Darius Displeased with Himself - Daniel 6:14

In the book of Daniel, Daniel shared how King Darius signed a decree that no one was to pray to anyone but him for thirty days, and afterward the men who convinced him to give this command saw Daniel praying and asked Darius, “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”, and in chapter six and verse fourteen of his book Daniel said, “the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself” where we read,

Then the king, when he heard these words, 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.

The verse reads, “Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, …” Daniel began with the words, “then the king” or “therefore, wherefore and on this account  the royal ruler and leader”, “when he heard these words” which means “at the time and moment he, King Darius, perceived the orations from the overseers and nobles”, “was sore displeased with himself” or “existed as greatly and exceedingly irritated, infuriated and incensed with his own self”. Daniel shared how King Darius was upset with his own self at the time and moment he “heard” what the overseers and nobles said about Daniel. 

The verse goes on to say, “… and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him.” Daniel continued with the words, “and set his heart on Daniel” or “and appointed and fixed his, King Darius’ soul and mind upon Daniel whose name means God is my judge” “to deliver him” which means “to rescue and save him, Daniel”: “and he labored” or “and he, King Darius, struggled, strove and endeavored” “till the going down of the sun” which means “until sunset” “to deliver him” or “to rescue and save him, Daniel”. Daniel shared how King Darius fixed his soul and mind upon rescuing him, and King Darius worked and endeavored until sunset to save him. 

When we consider the words in this verse, we learn through Daniel how King Darius was upset with himself when he “heard” the words of accusation brought to him by the overseers and nobles. He knew at this point that he made an error in judgment when he signed the unchangeable law which said that anyone who prayed to a god or man other than him for thirty days would be thrown into the “lions’ den”. Even though King Darius wanted to set Daniel free from this obligation, he was unable to do so because the Medo-Persian law was unchangeable even by the king himself. God was aware of this, and He would use Daniel to show Himself as a “Savior and Lord” which would eventually bring forth His Son Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and to be raised from the dead after three days. God loves people, and His desire is to save them from their sins. May all who read these words understand that God will forgive the sins of everyone who believes and trusts in Him and will allow them to live with Him forever. 

Next time Daniel shares how the men told Darius, “no decree nor statute which the king establishes may be changed.”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".