Good morning,
We have yet another installment of our exciting blog series “Scott has too much sermon.” This Sunday we will be looking at Daniel 6. This wonderful story of God’s miraculous protection of Daniel is a cherished one by many Christians. However, for many skeptics, the story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den is further “proof” that Daniel either got it all wrong or made it up.
Most of the skepticism is based on the fact that Daniel refers to a guy he calls “Darius the Mede” at the end of chapter 5 and throughout the rest of the book as being the king over Babylon, which is now a part of the ever-expanding Persian Empire. And there is no record of someone named Darius (or Da-Ri-Us) being the first king of Persia. A guy by the name of Cyrus the Great is universally recognized as the first king of Persia.
So who is Darius?
Well, as I said some folks say that Darius is proof that the Bible is in error or that the story is made up. As Evangelical Christians we categorically reject both of those theories. So what can we say?
Again, this issue isn’t one that pertains to salvation directly. It is very much a secondary one, but as believers we should be able to give a reasonable response to such skepticism. And there are three such responses or theories that scholars have proposed.
The first is that Darius the Mede was a local king. He was appointed by Cyrus to rule over the new province of Babylon. Proponents of this theory connect Darius with a man who was also called Gobryas. Gobryas was a general in the Babylonian army who switched sides and helped lead the Persian army into Babylon. In the theory Cyrus rewards Gobryas with this local kingship.
The main objection to this theory is that verse 1 strongly suggests that "Darius" and "Cyrus" refer to the same person. Daniel writes that Darius divided his territory into 120 satrapies, or provinces. That number would be consistent with the size of the entire Persian Empire, not just Babylon. Still, this theory is possible.
The second theory is that “Darius” is a title, not a name. Much like all of the rulers of Egypt were called Pharaoh and all the emperors of Rome took the title of Caesar, proponents of this theory suggest that the rulers of Persia all had the title of Darius. So Daniel is referring to Cyrus by his title, not his name, in the book.
This theory also has its issues, because in the Persian Record there are kings with the actual name Darius, so it seems like it was a name, not a title.
The third theory and the one that I would lean towards is that, like many people in the ancient world, Cyrus went by both the name Cyrus and Darius.
We know a good bit about Cyrus from the historical records about Persia, so we know that his father was a Persian and his mother was a Mede. In fact, one the reasons that we believe Cyrus was able to unite the kingdom was that he had a direct family lineage to both people-groups. Cyrus is his Persian name and Darius is his Mede name.
So why does Daniel call him Darius the Mede? Well, Daniel is following a Jewish tradition of emphasizing his mother’s heritage. And this is strong evidence that at the beginning of the Persian Empire the people were initially referred to as “Medes” and not Persians, because there were more ethnic Medes than Persians.
Over time the empire became more Persian and the Medes as a people gradually died out. In fact, in his book Daniel refers to the law of the Medes and Persians, indicating that the Medes are the more prominent people. In the book of Esther, which takes place about 50 years after the events of Daniel, the author refers to the law of Persia and Media, indicating that Persians have overtaken the Medes during those years.
As with many of these issues, we don’t have all the evidence we would like. However, it remains true that no evidence has ever been discovered that definitely proves that the authors of the Bible got it wrong or made it up!
Here’s what’s happening:
1. Youth group meeting tonight at 6:30 in the schoolhouse.
2. This Sunday is the final one to return baby bottles to help support Cornerstone Reproductive Health on Sunday. If you didn't grab one this past Sunday there are a few still at the church that you can use when you arrive.
3. Next men’s breakfast is on Saturday 2/22 at 8am at Kreider’s Market.
4. On Sunday, 2/23 there will be a brief (10-15 minutes) informational meeting after the worship service on a potential summer missions trip to North Carolina, being led by Thomas Derr. The meeting is for youth, parents, and anyone else that might be interested.
5. Solanco Meat Canning is right around the corner. ABCF’s slot is from 3 to 7:30 pm on March 11. Signup sheet is in the lobby. See Lloyd Kreider or Vernon Myers for more information.
6. Onesimus Ministries is holding a breakfast fundraiser on Saturday, March 1 at Waterway Church in Oxford. See Vernon Myers for details.
7. Youth Breakfast at the church – 3/1 at 8 am.
9. Marriage Retreat is set for 3/7 – 3/9 in Ocean City Maryland. Information and a signup sheet are in the lobby.
8. Save the Dates – Lenten Prayer Services on 3/13, 3/27, & 4/10 from 6:30 -7:30 pm.
9. Save the Date – Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner on 4/6.
Although God shutting the lion’s mouths is undoubtedly the high point of the story, we’ll be focusing more on all that happens before and after that miracle. Daniel is a righteous man, and we’ll look at what we can learn about what it looks like to live in righteousness.
Scott