Journey Through The Scriptures

Daniel

Lesson 4: In the Lions’ Den

(Scripture to Read: Daniel 6:1–28)

Daniel had been in dire straits before for practicing his faith in the midst of a pagan kingdom. This time it was a different nation, the Persians, and a different king, Darius, but Daniel found himself in trouble again. His faithfulness to God and the undiminished hatred of his enemies led to Daniel’s sentence of death in the lions’ den. The royal administrators and satraps could not stand the idea of a Jewish exile being over them, and they knew King Darius was full of pride and had a strong ego. So they devised a plan to use that to their advantage, convincing Darius to issue a decree forbidding anyone to pray to any god except him, or be thrown into the den of lions.

Everyone in the kingdom knew Daniel was a follower of the God of Israel. His enemies were counting on that fact, and they were not disappointed. They saw Daniel praying in his room, with his face toward Jerusalem, as pious Jews do even to this day, and they immediately reported it to the king. Although Darius was greatly saddened by the news, he knew he could not repeal his decree. So he was forced to throw Daniel into the lions’ den. When Daniel was found unharmed the next morning, Darius rejoiced and ordered Daniel’s accusers to be thrown into the den. Once again, the God of Daniel was to be worshiped throughout the land, and Daniel was revered.


Study Questions

  1. Why did the other Persian administrators hate Daniel?
  2. Did Darius know Daniel was the reason behind the suggestions of his administrators?
  3. Why did Darius order the accusers to be thrown into the den of lions?
  4. What was the result of this famous incident?

Something to Think About

As followers of God, we are to be faithful to Him first and foremost. Daniel was careful to honor God and obey His Word despite efforts to persecute him. But those who remain true to the Lord will in the end be victorious, just as was Daniel.

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