Lesson #7THE LIONS’ DEN

DANIEL FROM START2FINISH

EXAMINATION

• vv. 1-9—Out of envy, Daniel’s enemies plotted to ruin him. But he was so filled with integrity that they had to pit his allegiance to God vs. his allegiance to the king.

• vv. 10-18—Daniel refused to “scale back” what he was publicly known to do. He could not in good conscience alter his practice.

• Vv. 19-28—When Daniel was lifted out of the den, it was discovered that he was completely unharmed because he had trusted in God.

APPLICATION

• INTEGRITY—God’s people today must live lives of high integrity so that we give no opportunity to the wicked to disparage us or our Lord.

• PRAYER—Like Daniel, we must learn to consider prayer a blessing and not a spiritual chore. We must be faithful and persistent in prayer.

• CONSISTENTCY—Let us be doing things now that we know we should do, rather than delaying to do them until seasons of persecution come on us.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

DANIEL FROM START2FINISH

1. Is this story a promise that God will deliver his people from every threat? Why/why not?

2. What did Daniel’s enemies do when they found no flaw in his character?

3. What was Daniel’s response when he heard of the decree?

4. As Darius is forced to leave Daniel in the lions’ den overnight, how does the narrator portray

the king as a pitiful figure?

5. Why were the families of Daniel’s enemies also thrown into the den along with the

perpetrators?

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

DANIEL FROM START2FINISH

1. In your personal experience, have you allowed this story’s “kid-friendly factor” to keep you from appreciating

the horrible nature of this story? How so?

2. When he heard the decree, did Daniel continue a long-standing habit or begin a new

one? Why is this important?

3. If this story does not teach that God always rescues his people from trials, what does it

teach?

4. Why is God’s presence in the den of despair more precious than deliverance from every

earthly trial?

5. How can Christians develop Daniel’s integrity?

6. How can the church help Christians foster Daniel’s prayer habits?