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Daniel Was Rescued from the LionsDear Parents,
Thank you for continuing this journey of The Gospel Project® for Kids. Today’s Bible story takes place after the Persians defeated King Belshazzar and Darius was made king. By this time, Daniel was an old man, probably in his early 80s. Daniel served the new king as one of the three leading supervisors in the kingdom. Daniel was very good at his job. So good, in fact, that King Darius planned to put him in charge of the entire kingdom. The other supervisors and satraps beneath them were jealous; they tried to catch Daniel doing something wrong so they could complain to the king. But Daniel was trustworthy, and they couldn’t find any negligence or corruption in him. They also knew Daniel was devoted to the one true God. If they couldn’t catch Daniel breaking a law, they would convince the king to make a law that Daniel would break. Under their malevolent persuasion, King Darius passed a law that no one could pray to anyone but him. Daniel continued to pray to God, and the jealous officials turned him in. The king stayed up all night trying to find a legal loophole, but the law couldn’t be undone. (Daniel 6:15) Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den, but God shut the lions’ mouths. Daniel wasn’t hurt. His accusers received the very punishment they sought for Daniel. Daniel trusted the Lord to save him; he knew he didn’t stand a chance fighting off the lions in his own strength. God showed His power to rescue Daniel from the lions, but Daniel was just a small part of a much bigger story. We all have sinned and deserve punishment far worse than a lions’ den: hell—eternal separation from God. God ultimately rescued us from a much bigger problem—sin and death—through His Son, Jesus. |
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Daniel Was Rescued from the Lions
Daniel 6
King Darius (duh RIGH uhs) was the new leader in Babylon. Babylon was a large kingdom, so Darius picked 120 men to be governors
over small parts of Babylon. Then Darius picked three men to be supervisors. They watched over the governors and made sure they did what they were supposed to.
King Darius picked Daniel to be one of the supervisors. Daniel was very good at his job—better than anyone else. Darius decided to give Daniel an even bigger job. He was going to put Daniel in charge of all of Babylon.
When the governors and other supervisors heard about this, they were jealous of Daniel. They watched Daniel and waited for him to do something wrong so they could get him in trouble. But Daniel did what was right. The other rulers couldn’t nd anything to complain about.
The governors and supervisors knew Daniel loved God and obeyed Him. So they made a plan to get Daniel in trouble for praying. They went to King Darius and said, “King, all of your leaders think it would be a good idea to pass a new law. The new law says that for the next 30 days, no one may pray to any god or man except you, the king. Anyone who disobeys the law will be thrown into the lions’ den.” King Darius agreed to pass the new law.
Daniel heard about the law, and he knew the law meant he wasn’t allowed to pray to God. Still, Daniel went into his house and prayed to God three times a day, just like he had always done.
The men who were jealous of Daniel saw him praying, and they went to the king. They reminded King Darius about the new law. Then they told him that they had seen Daniel praying to God. Daniel had broken the law.
King Darius was upset. He knew that Daniel deserved to be punished for breaking the law, but he thought all day about how he could save Daniel from the lions. “The law can’t be changed,” the men reminded King Darius.
So King Darius ordered Daniel to be thrown into the lions’ den. “May the God you serve save you,” he said to Daniel. Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den, and a large stone was rolled over the opening of the den. The king went to his palace for the night. He did not eat and he could not sleep. He thought about Daniel with the lions.
As soon as the sun came up the next morning, the king hurried to the lions’ den. He cried out, “Daniel, has your God been able to rescue you from the lions?”
Daniel shouted back, “God sent His angel to shut the lions’ mouths! I am safe!”
The king was so happy! He ordered for Daniel to be taken out of the lions’ den. Daniel wasn’t hurt because he had trusted in God.
Then the king punished the men who had wanted to hurt Daniel. They were thrown into the lions’ den, and the lions killed them.
King Darius made a new law. He wrote that everyone must respect God. King Darius wrote, “He is the living God ... He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”
Christ Connection: God showed His power to rescue Daniel from the lions, but Daniel was just a small part of a much bigger story. God ultimately rescued us from a much bigger problem—sin and death— through His Son, Jesus.
Daniel 6
King Darius (duh RIGH uhs) was the new leader in Babylon. Babylon was a large kingdom, so Darius picked 120 men to be governors
over small parts of Babylon. Then Darius picked three men to be supervisors. They watched over the governors and made sure they did what they were supposed to.
King Darius picked Daniel to be one of the supervisors. Daniel was very good at his job—better than anyone else. Darius decided to give Daniel an even bigger job. He was going to put Daniel in charge of all of Babylon.
When the governors and other supervisors heard about this, they were jealous of Daniel. They watched Daniel and waited for him to do something wrong so they could get him in trouble. But Daniel did what was right. The other rulers couldn’t nd anything to complain about.
The governors and supervisors knew Daniel loved God and obeyed Him. So they made a plan to get Daniel in trouble for praying. They went to King Darius and said, “King, all of your leaders think it would be a good idea to pass a new law. The new law says that for the next 30 days, no one may pray to any god or man except you, the king. Anyone who disobeys the law will be thrown into the lions’ den.” King Darius agreed to pass the new law.
Daniel heard about the law, and he knew the law meant he wasn’t allowed to pray to God. Still, Daniel went into his house and prayed to God three times a day, just like he had always done.
The men who were jealous of Daniel saw him praying, and they went to the king. They reminded King Darius about the new law. Then they told him that they had seen Daniel praying to God. Daniel had broken the law.
King Darius was upset. He knew that Daniel deserved to be punished for breaking the law, but he thought all day about how he could save Daniel from the lions. “The law can’t be changed,” the men reminded King Darius.
So King Darius ordered Daniel to be thrown into the lions’ den. “May the God you serve save you,” he said to Daniel. Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den, and a large stone was rolled over the opening of the den. The king went to his palace for the night. He did not eat and he could not sleep. He thought about Daniel with the lions.
As soon as the sun came up the next morning, the king hurried to the lions’ den. He cried out, “Daniel, has your God been able to rescue you from the lions?”
Daniel shouted back, “God sent His angel to shut the lions’ mouths! I am safe!”
The king was so happy! He ordered for Daniel to be taken out of the lions’ den. Daniel wasn’t hurt because he had trusted in God.
Then the king punished the men who had wanted to hurt Daniel. They were thrown into the lions’ den, and the lions killed them.
King Darius made a new law. He wrote that everyone must respect God. King Darius wrote, “He is the living God ... He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”
Christ Connection: God showed His power to rescue Daniel from the lions, but Daniel was just a small part of a much bigger story. God ultimately rescued us from a much bigger problem—sin and death— through His Son, Jesus.