Bel and the Dragon 10-17

The Trick
10 Now there were seventy priests of Bel, besides their wives and children. So the king went with Daniel into the temple of Bel. 11 The priests of Bel said, "See, we are now going outside; you yourself, O king, set out the food and prepare the wine, and shut the door and seal it with your signet. 12 When you return in the morning, if you do not find that Bel has eaten it all, we will die; otherwise Daniel will, who is telling lies about us." 13 They were unconcerned, for beneath the table they had made a hidden entrance, through which they used to go in regularly and consume the provisions.

14 After they had gone out, the king set out the food for Bel. Then Daniel ordered his servants to bring ashes, and they scattered them throughout the whole temple in the presence of the king alone. Then they went out, shut the door and sealed it with the king's signet, and departed. 15 During the night the priests came as usual, with their wives and children, and they ate and drank everything. 16 Early in the morning the king rose and came,¹ and Daniel with him. 17 The king said, "Are the seals unbroken, Daniel?" He answered, "They are unbroken, O king." (NRSV)
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¹ 16 Cp. Daniel 6:19.

Groups of seventy are not uncommon in the Bible: There were seventy kings killed by Adoni-Bezek (Judges 1:7), the seventy sons of Jerub-Baal (Judges 9:2-56), the seventy elders of Israel who went up the mountain to see God with Moses (Exodus 24:9) and so forth. Perhaps the author of Bel and the Dragon wanted to hitch himself to this idealized number in some way.

I have given this section the heading "The Trick," and the title fits for two reasons. On the surface, it would appear that Daniel's ruse is nothing more than a simple trick: the ashes on the floor will reveal footprints the next day. But although we realize that this particular story about Daniel isn't part of God's word, we recognize that the idea behind this trick is sound enough.

In a sense, it is ironic that ashes are used to discover the truth -- ashes are the valueless refuse left over after burning, which is all that false idols are good for. And of course, the deception of the priests of Bel is another reason for the heading.

The false priests showed that their main interest was in filling their bellies, and in doing so, they led their families away from the truth. That's the real danger with false teachers. It isn't that they have a worthless profession, it's that they lead other people into hell right along with them, beginning with their own loved ones. The evidence of their folly and sin isn't tampered with; God knows exactly what they have done.

That's why we point to the cross of Jesus Christ. A story like this one reminds us to look only to Jesus, who paid the price for our sins. Jesus has rescued us and made us pure before our Heavenly Father. No scattered ashes will show anything against us or on our account. In Jesus, we are pure, and we are ready for judgment day.