6 “So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: “King Darius, live forever! 7 “All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 “Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.”
6:6
So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: “King Darius, live forever!
Having not found any flaw in Daniel’s leadership, the 122 administrators tried to set up Darius to undermine Daniel. They seized on the very thing Daniel was noted for – consistency in his belief.
6:7
“All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.
The plot against Daniel centered on his worship and Darius’ ego. All of Darius’ subjects were to address their prayer to the king. The penalty for not obeying this statute was to be cast into a den of lions.
People of vengeance have attitudinal problems. These attitudinal problems manifest themselves in overt action. Daniel’s enemies actively conspired against him. They used machination to undermine him.
6:8
“Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.”
Since this played to the king’s pride, he acquiesced to the suggestion that all prayer be addressed to him.
6:9
Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.
The plan appealed to the Darius’ vainglory so he signed a decree. All laws of the Medo-Persian Empire were irrevocable.
PRINCIPLE:
Legislation can never provide equality.
APPLICATION:
Attitudinal sins contaminate people within its sphere of operation. Under God’s economy, He designs civil law to protect and give freedom to the individual. Some people use the law as a weapon. This legalism distorts wholesome life in a national entity. When governments begin to make the law to control its citizens rather than provide protection and afford freedom, we end up with organizations like the ACLU who try to control citizens by lawsuits. Legislation can never make man equal. A federal government cannot rectify all social and moral ills. Only regeneration can do that.
