Daniel Chapter 6 Verses 11-12

11 Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. 12 Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the interdict, “O king! Did you not sign an interdict, that any man who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.”

This group waited around for Daniel to pray, and then went and reported to Darius as soon as he did.

Notice in verse 12 the word “you.” Suddenly this law has become the king’s idea!

Darius is reminded of his decree. Darius remembers and also points out that the law of the Medes and Persians cannot be revoked.

This passage provides absolute proof that Daniel did not believe that a separate Median kingdom conquered the Chaldeans prior to the Persian kingdom under Cyrus.

The late-date hypothesis that the second kingdom is Media and the third kingdom is Persia is shown to be ill-founded.

Daniel treats Media and Persia as a unified kingdom – which historians tell us is what they were.

Why couldn’t the law be changed or revoked?

Having a law that stood even above the despot was a very politically sophisticated system of government. Although we take it for granted, it was quite rare at the time.

Although we can only speculate about the reason for this system, this same requirement provided the drama in the book of Esther after the decree went out to kill the Jews. (See Esther 1:19 and 8:8.)

History tells us that it also played a role during the reign of Darius III who ruled from 336 to 331. It is said that he put a man to death who he knew was innocent because “it was not possible to undo what had been done by royal authority.”

We are about to watch God as he changes and revokes a law that cannot be changed or revoked!

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