Bible Memory Verse:
“Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from men of violence who plan to trip my feet.” Psalm 140:4
"My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions…" Daniel 6:22
The Medes and the Persians had conquered the Babylonians who ruled the country where Daniel lived. The handwriting on the wall had appeared the very night they were conquered. Now Darius the Mede was the king over the kingdom where Daniel lived.
It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps (the land was called satrapies) toy rule the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charge against Daniel in his conduct in government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him because he was neither corrupt or negligent. Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”
So the administrators and the satraps went as a group to the king and said: “O King Darius, live forever! The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisors and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the degree that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king; shall be thrown into the lion’s den. Now, O king, issue the decree and put it in writing, so that it cannot be altered–in accordance with the laws of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be repealed.” So Darius put the law in writing.
Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem (the city where the temple of God had been). Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to God, just as he had done before. Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. They went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or man except to you, O king, will be thrown into the lion’s den?”
The king answered, “The decree stands, in accordance with the laws of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be repealed.”
Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.
Then the men went as a group to the king and said to him, “Remember, O king, that according to the law of the Medes & the Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.”
So, the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lion’s den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”
A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of the nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating or without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.
At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lion’s den. When he came near the den. He called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”
Daniel answered, “O king, live forever! My God sent His angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king.”
The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. No wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lion’s den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed their bones.
Then King Darius wrote to all the nations, peoples and men of every language throughout the land:
“May you prosper greatly! I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”
So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
NAME:____________________________________
TEST ON DANIEL IN THE LION’S DEN
1. Who was the king over the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians?
a. Belshazzar
b. Nebuchadnezzar
c. Darius
2. What position of authority did Daniel have in the kingdom?
a. Satrap
b. Administrator
c. Counselor
3. What did the king plan to set Daniel over?
4. Why couldn’t the administrators and the satraps find any grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government?
5. According to the law that the administrators and satraps tricked the king into making, what wasn’t anyone allowed to do for thirty days?
6. What did Daniel do when he heard about the law?
7. (This question is worth 3 points. There is more than one answer.)
Which of these things did the king do when he realized that he had been tricked into making a law that would cause Daniel to be killed?
1. He did everything he could to save Daniel.
2. He ordered a stone to be put over the mouth of the lion’s den.
3. He sealed the den with his ring and the rings of the nobles.
4. He spent the night without eating.
5. He had a good night’s sleep.
6. He prayed for Daniel.
8. What did king Darius order to be done to the satraps & administrators who had tricked Daniel?
9. Why did God shut the mouth of the lions so they couldn’t hurt Daniel?
10. What is one thing the king said about God when he wrote to all the nations after God had kept Daniel from being destroyed by the lions?