The Conspiracy of the Royal Administrators
6: 4-9
The conspiracy of the royal administrators DIG: What stirs up the jealousy between the two administrators and satraps? What trap do they set for Dani’el? Why did Dani’el’s private life become an issue for public policy? How did they manage to get their way with the king? Why are appeals to flattery so powerful?
REFLECT: Describe a time when you (or someone you know) have experienced difficulties at work that reflected directly to your religious beliefs. Does having strong principles cause you to be more vulnerable to others? If you were accused of being a believer, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
The primary objective of the conspirators was to trap Dani’el in an impossible situation.
The story opens with Darius (to see link click Ag – Cyrus and Darius) setting up his personal form of government for the province of Babylon. By now, we are not surprised that Dani’el had distinguished himself from all the others that Darius had placed in important positions throughout the province. After all, we already know he was the wisest of the magi (see Cs – Dani’el Interpreted the Handwriting on the Wall) and most capable of everyone in the land. The king’s desire to promote him above the other two administrators (see Dl – Dani’el is Promoted) was apparently leaked to the others who, for obviously selfish reasons, wanted to block his swift rise. Therefore, they hatched two conspiracies.330
First, the two royal administrators and a few satraps tried to find grounds for charges against him in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. Unfortunately for them, Dani’el’s behavior conformed to his spotless reputation. Even in the eyes of his worst enemies, he was a faithful man of integrity. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent (6:4). Their first conspiracy having failed, so they needed to come up with some other excuse to accuse him.
So, secondly, their twisted minds came up with what they thought was the perfect plan. They realized that they would never find any basis for charges against Dani’el unless it had something to do with the law of his God (6:5). In other words, the conspirators thought they could get Dani’el in trouble on religious grounds. They would work on arranging a situation in which Dani’el would be forced to either compromise his faith or disobey the decree of Darius, bringing his religious practice in conflict with the state. They knew that if Dani’el had to choose between obedience to his God and obedience to the Persian authorities, loyalty to ADONAI would come first.
Once again, this observation should be both challenging and convicting to us. Dani’el’s enemies were totally confident that he would rather die than disobey his God. They knew that he would sooner go to the lions’ den than give up his practice of daily prayer. Would our friends and acquaintances, never mind our enemies, say that about us with equal confidence? Is our commitment to constant prayer so obvious to everyone we meet? In view of Dani’el’s commitment to prayer, the administrators and satraps conspired together and went to Darius with a proposal for a new law.331
So, the two royal administrators and a few satraps went as a group to the king, declaring “May King Darius live forever!” After the customary greeting, their plan started with a lie. They claimed that every level of government officials in the whole province of Babylon had approved of their proposal, saying that the royal administrators, prefects, 120 satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce it. Only Dani’el was missing from their conspiracy meeting with Darius. It was quite probable that Darius was unaware of Dani’el’s absence. He may have assumed that Dani’el supported the apparently unanimous decision. The plan was that a royal decree would prohibit anyone praying to any god or human being other than the king. If caught praying to anyone else but Darius, they would be thrown into the lion’s den. That absolute law would remain in effect for the following thirty days. This edict thus functioned similarly to Nebuchadnezzar’s enormous golden statue. Doubtless, Darius was also flattered by the thought that all of his officials wanted to introduce this new decree – so flattered that he didn’t notice that Dani’el wasn’t among them. Whatever the king’s motives, he quickly signed the decree into effect as a law of the Medes and Persians which could not be altered. So the king put the decree in writing (6:7-9).332
As Arnold Fruchtenbaum relates in his commentary on Dani’el, under Persian law, any command or decree signed and sealed by the king was unalterable. Even the king himself lacked the authority to repeal it. Dani’el would be subject to the same rule. Once Darius signed and sealed the conspirators’ decree, it couldn’t be revoked. This irrevocability of the law made the Medo-Persian Empire inferior to the Babylonian Empire, in keeping with Dani’el’s prophecy in Chapter 2. The Babylonian ruler possessed absolute authority, whereas the Persian king was not immune to the errors of his own law. The book of Esther provides an illustration of this reality. Using the king’s signet ring, Haman sealed a decree mandating the execution of every Jew in the Persian Empire (see the commentary on Esther Ax – Kill all the Jews on a Single Day, the Twelfth Month of Adar). Even after Haman was impaled on a pole, this decree couldn’t be annulled. To solve the problem and save the Jews, the king was forced to issue a second decree allowing the victims of that conspiracy throughout the empire to defend themselves on the very day they were to be executed (see Esther Bi – Now Write a Counter-Decree in the Kings’ Name on Behalf of the Jews).
The primary objective of the conspirators was to trap Dani’el in an impossible situation. Curiously, they didn’t provide an official explanation when they presented the proposal to the king. We can, therefore, only speculate as to why Darius agreed to sign the decree. First, he may have been motivated by the political power the decree would give him, for it would force the recently conquered Babylonians to submit themselves to him. Second, Darius may have been driven by pride. Again, for thirty days, he would be in an exceptional position. No one would be allowed to pray to anyone, divine or human, except to Darius.
The polytheistic theology of the time held that the ruler represented the gods of his people. He was the manifestation and son of those gods. The rulers demanded that subjugated nations pay religious homage to this son of their gods. The manner in which such a tribute would be paid varied from nation to nation. Any religious decree that Darius signed was viewed within that theological system. This system didn’t require other pagans to abandon their own deities. They were permitted to continue practicing their own worship, but they were obligated to acknowledge gods other than their own. Against this theological backdrop, those affected by the conspirators’ decree were required to acknowledge that Darius was the son, representative, and manifestation of both the Medo-Persian gods and their own gods for thirty days. During this brief period, they were required to present petitions to their national gods via Darius, who was at that time, the son, the representative, and the manifestation of those gods. Following the decree did not violate their political conscience because it tested their loyalty, but it did not violate their religious conscience.
However, this religious system was diametrically opposed to the requirements of the Torah. A devout Jew like Dani’el could not view Darius as God’s son, representative, or manifestation. Dani’el’s adversaries were aware of this situation and planned to take advantage of his religious convictions.333 There’s evidence that Darius loved and appreciated Dani’el, but in his haste, the king put his friend in peril. It has been well said that flattery is manipulation, not communication, and in his pride, Darius succumbed to the flattery of evil men. They cannot speak a truthful word; their deepest desire is to destroy others. Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave, their tongues are filled with flattery (Psalm 5:9).334
Dear heavenly Father, praise You for Your almighty power, a power greater than any king’s power, greater than any scheme that men can think up. In this sinful world, trouble will always be there. How encouraging it is for me to know with absolute certainty that You are always greater than any trial or problem and You have the solution. In the world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world!” (John 16:33c). Those who are evil in this world may take my life, but they cannot take my joy. They cannot take my eternal salvation. You are a wise God who is always eager to share your wisdom with me! I love and worship You! In Yeshua’s Messiah’s holy Name and the power of His resurrection. Amen
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