Bel and the Dragon: God Exposes False Gods

Bel and the Dragon: God Exposes False Gods

Bel and the Dragon is one of the lesser-known but most striking narratives in the Bible of the early church. Preserved in the Greek Septuagint (LXX) as part of the Book of Daniel, it tells two stories: the defeat of the idol Bel and the destruction of a dragon worshiped as a god in Babylon.

These stories show that idols are powerless and that the living God alone saves. They also highlight Daniel’s faith and wisdom in exposing lies. Early Christians treasured these stories because they show the triumph of God’s truth over false religion.

Introduction: Author, Date, and Context

Author: Traditionally included in Daniel. In early manuscripts, it was part of Daniel (often as chapter 14).

Date: Composed during the Second Temple period, likely alongside other Danielic traditions.

Etymology (Greek – LXX):

• Bel: From the Babylonian Bel (Baal), meaning “lord,” a common title for pagan gods.

• Dragon: δράκων (drákōn, “serpent” or “dragon”).

Setting: Babylon, where Daniel confronts two major forms of idolatry — a man-made idol and a living creature worshiped as divine.

The Bible of the Early Church

In the Septuagint (LXX) — the Bible used by the apostles and the early church — Bel and the Dragon was included at the end of Daniel. In the earliest Christian Bibles (Codex Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Alexandrinus), it appears without dispute.

Later Jewish tradition excluded it, and the Protestant Reformers followed suit, removing it with the other Deuterocanonical texts. But for over a millennium, Christians read it as Scripture — a clear witness against idolatry and superstition.

Summary of Movements

1. The Idol Bel (vv. 1–22)

   • The Babylonians worship the idol Bel, claiming he consumes massive offerings of food each day.

   • Daniel laughs at their superstition and proves that the priests and their families secretly eat the offerings at night through hidden doors.

   • Daniel exposes them, and Bel’s temple is destroyed.

2. The Dragon (vv. 23–30)

   • A great dragon is worshiped as a living god.

   • Daniel kills it with a mixture of pitch, fat, and hair — a symbolic demonstration that it is mortal, not divine.

   • The people are enraged and accuse Daniel of blasphemy.

3. Daniel in the Lions’ Den (vv. 31–42)

   • Daniel is cast into the lions’ den again.

   • God miraculously delivers him, even sending the prophet Habakkuk (by angelic transport) to bring Daniel food.

   • Daniel is rescued, his accusers are destroyed, and God is glorified.

Christ Connections

• Exposing Idols: Just as Daniel exposes Bel and the dragon as false, Christ exposes the emptiness of false religion (John 8:44; Matt. 23).

• The True Bread: Bel’s false feast contrasts with Christ, the true bread of life (John 6:35).

• The Defeat of the Serpent: The dragon’s destruction prefigures Christ’s victory over Satan, the ancient serpent (Rev. 12:9).

• Deliverance from Death: Daniel’s second deliverance from lions points to Christ’s resurrection and His power to save from death.

• The Sending of Habakkuk: God miraculously provides bread for Daniel, foreshadowing the way Christ provides for His people even in the valley of death.

Deeper Insights

• Bel as Baal: The story links Babylon’s idol to Israel’s perennial struggle with Baal worship.

• Dragon Symbolism: Ancient Near Eastern religions often worshiped serpent/dragon figures as cosmic forces. Daniel’s victory shows Yahweh’s supremacy over chaos.

• Mockery of Idols: The text employs satire — priests sneaking through secret doors to eat Bel’s sacrifices — to ridicule idolatry. Similar satire appears in Isaiah 44.

• God Sends a Prophet: Habakkuk’s sudden appearance shows God’s providence and reinforces prophetic unity.

Application

• Idols Still Exist: While we may not bow to statues, modern idols include wealth, power, nationalism, and self. The lesson remains: “They are not gods, do not fear them” (cf. Jer. 10:5).

• Expose Falsehood: Like Daniel, believers are called to shine light on lies and stand for truth, even against cultural consensus.

• Trust in Deliverance: Daniel’s rescue shows that God’s people may be thrown into danger, but He will sustain and vindicate them.

Encouragement

Bel and the Dragon encourages Christians to laugh at the emptiness of idols, stand firm in truth, and trust God for deliverance. For the early church, it was not just an entertaining story — it was a testimony that Christ, the true King, triumphs over all false gods and delivers His people from the lion’s mouth.

Conclusion

Bel and the Dragon may be absent from many modern Bibles, but it was always part of the Bible of the Early Church. It reminds us that idols are lies, the serpent is defeated, and the living God delivers His people. Daniel’s courage, Habakkuk’s provision, and God’s faithfulness all point to Christ, the true bread, the true deliverer, and the conqueror of every false god.

“For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but Yahweh made the heavens.” (Psalm 96:5, LEB)