The Law of the Medes and the Persians

The Law of the Medes and the Persians

“The Law of the Medes and the Persians” has come to imply a rigid rule applied without flexibility for circumstances. It is mentioned in Daniel 6:8, 12, 15. Without getting sidetracked into historical scholarship, I have thought it a step forward in the understanding of law in the era of autocratic despots. Yes, the king/emperor issued binding decrees, but they were binding on him as well. To me this validates the principle we depend on in our time that no one is above the law, no matter how much status or authority they have.

As a Sunday school story, the emphasis was how God rewarded Daniel for his faithfulness by rescuing him from the lions. Perhaps less obvious but very important through the millennia since the time of Daniel, is the danger of ego driven leaders. Daniel’s jealous enemies appealed to Darius’ ego to entice him to promulgate a law unjustly targeting Daniel and compelling him to enforce it against his better judgment.