Daniel #

1:5-16 #

The people living in the king’s palace ate bread, fruit, meat and fish. They also drank wine. Daniel knew that the king’s food wasn’t prepared following God’s laws. And it was often offered in sacrifices to false gods. Eating the king’s food meant that Daniel and his friends would disobey God. And they wouldn’t do that! So Daniel and his friends only ate vegetables and drank water. After ten days, they looked healthier and better fed than the other people.

Greeny learned that Daniel and his friends were healthier and looked better than the other people. She wonders how this could be possible. Was it because they were faithful to God’s laws?

2 #

Nebuchadnezzar’s dream reminds us of the pharaoh’s dream in the time of Joseph. The pharaoh also wanted his wise men to tell him what his dream meant. They couldn’t do it, remember? You can read about the pharaoh’s dream in Genesis 41.
The Lord showed Joseph the dream and the explanation. He did the same thing with Daniel many years later. The Lord showed the dream and the explanation to Daniel. Both Joseph and Daniel were then given important positions in the household of the kings.

2:20-23 #

Get your group together.
What did Daniel do when the Lord answered his prayer?

Make a list of the things Daniel said about the Lord in his prayer.

Which of these do you want to remember? Write it on a card. Keep the card in your pocket and look at it throughout the day.

Now sing your favorite praise songs together. Hummy wants you to remember that you are praising God when you sing.

3:24-25 #

What did the Lord do when Daniel’s friends were thrown into the blazing furnace?

How do you feel when you think about what the Lord did for them?

Do you think God is also with you when you suffer or are in danger?

Hearty wonders if knowing that God is with you makes you feel secure.

6:7-12 #

Daniel was like his friends. He refused to worship anyone but God.
He knew that he might die because he obeyed the Lord. But that didn’t change his mind. Daniel remained faithful to the Lord, just like his friends. He was put in a lions’ den. That is because the king also had to follow his own commands.
King Belshazzar saw that the Lord protected Daniel. So he, like King Nebuchadnezzar, realised that the Lord had all the power. King Belshazzar ordered all his people to honour the Lord.

6:17-24 #

Daniel wasn’t alone in the lions’ den. Who was with him? And what happened in the lions’ den?

Can you imagine how Daniel felt when he was thrown into the lions’ den?
How do you think he felt when the lions didn’t come near him?

Talky wonders if you have a story about God’s protection. Has he protected you or someone in your family in a special way? Share the story with someone. Remember to thank the Lord once again for his love and protection.

6:16-24 #

King Darius’ officials were Daniel’s enemies. They tricked the king into using their plan to get rid of Daniel.

How do you think the king felt when he realized his officials had tricked him?
Then what did he say to Daniel? Read verse 16.

Where did the king go and what didn’t he do? What did the king do first thing the next morning?

How did the king feel when he heard Daniel’s voice? Choose a different color for each of the king’s feelings from Hearty’s color chart on page 19.

6:26-29 #

Daniel’s faithfulness and trust in the Lord showed the king that the Lord had all the power. It showed the king that the Lord protected his people.

Other people learn something about the Lord when his children trust him and obey him. They see that the Lord really is with his children and really protects them. They learn to honor the Lord too.

Inny knows that everything we do says something about the Lord. Think about your life. Does it show that you obey and are faithful to the Lord?

7-12 #

The last part of the book of Daniel describes visions the Lord gave to Daniel. These visions are difficult to understand. Different people explain them in different ways.

But this is what we do know. One of Daniel’s visions was about the kingdoms that would come after the Babylonian kingdom. Daniel tells that one after another, these kingdoms would be destroyed. In another vision, Daniel learns that the Israelites will return to Jerusalem. Daniel’s final visions tell about a time in the future. They tell about the coming of God’s kingdom. It’s a kingdom that will never end. These visions are the hardest to understand.

9:15-19 #

Daniel loved his people and prayed for them. In fact, he pleaded with the Lord to forgive their sins and bring them back home. Daniel knew that the Lord continued to love his people. He trusted that the Lord would forgive them.

Inny knows that we love our families, friends and community. And it’s important that we pray for them. We are to ask God to forgive our sins and the sins of our community. And we know that the Lord hears our prayers.

Inny thinks you should write down what you want to say to the Lord. Use what you write over and over again as you pray. And begin praying for your family and community today.

9:22-25 #

The angel Gabriel told Daniel that his prayer for the people of Israel had been heard. Gabriel assured Daniel that God’s people would return to Jerusalem. And they would rebuild the temple. But their suffering wasn’t over. Gabriel told Daniel that sin and suffering wouldn’t go away until God’s kingdom was established forever.

12:1-3 #

This is the first time in the Old Testament that we read about the life that will never end. Read verse 2. This life is for the people who serve the Lord. It’s for those whose names are written in the book of life. They will shine brightly like stars. They will be content and filled with joy. Those who don’t serve the Lord will live in never-ending shame.