Yesterday I came across this article that I had saved last year. It is written by Jill Carattini, senior associate writer at Ravi Zacharias Int'l Ministries in Atlanta, GA. The article is dated 1/08/07 but it seems relevant even today. I am printing excerpts here . . . I will be happy to forward the complete version to anyone who would like to read it.
. . . The story told in Daniel 6 presents a king who loses sight of the purpose of kingship and the purpose of law, creating a system void of justice and a law that only hinders and traps its makers. Against these images of lawlessness and corruption, the story portrays a silent but active Daniel clinging to a higher law, bowing before the King of Kings in the midst of persecution, in the hands of his oppressors, in the shadows of the lions' den. Living within the hopelessness of exile, sweltering under the heat of injustice, Daniel unflinchingly declares the sovereignty of God, and with faithfulness and perseverance refuses to believe otherwise. In a kingdom in which he is a mere foreigner, Daniel is appointed to a position of great authority because the king finds him to be distinguished among men. . . . (But) The leaders serving under Daniel seek to get rid of him. The story does not provide a thorough explanation for their hatred of Daniel and yet, perhaps in this silence much is said. . . . they conclude, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God" (6:5). . . . Approaching the king with flattery that he does not refuse, they convince him to establish an ordinance that holds everyone in the kingdom accountable to praying only to him. The king, who is pleased with his high and lofty position and his authority to rule, thus agrees to test the loyalty of his citizens and to make the law irrevocable. It is significant to note that Daniel does not speak until the end of the story, yet throughout it, he is anything but complacent. Knowing the document had been signed, Daniel still goes to his house, opens his windows, faces Jerusalem, and prays as he has done before. Just as planned, he is immediately caught by the men who are quick to point out his guilt before the king. Though the king stands guilt-ridden, Daniel stands accused, and nothing can be done to save him. Bound by his own law, the king must release his faithful servant into the hands of injustice. Daniel is thrown into the lions' den, which is then sealed at the remorseful hand of the king. As we await the outcome, wanting to cry out at the injustice of the situation, the voices we most want to hear from remain discouragingly silent. We hear nothing from the lips of Daniel. And we hear nothing from the mouth of God. In the face of injustice, silence can be oppressive, filled at once with despairing questions. Where is God? What of the silent victims? Who will speak over the deafening sounds of injustice, over the word games and manipulative arguments, when hands are tied, options are exhausted, and fates seem irreversible? In the aftermath of disparaging news, . . . the silence of God and of Daniel is especially moving. Daniel eventually speaks, but only after his irreversible sentence was overruled by the hand of God. In the book of Daniel, we are powerfully reminded that in silence God is still acting. In the weariness of injustice, in the shadows of those who seek to devour, God is still sovereign. Says the Lord: "Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise"(Psalm 12:5).
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