniel, just close the window, but that would have shown those unbelievers that he didn’t have enough faith to keep them open.

Do you shut your windows because people may get offended or angry?

Daniel could have been eaten alive, and he kept his windows wide open. Why do you shut yours? Don’t hide your faith; hidden faith isn’t faith at all. It’s cowardice. And God will not accept cowardice (Revelation 21:8). Have faith in God. Glorify Him by showing the world you aren’t afraid to open your windows.