“The king answered and said, “The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.” Daniel 6:12
When we come to verse 12 we see what appears to be the
immoveable object versus the truly irresistible force. The guile of
man that created the no way out dilemma that Daniel faces runs head
first into God’s commandments. The intent is to show man’s force and
power is real, God is just a figment of one’s imagination. This is another of the lies Satan has designed to erode our faith and trust in God. Satan wants us to believe he is as powerful as God is – that he is equal to God and we had better fear him. Believers know this is not true yet when we are in the midst of a test we are tempted to turn our eyes on the circumstances and suddenly Satan’s lies look real. When
that happens even believers can begin to believe Satan’s lie.
The scene is set in front of us. Picture it in black and white. Daniel is bathed in light in his room praying to the living and true God. His prayer demonstrates faith and wholehearted dedication to God Himself. In the darkness 122 satraps and administrators hide. They have seen enough to rush to the kings palace ready to become the whispers of evil. The King James indicates they “throng” the kings palace. Their action shows they believe their foolproof plot cannot fail. They have set up this situation to get rid of this follower of God who is about to be placed in authority over them. They skillfully take the king through the mechanics of their trap. The law was decreed, the people included under the law were specified (all), the punishment for disobedience was set (death), the king has signed it (approved) and the law of the Medes and the Persians cannot be revoked or altered (inescapable). The situation they have constructed is immoveable, even for the king of Persia.
The irrevocability of the law is an important facet of this story that God wants us to see. Three times in Daniel 6 we are told that the king’s law, once issued, could not be changed (verses 8, 12, 15). This is a very different situation than what had been true in Babylon.
Rulers in Babylon were free from such constraints, they could act as they desired. Laws in the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians
were different. While the requirement that laws could not be altered seems foreign to us, it was written for a positive reason. The inability to change a law after issuing it would impel the king and rulers to be more deliberate in considering legislation before enacting it. (Darius should have thought about that when urgency to sign the law was pressed upon him.) This would slow down the rush of legislation and create a more stable legal foundation in society. Satan of course leads these evil men to misuse the law. They use what was designed for good to entrap God’s people. This brings us to the immutability of God’s word. No matter the intention of man, no matter the decree that man’s law is permanent, there is only one truth that is immoveable. Psalm 33:11 says, “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation.” Matthew 24:35 says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Psalm 119:89 states, “Your word, LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.” When all seems impossible, we must remember that God alone is in control.
What can we learn? Daniel did not know what would happen in this situation. He was very aware the law of the Medes could not be altered. He knew he faced death. Like Moses Daniel weighed the alternatives and chose to obey God. He trusted God’s will. If it was time to die, that was God’s will. If not, God was able to deliver him. What was not negotiable was his faithfulness to the real King