So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and ... Cyrus. It was in the third year of Cyrus, Daniel's visions (Daniel 10:1-21; Daniel 11:1-45; Daniel 12:1-13) were given, Daniel "prospered" because of his prophecies (Ezra 1:1-2).
Remarks:
(1) Though Daniel had escaped the fiery furnace of Nebuchadnezzar, he was not to escape the ordeal of persecution. It was the gracious and wise design of God that his servant should be sorely tried, in order to test his faith, and to discipline him in the school of affliction; and, finally, that in his deliverance the glory of God might be set forth before the whole pagan world. Such an "excellent spirit" was found in him that the king of the great world-empire of that day advanced him to the highest rank and authority in the realm. It is to the honour of religion when its professors conduct themselves so in earthly relations as to win the esteem and confidence of even worldly men. Darius, sensual, weak, and averse to business himself, had yet the sagacity to discern moral and intellectual excellence in this servant of God; and Providence overruled the king's very incapacity to the good of not merely Daniel, but also of the Jews, the covenant-people, through the commanding influence of Daniel with the king.
(2) But high office and rank, though so much coveted by most men, is the position most of all exposed to envy, malice, and calumny. Daniel, therefore, was eyed by many of the Medo-Persian presidents and princes with jealousy and hatred. And when once these bad passions take possession of men they are not long in finding some pretext for giving vent to their dislike, and assailing the innocent object of it. After watching long and narrowly for some flaw in Daniel's conduct in his administration, the Medo-Persian nobles could find no occasion against him, except concerning the law of his God (Daniel 6:5). How much it tends to the glory of God, when the enemies of His people can find no other handle for censure except that the latter walk according to the law of God, even where it is in opposition to the course of the world!
(3) The princes, knowing the weakness of Darius' character, hit upon an expedient most likely to succeed in entrapping him into becoming the instrument in their hands for the destruction of Daniel. Assembling in tumultuous haste (Daniel 6:6, margin), they flock together to the king, in order to take him by surprise, and leave him no time for calm reflection. They doubtlessly represented to him the insecurity of his dynasty through the recency of its establishment, upon the fall of the Babylonian empire, and the need which therefore existed of some test-act to put to the proof the loyalty of his conquered subjects. As being reputed the representative of Ormuzd, the chief Persian god, the king was regarded as entitled to religious homage. They accordingly propose, as if it were the request of all the counselors of the empire, in their solicitude for the safety of their beloved king, that he will establish a royal statute, in his own name and theirs, that whosoever shall ask any petition of God or man for thirty days, except of himself, shall be cast into the den of lions (Daniel 6:7). Persecuting laws are generally made on false pretences; as, for instance, on the ground of political expediency, the safety of the reigning dynasty, or so-called state necessity. Flattery and cruelty often go hand in hand. "A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet" (Proverbs 29:5). How much we should be on our guard against the "flattering mouth" that "worketh ruin"! (Proverbs 26:28.) Let us avoid hasty counsels and rash words, easily spoken in a moment of weakness, but impossible to recall and undo, and sure to entail on us unavailing remorse and bitter self-reproach in the end. When worldly men flatter us, let us beware of being tempted aside into a wrong course by self-love, which swallows eagerly their praises. To "seek the honour which cometh from God only" (John 5:44) is the only antidote against being ensnared by the love of men's hollow praises. (4) Instead of venting loud reproaches against his malicious accusers, Daniel goes at once to God, and spreads his whole case in prayer before him. Withdrawing from the agitations of court, with the full knowledge of the decree that had been signed, and the penal consequences of violating it, Daniel went into his chamber, and his windows being open toward Jerusalem, the established place of God's manifestation on earth, "he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime" (Daniel 6:10). If Daniel could find time habitually to pray three times a day amidst the business of a vast empire devolving on him, which of us can justly say he is too busy to have time to pray? We are the creatures of habit: let us systematically adopt this blessed habit, and have fixed hours of prayer, and, so far from retarding, we shall find that it much advances our worldly business, by procuring for us strength from above for the discharge of every duty, whether great or small. As Daniel, in exile, looked toward the earthly temple, so let us lift up our eyes toward Christ, our heavenly temple, from this earthly scene of our captivity. As Daniel prayed openly and avowedly, so let us do as God and conscience would have us to do, and not as the fear of man's anger, or love of his praise, might suggest: and this, not as aiming at an ostentatious singularity, but as a fixed principle and settled habit. And as Daniel, even when earthly prospects were dark, and destruction seemed impending, still "gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime," so have we, in our highly favoured position, still more cause to thank God at all times, and to have "His praise continually in our mouth" (Psalms 34:1).
(5) Now that the envious presidents had gotten Daniel into their power, they lose no time in hurrying forward the execution of the iniquitous decree against him, with the same precipitate haste with which they had procured its enaction. Like all weak-minded despots, as Darius previously had been yielding where he ought to have been firm, so now he was obstinate where he ought to have been merciful. An innocent man's life was surely of more consequence than adherence to his word of honour. A decree, obtained from him by misrepresentation, for the destruction of his faithful servant, would have been more honoured in its breach than in its observance. But often men who are reckless about the laws of God are very scrupulous and punctilious in maintaining the world's spurious code of honour. Regard for his own imaginary reputation, and fear of his princes, prevailed over his regard for Daniel and his distress at being entrapped into a plot which now he saw through; so that he gave up his loyal servant to the will of his enemies, with the poor salvo to his own conscience of a faint hope that God would counteract the fatal effects of his unjust decree and condemnation of the innocent. "Thy God whom thou servest continually," he said to Daniel (Daniel 6:16). "He will deliver thee," as I cannot. Men admire piety in others, but set at nought its precepts in their own practice. It is hypocrisy far us to do willfully a wrong act, and then to hope or pray that God will undo the mischief which we ourselves have been the cause of!
(6) The sealing of the stone on the mouth of the den was divinely ordered, both as a type of the sealing of the Saviour's tomb, and in order that the reality of the miracle in the deliverance of Daniel might be the more unanswerably manifested. The king passed a sad night, the result of his own vanity, weakness, and want of self-control. How many such there are, who know enough of religion to make them unhappy in their disregard of it, but not enough of it to make them to withdraw from their sins, and from the evil influence of those around them! Darius was sorry for the evil which he had occasioned, but took no step to undo it.
(7) Love for his servant prevailing over every other feeling led him at early dawn to the mouth of the den where Daniel was; and what words can picture the joy and relief of the king's mind when he found that the angel of that God whom Daniel served continually, alike in prosperity and in persecution, had shut the lions' mouths, and vindicated his innocency in respect to the king, and his uncompromising faith and piety before his God whom he worshipped at all costs (Daniel 6:20-23). Faith is the secret of consistency in all times of trial (Hebrews 11:32-33). Fearing God, we have none else to fear. Loyalty to Him to whom we owe the highest allegiance is not only compatible with, but will produce the truest loyalty to our earthly rulers. Duties are ours, and events are God's. Let each simply ask, in every case, What would God have me to do? not, What will be the earthly consequences? and so God, if He does not deliver us always, as He did Daniel, from temporal suffering, will surely deliver us from the "adversary," who goeth about "as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8).
(8) The accusers of Daniel were given over to the fate which they had plotted against Daniel (Daniel 6:24). It was just that they who had aspersed the just, and sought the destruction of his life by the lions, should be themselves the victims of their own plot. Daniel was promoted to honour, and the God of Daniel was confessed by the head of the world-power to be the living God, whom all should fear, and whose "dominion shall be even unto the end" (Daniel 6:25-26). Herein we have a pledge given of the coming day, when every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord, and every knee shall bow at His name (Philippians 2:10-11): when, in righteous recompence, His people shall be glorified with Him, and their enemies shall be given to everlasting destruction from His presence (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10).