False Accusation

1. Chaldeans accused Daniel’s three friends

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, proclaimed that those who did not fall down and worship the image of gold would immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace. Despite that, Daniel’s three friends—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, did not worship the image of gold. At that time, some Chaldeans who were jealous of them accused them and asked the king to punish them.

At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced [accused, KJV] the Jews.Da 3:8

※Chaldea was the name of a region in the southland of Babylon. Since the Chaldeans reigned over Babylon, Babylon was called Chaldea.

Since Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did not worship the idol despite the conciliation of King Nebuchadnezzar, they incurred the king’s wrath and were thrown into the furnace which was heated seven times hotter than usual. The furnace was so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took them up. For those who did not worship other gods except God and did not fall down before the idol without fearing death, God sent the angels to protect even the hairs on their heads from being singed.

2. The governors of Medes and Persians accused Daniel

When Media-Persia that destroyed Babylon was in power, Darius appointed 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, and one of whom was Daniel.

Daniel was clothed with God’s grace and wisdom, and distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities, so the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs but they could find no corruption in him. So they set a snare to find fault with him from his keeping the law of God.

They suggested that the king should issue a new edict that anyone who prayed to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to the king, should be thrown into the lions’ den. So the king put the decree in writing and let it be proclaimed. According to the laws of the Medes and Persians, once a king put the decree in writing, no one could alter it. Even the king could not alter it. Though Daniel learned that the decree had been published, three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed toward Jerusalem, just as he had done before. The moment, which those who tried to harm Daniel were waiting for, came. They immediately accused him before the king.

Though Daniel was a favorite of King Darius, since the king could not change the law of the Medes and Persians, he was forced to order to throw Daniel into the lions’ den. Though Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den, God sent His angel to shut the mouths of the lions. So Daniel could come out of the lions’ den safely the next morning. King Darius gave glory to God and commanded to bring in those who had falsely accused Daniel along with their wives and children and to throw them into the lions’ den. Before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones (Da 6:1-27).

At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in . . .Da 6:24

3. Haman accused the Jews

As the time of God’s prophecy came, Cyrus king of Persia put it in writing that all the Jews might return to their own country. At that time, there were also people who could not return to their home.

During the time of Xerxes king of Persia, Esther the cousin of Mordecai a Jew was selected as a queen. After that, as King Xerxes honored Haman, all the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down to him but only Mordecai a Jew did not kneel down or pay him honor. Haman was enraged at this. Having learned that Mordecai was a Jew who was taken captive, Haman accused the Jews before the king and tried to kill them.

Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed and scattered among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom whose customs are different from those of all other people and who do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.”Est 3:8

This way, a decree that they might kill all the Jews was issued and spread throughout the whole kingdom. As the Jews were put in such great crisis, Queen Esther made a great effort to save them, even preparing for death. Then, the Jews could defeat their enemies, and Haman who accused the Jews was hung on the gallows he had set up for Mordecai.

4. The devil accused God’s people

The devil our enemy tempted us to commit sins in heaven, and accused us before God.

The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.”Rev 12:9-10

The wicked people who accused Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den were finally thrown into the lions’ den and became prey to the lions after being punished by the way they themselves had prepared. And Haman, who accused Mordecai and prepared the gallows to hang him on it, was also hung on the gallows he himself had prepared, and in the end, those who tried to kill the Jews along with Haman were also killed by the way they themselves had prepared.

When we see the records of accusation in the Bible, all the groups of people who accused God’s people were caught in the snare that they had prepared to harm God’s people with, and they themselves were harmed. Ultimately, our enemy the devil, too, who accused us before God will be harmed by the method he had prepared to harm the heavenly children.