Daniel and the Law of the Land

"Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God."

At this time in Daniel's life he was in his eighties. Even so, the old man was a threat to the crooked politicians of his day. He had a reputation for honesty; all knew him to be a man of integrity, even his enemies. We are told by the Holy Spirit, "He had an excellent spirit." And believe me, He knew! 

These one-hundred and twenty political assassins knew it was useless to attack his impeccable character, so instead, they went after his faith. They passed a law that went directly against his God-given scriptural convictions. They knew well that he would not do wrong, but they were also aware, he would always do right concerning his God. And it is this latter fact with which they hoped to bring him down. 

John Gill writes in his commentary, "If therefore they could get an act passed, and signed by the king, which would any ways affect his religion, or any branch of it, or prohibit the performance of it for any time, they hoped to get an advantage of him, knowing that he would not on any consideration forsake or neglect that; which being said by his enemies was greatly to his honour."

What is one to do when the law of the land conflicts with the Law of God? It is plain throughout the Bible. As the early Believers told the authorities of their day when they were ordered to submit to laws contrary to their faith, "We ought to obey God rather than men."  And this they did, even at the expense of bodily suffering. 

And so it was with Daniel. He continued doing what he had always done in spite of the unscriptural law of the land. It could be said of him, as David wrote of the righteous man in Psalm 37, "The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide."  

 "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."