We want you to pass a new law, they said to him. For thirty days, no one should pray to anyone but you. Anyone who breaks the law will be thrown into

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "We want you to pass a new law, they said to him. For thirty days, no one should pray to anyone but you. Anyone who breaks the law will be thrown into"

Allen Crawford
7 years ago
Views:

2 God s people disobeyed him. So he sent prophets to tell them they were wrong. The prophets warned them again and again: Unless you change your ways, bad things will happen to you. Sadly, the people did not change. So God let their enemies conquer them. Those enemies destroyed Jerusalem. Then they carried away many of the Jews to their own country, Babylon. -1- One of those Jews was a young man named Daniel. Daniel trusted God. He did what was right, even though he was in a foreign land, where people did not worship God. So God blessed Daniel, and he became a powerful leader in that land. Daniel served under two Babylonian rulers. And even when Babylon was taken over by the king of another country, Daniel was put in a very high position by him, too! -2- By this time, Daniel was an old man, and some of the other leaders grew jealous of him. They tried to find a way to get him in trouble with their king, Darius. They knew that Daniel prayed to God three times a day. So they went to the king with an idea. -3-

3 We want you to pass a new law, they said to him. For thirty days, no one should pray to anyone but you. Anyone who breaks the law will be thrown into a lions den. King Darius agreed, and the law was passed. -4- Did Daniel pray to King Darius? No. He still prayed to God. In fact, he prayed by an open window for everyone to see. So Daniel was arrested. King Darius was sad. He liked Daniel and thought Daniel was a good man. He could see that the other leaders had tricked him. -5- It was too late to change the law, though. So Daniel was thrown into the lions den. The lions crept up to Daniel. They were fierce. They were hungry. They opened their mouths and showed their sharp fangs. Then the lions stopped and stared. Someone else was in the lions den. It was an angel, sent by God! The angel shut the lions mouths. The lions missed their dinner, and Daniel spent the night in the den, unharmed. -6-

4 The next morning, King Darius rushed to the lions den. He hoped that Daniel had survived. Daniel! he called, has your God protected you? I m all right! Daniel answered. God sent an angel to shut the lions mouths! It s because I did nothing wrong, to you or to my God. King Darius was thrilled. His servants pulled Daniel out of the den. There wasn t a scratch on him! Then the King gave orders for Daniel s enemies to be arrested. He had them dropped into the den in Daniel s place. The lions were still there, of course. They were still hungry, too. They had missed their dinner, after all. So they ate Daniel s enemies and had a great big breakfast instead! Then King Darius sent out a message across the land. Everyone, in every part of my kingdom, must fear and honor Daniel s God. He is a living God, who rescued Daniel from the power of the lions! - 8 -

5 1. What happened when God s people continued to disobey him? a. Jerusalem was destroyed and many Jews were captured. b. Their enemies got scared and ran away. c. They all got very sick and died. d. Nothing happened. 2. Who was Daniel? a. Daniel was a young Jewish boy that was taken captive. b. Daniel was the king of the Israelites. c. Daniel was the guard at the temple in Jerusalem. d. Daniel was the captain of the Babylonian army. 3. Why did God bless Daniel? a. Daniel trusted God and did what was right. b. Daniel was beaten daily so God felt sorry for him. c. Daniel didn t follow God and didn t love him. d. God just felt like blessing Daniel. 4. How did God bless Daniel? a. God made him a powerful leader in Babylon. b. God made him the king of Babylon. c. God gave him a wife and a family. d. God made him very rich. 5. Why did some leaders want to get Daniel in trouble? a. They were jealous of him. b. They wanted to learn about Daniel s God. c. They wanted to be just like Daniel. d. They really liked Daniel a lot as a friend. 6. What new law did King Darius agree to? a. No one could pray to anyone but the king for 30 days. b. Everyone had to pray to the one true God. c. Everyone had to pray to Daniel. d. No one could pray for 30 days. 7. What was the punishment for breaking the law? a. being thrown into a lions den b. going before a firing squad c. life in prison d. being hung on a gallows 8. What happened to Daniel when he continued to pray to God three times a day? a. He was thrown into the lions den, but God kept him safe. b. He was thrown into the lions den and eaten alive. c. He was put in jail for the rest of his life. d. Nothing happened to him. 9. Micah can t use his ipad after bedtime. Caleb uses his ipad under his covers. Micah is sleeping at Caleb s house. What should Micah do when Caleb uses his ipad? a. Micah should obey his parents and go to sleep. b. Micah should play his ipad under the covers, too. c. Micah should tell on his friend to his parents. d. Micah should call his parents and ask to come home. 10. What do we learn from this story? a. God can protect his people during dangerous times. b. Feed the lions before you jump into their den. c. Try to get away with breaking the law. d. God cannot be trusted.

A. The Lord is able to protect all those who obey Him. C. In this story, the lions represent the power of falsity.

Theme: Daniel as a Hero I. Underlying Ideas Glenview New Church Sunday Morning Program Preschool Lessons, Phase 2 Lesson 22 Daniel in the Lion's Den (Daniel 6) A. The Lord is able to protect all those