VERSES: Daniel 6:1-28
MEMORY VERSE: Daniel 6:22 "My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me..."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: Review all the books of the New Testament to see if the students are retaining what they are memorizing.
PRAYER: Thank God for his protection and his providence.
SPECIAL SONG: The Books Of The Old Testament and The Books Of The New Testament (see March - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog. Click orange circles for tune.)
VISUAL AID: Make a large Activity using poster board or very large paper.
LESSON POINTS: (Note: This is a longer lesson than most, so the Bible teacher might want to make the most of their time. The students may participate in the conversation more because it is such a great, visual lesson.)
- There was a new king over the remainder of God's people and his name was King Darius. He was not a Babylonian because at this time there were two nations called the Medes and the Persians who reigned over the people after the Babylonians were not in power anymore. If we can remember back to when we studied about Nebuchadnezzar's dream (see October - King Neduchadnezzar Dreams About The Great Image on this blog), we can see that his dream from God was coming true.
- Darius thought it was a good idea to make certain men rule as princes over his 120 provinces that were in his kingdom. He then selected three presidents that would be over the 120 princes. Of these three presidents, Daniel was favored by the king and was the first president. Darius liked Daniel because of Daniel had an excellent spirit in him. Darius thought he might set Daniel over the whole kingdom, but something happened.
- All of the other presidents and princes wanted Daniel out of the picture. Perhaps they were all jealous of Daniel because the Bible says that all of these men were trying to find a fault or something bad in Daniel, but they could not find one. The men talked among themselves and said that if they were going to find a fault in Daniel, then it must be something concerning the law of His God.
- So the princes all got together and went in to the king to propose or to suggest a statute or law. They wanted the king to make a decree that said anyone who petitioned or requested anything of any man or god for thirty days be thrown into a den of...LIONS! Who do you think they were trying to get rid of? Daniel! The men knew that Daniel prayed and gave thanks to God three times a day every day and thought this was the best idea of taking Daniel out of their kingdom and out of their lives. Jealousy can make us do unreasonable things, can't it? So the men succeeded in convincing the king to sign their suggestion into law and then the men waited.
- When Daniel knew that the law had been signed, he went into his house, opened the window of his bedroom that was facing Jerusalem, knelt down upon his knees just like he always had, and prayed to God! Was Daniel afraid of the king's command? No! Daniel knew that whenever there was a law that went against what God said, that he was always to obey God no matter what the circumstances would be in the end.
- The men knew Daniel's habits and when they knew when Daniel prayed. Sure enough, the men all got together and what did they find? Daniel praying to God! They went straight to the king and asked him, "King, didn't you make a law that said whoever made a petition to a man or god except to you should be thrown into a den of lions?" The king said that it was true. The men then said that Daniel, who was of the captive children from Jerusalem, had not obeyed Darius' law, but was still praying to his God.
- Remember that King Darius liked Daniel. When he heard the men's words, he was very displeased with himself for signing that law. The king knew that once he made a law, he could not change it, so he tried his best to think up a way to save Daniel. He thought all day long until the sun was setting. Then the men came in before him and reminded the king that no one could change a law that the king had made, not even the king. The king had no choice. The king commanded that Daniel be brought in and thrown into the lion's den, but before they threw Daniel in, the king said to Daniel, "Your God whom you continue to serve every day will save you." Then a big rock was brought in and placed in front of the mouth of the den. The king and his officers put the seal of their rings on the rock just like Mordecai put the king's seal on the letters that saved Esther and the Jews (see October - Lesson - Haman Reaped What He Sowed on this blog). The seal was to make sure no one tampered or altered with the stone and secretly let Daniel out of the lion's den later.
- So, the king went to his palace and worried, thinking and thinking about Daniel. He didn't eat anything at all that night which was something unusual for a king. There was no music brought in to play before the king that night. There were no celebrations. The king did not sleep at all because the king was thinking about one thing: Daniel! Very early the next morning, King Darius hurried to the den of lions. When he arrived at the den, he cried out with a very troubled and mournful voice, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you continually serve been able to deliver you from the lions?" And then what did King Darius hear? A voice! Daniel's voice answered back, "My God sent his angel to shut the mouths of the lions and they have not hurt me because I am innocent and have done nothing wrong to you, O king." Then the king was so happy and so relieved!! He commanded that Daniel be taken from the lion's den and, when he was examined, it was true. Daniel was not hurt in any way because he believed in his God.
- Uh-oh! Then the king called for all of the men who had accused Daniel of wrong-doing. The king knew that they had tricked him into almost killing an innocent and good man. Do you know what the king did to them? He commanded that THEY be thrown into that same den of lions, they and all of their families. Because they were not innocent and did not have the protection of a great God, they died.
- Then King Darius made another law, but this time the law said that in every area in the whole kingdom, men should fear and tremble before the God of Daniel because Daniel's God was a living God and His kingdom would never be destroyed.
- Daniel did well under the reigns of both Darius and the new king Cyrus.
- This miracle of Daniel being in the lion's den and surviving proved that God was the Most High God.
- Miracles in the Old and New Testament always proved that God was the Only True God. Men knew that their false idols that were made of gold, silver, brass, wood and stone could never do what Daniel's God had done.
Materials needed: 12" x 18" dark brown construction paper, 9" x 12" light brown construction paper, 9" x 12" black construction paper, 8" x 12" medium brown construction paper, scraps of yellow, tan, blue paper, marker, fastener, glue, crayons, scissors.
- Hand out dark brown paper.
- Round edges with scissors, forming a rough oval. This is the den.
- Hand out light brown and black paper.
- Round edges of both papers at the same time.
- Set side black paper. This is the rock or stone that was in front of the mouth of the den.
- Glue the light brown paper towards the middle bottom of the dark brown paper. This is the inside of the lions' den.
- Draw two lions on the medium brown paper.
- Cut out lions.
- Glue lions inside of light brown paper.
- Out of scrap of yellow paper, cut a circle. This is the lion's mane.
- Cut small zigzags on yellow paper to resemble lion's mane.
- Glue yellow paper on one lion's face.
- Cut small circle out of medium brown. This is the lion's face that has the mane.
- Glue face on top of yellow circle.
- Draw Daniel's head, feet, and hand out of tan scrap of paper.
- Cut a triangle out of blue scrap. This is Daniel's clothes.
- Glue head on blue clothes.
- Cut a small rectangle out of the blue. This is Daniel's arm.
- Glue arm on clothes.
- Glue feet at the bottom of the blue triangle.
- Glue hand at the end of the blue arm.
- Color faces of lions and Daniel.
- Write "Daniel" at the bottom of Daniel's clothes.
- Line up black rock and light brown insides of the den.
- (Bible Teacher might need to help with this step). Poke hole through black paper, light brown and dark brown paper, so that when fastener is inserted, the rock moves to cover up and to show Daniel and the lions.
- Insert fastener.
- Closing the rock, draw a few white circles on top of rock's edge. These are the seals of the king's and the officer's rings.
- Write "Daniel In The Lions' Den" and "Daniel 6" on the dark brown den with white crayon.