Art to Heart Invitation

Peter Paul Rubens: Daniel in the Lions' Den

©2002 by Jeff Dugan

This seems to be a familiar Old Testament scene.  But the artist may have had more to say than is obvious at first.  In fact it seems he intended to convey a New Testament message as much as he intended to tell an Old Testament story.

On the most basic level, Rubens provides a compelling illustration of the familiar story.  He takes the opportunity to arouse interest by featuring the lions from every angle and in a variety of poses, almost like a natural history textbook.  For European viewers in the 1600s, who would never have had an opportunity to see real lions, this would be like a trip to the zoo.  And Rubens uses that fascination to make an image that will certainly help viewers remember the Bible story.

But he goes further than just tantalizing us with the exotic and dramatic elements of a story from long ago and far away.  He makes the story immediately relevant to viewers, both in the 17^th century and today.  As you approach this enormous painting, its width and height seem to extend beyond the edges of your peripheral vision.  It begins to seem that you are standing in the cave with Daniel and the lions.  And notice how three of the lions seem to have their attention fixed on spots beyond the plane of the canvas, where we would be standing if we were viewing this painting in the museum.  Finally, the human skull at the bottom makes it clear that these lions are not picky eaters…which drives home the terror of the predicament that we share with Daniel. 

As we know, Daniel has hope that God will spare him, and his hope is affirmed by God’s answer to his prayer.  But what about us?  Now that we’re in this cave with Daniel, can we also hope that God will save us? 

Look at Daniel’s robe.  It’s not just a soft place for him to sit, but a suggestion of a stream of blood that flows down to the earth at “the place of the skull.”  As we recall that “place of the skull” is the translation for the word “Golgotha,” we see that Daniel’s hope springs up toward heaven from this place.  And just above Daniel’s head, the stone that encloses the tomb-like cave has been rolled away. 

These New Testament signs are signs of hope not just to Daniel but to all mankind.  They show us that the stories of the Old Testament bear the same message as the New Testament: The God who has the power to deliver us also has the desire to deliver us.  What hope is better than that? 

If you have never known this hope, it may surprise you to discover the strength of God’s desire to save you.  It’s so strong that He was willing to die on a cross for your sake.  If you’re trapped in a life full of hungry lions, all you need to do is to trust the God who saved Daniel, who rolled the stone away from the tomb, and who still works miracles of salvation today.