A Lamp Unto My Feet Bible Study Website
Related Articles
RETURN TO SYLLABUS
DANIEL 6
LESSON #08
STANDING FOR GOD IN THE LIONS DEN
- THE WORLD OF POLITICS IN THAT TIME PERIOD WAS VERY UNSTABLE. IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS TO HAVE A HIGH GOVERNMENT POSITION. LEADERS CAME AND WENT EASILY. THE GOVERNMENTAL STAFF WERE AS VULNERABLE AS THE LEADER.
- DANIEL UNDER DARIUS THE MEDE:
- THERE WERE 120 PROVINCES WITH A GOVERNOR FOR EACH PROVINCE.
- OVER THESE 120 PROVINCES THERE WERE 3 PRESIDENTS OF WHICH DANIEL WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT. THEREFORE, DANIEL IS SECOND IN AUTHORITY TO DARIUS JUST AS HE HAD BEEN UNDER NEBUCHADNEZZAR.
- DANIEL HAD BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN HIS HIGH POSITION THROUGH MANY CHANGES IN GOVERNMENT. (THROUGH 5 GOVERNMENT CHANGES AND 6 LEADERS). THAT IS A REMARKABLE FEAT AND TESTIFIES TO THE POWER OF GOD WHO ELEVATES AND PUTS DOWN THE LEADERS HE CHOOSES.
- DANIEL WAS IN HIS 90’S BY THIS TIME.
- READ DANIEL 6:4-15 THE JEALOUS DECREE
- PRAYERS WERE TO BE OFFERED TO DARIUS AS THOUGH HE WERE A GOD FOR 30 DAYS.
- WHERE DID DANIEL’S ENEMIES FIRST LOOK FOR ACCUSATIONS AGAINST HIM? (5)
- THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND A FAULT IN DANIEL, SO THEY OBJECTED TO HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. THEY USED THE STRENGTH OF HIS MORAL CHARACTER.
- IF YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD, YOU OUGHT TO LIVE SO THAT THE CHARGES THAT WILL INEVITABLY BE LEVELED AGAINST YOU WILL BE A LIE. YOU CAN’T KEEP PEOPLE FROM TALKING ABOUT YOU OR TRYING TO BLAME YOU FOR THINGS, BUT YOU CAN LIVE SO THAT THEY CANNOT FIND ANY FAULT IN YOU BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. (PHI 2:14-16 )
- WHAT LIE DID DANIEL’S ENEMIES PUT FORTH? (7)
- THAT ALL THE PRESIDENTS, GOVERNORS, AND PRINCES AGREED TO THE DECREE.
- HOW DID DANIEL’S ENEMIES APPEAL TO THE PRIDE OF THE KING SO HE WOULD MAKE A QUICK DECISION AND SIGN THE DECREE? (7)
- THEY FLATTERED HIM, ELEVATING HIM ABOVE GOD.
- THE DEN OF LIONS
- THIS WAS AN UNDERGROUND CAVE WHICH HAD AN OPENING AT THE TOP THROUGH WHICH THE PRISONERS WERE LET DOWN. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A SIDE ENTRANCE THROUGH WHICH LIONS WERE LET IN.
- A STONE COVER WAS SET IN PLACE AND SEALED IN MELTED WAX OR SOFT CLAY WITH OFFICIAL STAMPS OF BOTH THE KING AND HIS LORDS TO ASSURE THAT NO ONE WOULD RESCUE DANIEL. THIS SHOULD REMIND YOU OF THE SEALING OF JESUS’ TOMB.
- MEDO-PERSIAN LAW DICTATED THAT A CRIMINAL HAD TO BE EXECUTED THE SAME DAY AS HIS CRIME.
- CAPITAL PUNISHMENT UNDER THE BABYLONIANS WAS BY A FIERY FURNACE. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT UNDER THE MEDES AND PERSIANS WAS BY LIONS. MANY OF THE MEDES AND PERSIANS WERE OF THE ZOROASTRIAN RELIGION. THEY BELIEVED THAT DEATH BY FIRE WAS SACRED AND HONORABLE. HENCE THEY DID AWAY WITH THE FIERY FURNACE.
- ZOROASTRIANISM BELIEVED IN ONE GOD, ATAR, THE FIRE GOD. THEY BELIEVED THAT ALL ARE EVENTUALLY SAVED. PURE THOUGHTS, GOOD WORKS, AND RIGHTEOUS DEEDS ARE THE GREATEST VIRTUES. A GROUP OF BELIEVERS STILL EXISTS TODAY CALLED “PARSI”. THERE ARE TRACES OF THE RELIGION IN THE MASONIC ORDER.
- DANIEL PRAYS TOWARD JERUSALEM (10)
- ACCORDING TO 1KIN 8:46-49 (2CHR 6:26)
- THE VERY HOURS OF DANIEL’S PRAYERS WERE THE EXACT HOURS OF THE SACRIFICE IN THE TEMPLE, HOWEVER, AT THIS TIME THERE WERE NO SACRIFICES AS THE TEMPLE HAD BEEN DESTROYED.
- PRAYER
- WHAT DO YOU LEARN ABOUT PRAYER IN THIS CHAPTER?
- PRAYER CONSISTS OF THANKSGIVING. (10)
- PRAYER CONSISTS OF SUPPLICATION. (11)
- WHAT IS SUPPLICATION?
- THE WORD “PRAYER” IS A GENERAL TERM, WHILE THE WORD “SUPPLICATION” IS A SPECIFIC TERM MEANING ONES SPECIFIC NEEDS.
- PRAYER CONSISTS OF FAITH (10) (HE TURNED TOWARD JERUSALEM).
- READ HEB 11:33
- PRAYER SHOULD BE CONSISTENT. (10)
- PRAYER SHOULD BE WITHOUT APOLOGY TO MEN. (11)
- READ DANIEL 6:16-28 DANIEL IN THE LION’S DEN
- LIONS ARE A SYMBOL OF SATAN
- READ 1PET 5:8-9 PSA 57:4
- WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU’RE UNDERGOING A SERIOUS ATTACK?
| DO’S AND DON’TS FOR AN OVERNIGHT STAY IN THE LIONS’S DEN BY KEN STEWART |
| YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT LIKE DANIEL TO EXPERIENCE GOD’S VICTORY AND BLESSING. DAVID EXPERIENCED VICTORY, AND HE WAS NOT PERFECT. |
| YOU DO HAVE TO LIVE ACCORDING TO THE LIGHT YOU HAVE RECEIVED, IF YOU WANT GOD’S BEST IN YOUR LIFE. |
| YOU DON’T DECIDE THAT THE WORD OF GOD IS NOT TRUE. |
| YOU DO NOT DECIDE YOU ARE A FAILURE SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU ARE IN THE PIT. |
| YOU DO NOT LOOK TO MEN TO GET YOU OUT. |
| YOU DO KEEP AN EXCELLENT SPIRIT WITHOUT COMPLAINING AND MURMERING–PSA 57 |
| YOU DO REMAIN FAITHFUL TO GOD. |
| YOU DO KEEP PRAYING IN THE LION’S DEN. |
| YOU DO GIVE GOD ALL THE GLORY. |
- THERE IS AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF GOD’S POWER WORKING, BUT WHETHER THIS IS A CONVERSION IS UNCLEAR AT THIS POINT.
- DANIEL HAD OBVIOUSLY WITNESSED TO THE KING ABOUT HIS GOD.
- GOD GAVE A LAW TO HIS PEOPLE THROUGH MOSES THAT THE ISRAELITES SHOULD NOT BE PUT TO DEATH FOR THEIR FATHER’S SIN (DEU 24:16 2KIN 14:6) BUT THE MEDO-PERSIANS HAD NO SUCH MERCIFUL LAW. CUSTOM WAS THAT A CHILD MUST FULFILL HIS FATHER’S LIFE. THEREFORE, BY KILLING THE WHOLE FAMILY, THERE WOULDN’T BE ANY POSSIBLE RETALIATION.
- SUMMARY:
- IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL, WE SEE A MORAL CONFLICT BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL
| EVIL ON THE ONE HAND |
VS |
GOOD ON THE OTHER HAND |
|
| PAGAN SELF-INDULGENCE DAN 1:8-15 The King’s Wine |
CONSCIENTIOUS ABSTINENCE |
||
| PAGAN MAGIC Chaldeans |
HEAVENLY WISDOM |
||
| PAGAN IDOLATRY DAN 3:1-30 Worship the Image |
LOYALTY TO JEHOVAH |
||
| A PAGAN KING’S PRIDE DAN 4:4-37 Nebuchadnezzar Turned Out to Eat Grass |
JEHOVAH’S SOVEREIGNTY |
||
| DESECRATION OF SACRED THINGS DAN 5:1-30 Belshazzar’s Feast |
REVERENCE FOR JEHOVAH |
||
| PLOTTING OF EVIL MEN DAN 6:1-28 No Prayer |
GOD’S PROVIDENCE |
||
- TAKING A STAND FOR GOD IS NOT EASY BUT REWARDING. IT IS THE LIFE OF FAITH. IN OTHER WORDS, IT TAKES FAITH TO STAND FOR GOD IN DIFFICULT TIMES.
- DISCUSSION
- READ ROM 10:17
: HOW DOES THE CHRISTIAN DEVELOP THIS KIND OF STRONG FAITH?
- THE KEY
- STAND FIRM FOR GOD IN LITTLE THINGS IN YOUR LIFE NOW, THEN WHEN THE REALLY HARD TIMES COME, YOUR LEGS OF FAITH WILL BE STRONG ENOUGH.
:
HOMEWORK
DANIEL 7
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
- APPLICATION OF DANIEL 6
- READ PSALMS 37 AND MAKE UP YOUR OWN LIST OF DO’S AND DON’TS FOR AN OVERNIGHT STAY IN THE LION’S DEN.
- PREPARATION FOR DANIEL 7
- READ DANIEL 7:1-28
- WHAT DO YOU LEARN ABOUT GOD THE FATHER AND JESUS CHRIST, THE SON, IN VERSES 9-14?
- MEMORY VERSE: HEBREWS 12:28
