CHAPTER 3:
INSIDE THE STORMS: THE LION’S DEN
WHERE DANIEL PRAYED
“… It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.” So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” So King Darius put the decree in writing. Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. THREE TIMES A DAY HE GOT DOWN ON HIS KNEES AND PRAYED, GIVING THANKS TO HIS GOD, JUST AS HE HAD DONE BEFORE. Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help...” (Acts 6:1-11 NIV).
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scriptures: “...The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den... Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. THREE TIMES A DAY HE GOT DOWN ON HIS KNEES AND PRAYED, GIVING THANKS TO HIS GOD, JUST AS HE HAD DONE BEFORE. Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help...” (Acts 6:1-11 NIV). “...It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage...” (Daniel 6:1-2 KJV).
PURPOSE OR GOAL OF LESSON: TO LEARN THAT GOD’S PEOPLE ARE NEW CREATIONS IN CHRIST JESUS AND HAVE BEEN GIFTED WITH THE EXCELLENT, INDWELLING HOLY SPIRIT
APPLICATION OF LESSON: GOD’S PEOPLE CAN WILLINGLY CHOOSE TO TRUST AND DEPEND UPON THE EXCELLENT, INDWELLING HOLY SPIRIT TO EMPOWER THEM TO DISPLAY RIGHTEOUS CONDUCT.
TOPIC DISCUSSION: DISCUSS HOW COSTLY IT WAS, FOR DANIEL, TO CHOOSE TO LIVE RIGHTEOUS AMONG COLLEAGUES WHO CHOSE NOT TO LIVE RIGHTEOUS. Daniel had a top position in King Darius’ kingdom. He was chief of presidents. “...It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage...” (Daniel 6:1-2 KJV). Not only did Daniel have the top position, but he was preferred over all others, because of his excellent character and spirit. “...Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm...” (Daniel 6:3 KJV). Because of his righteous character and spirit, the other presidents and princes decided to conspire against him. “...Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him...” (Daniel 6:4 KJV). God gives HIS PEOPLE “his” excellent Holy Spirit. “…God … sent forth the Spirit of His Son “INTO” OUR HEARTS…” (Galatians 4:6 NASB). “…It is God (the Holy Spirit) who works in you to will (to want to do righteous) and to act (to actually become righteous) in order to fulfill his good purpose...” (Philippians 2:13 NIV). “…Now may the God of peace, … that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good (an indwelling and excellent spirit) for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ...” (Hebrews 13:20-21 NIV). God’s excellent Holy Spirit DWELLS within HIS PEOPLE. “…God has given [you] HIS ...[excellent indwelling Holy]... Spirit as PROOF that … he [dwells]…in [YOU]…” (1 John 4:13 NLT). “…The Spirit of God dwell[s]… in you…” (Romans 8:9 KJV). (Hebrews 1:9 NASB). “…Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable GIFT (Jesus, the excellent indwelling Holy Spirit)…” (2 Corinthians 9:16 KJV). “ …We have this treasure (the excellent indwelling Holy Spirit) “in” earthen vessels…” (2 Corinthians 4:6-7 KJV). “…[People will]… know (WITNESS) that everything [YOU have]… (the excellent indwelling Holy Spirit) IS A GIFT “FROM” [God]…” (John 17:6-9 NLT). “…You will receive the gift of the (excellent indwelling) Holy Spirit….” (Acts 2:38 NASB). “…by the GRACE of God I am what I am…” (1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV). “... Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes...because an excellent spirit was in him...” (Daniel 6:3 KJV). “...the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom...” (Daniel 6:4 KJV). The bible TELLS all of God’s PEOPLE to LET their excellent Spirit SHINE brightly through their conduct. “…Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works (empowered by the Holy Spirit) and glorify your Father (SEE THE WITNESS OF HIS PRESENCE, GOODNESS, AND POWER) which is in heaven…” (Matthew 5:16 KJV). Daniel’s conduct, in his government position, reflected the EXCELLENT Spirit God had given to him. It made Daniel PREFERABLE above ALL others, because he wasn’t corrupt or negligent in his duties, but was found trustworthy! “... Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes...because an excellent spirit was in him...” (Daniel 6:3 KJV). The others SAW Daniel’s GOOD works through his conduct. “…Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works …” (Matthew 5:16 KJV). Daniel was faithful in his duties to the King and his was faithful in his covenant relationship with God. “... [And]... they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him...” (Daniel 6:4 KJV). Daniel’s faithfulness was a virtue and a fruit of God’s Holy Spirit. “…GOD IS SPIRIT…” (John 4:24 KJV). “…The Spirit of God dwell[s]… in [HIS PEOPLE]…” (Romans 8:9 KJV). “…Ye shall know [God’s people]… by their fruits…” (Matthew 7:16 KJV). “…The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness ... [faithfulness]...Meekness, temperance…” (Galatians 5:22-23 KJV). "....The [excellent] ...Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in [his people’s]... lives …” (Galatians 5 NLT). “…He (she) who ABIDES in Me and I in him (her), he (she) bears much fruit … ” (John 15:1-11 NASB). "… [if you] ...bear much fruit, [you] ... PROVE to be My disciples...” (John 15:8 NIV). "…[When]...“YOU” bear much fruit, [you]... PROVE to be [God’s] ...disciples” (John 15:8 NIV). “...They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent...” (Daniel 6:4 NIV). Daniel wasn’t perfect, but he had an EXCELLENT Spirit. “…GOD IS SPIRIT…” (John 4:24 KJV). “…The Spirit of God dwell[s]… in [HIS PEOPLE]…” (Romans 8:9 KJV). “…Ye shall know [God’s people]… by their fruits…” (Matthew 7:16 KJV). “…The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness ... [faithfulness]...Meekness, temperance…” (Galatians 5:22-23 KJV). "....The [excellent] ...Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in [his people’s]... lives …” (Galatians 5 NLT). “...They could find no corruption in him...” (Daniel 6:4 NIV). The other presidents and princes looked and searched until they could find another way to discredit Daniel. The other presidents and princes were looking and searching for a particular way to discredit Daniel that would be plausible and strongly supported in pretext that would get rid of their rival. “...the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom...” (Daniel 6:4 KJV). Why did the other presidents and princes want to do Daniel this way? Their HEARTS were NOT right, which made them jealous and envious. “ … the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these …” (Galatians 5:20-22 NASB). “… from within, out of the heart of man, proceed evil thoughts (evil thoughts that command evil behavior)…these … come from within, and defile a person (make their behavior unclean)...” (Mark 7:21-23 KJV). The heart, however, “…is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked…who can know it…” (Jeremiah 17:9 KJV). "…Offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man, out of his good treasure, brings forth good things, and the evil man, out of his evil treasure, brings forth evil things." (Matthew 12:34-35). The other presidents and princes literally plotted together to find a way to “FIND FAULT” in Daniel’s duties as a government official. They could find NONE in his conduct, which is a POWERFUL testimony of WHO he chose to be as God’s child. So they went after Daniel, by creating a conflict between his faith and his government duties. Even though there was no fault found or detected in Daniel’s conduct or in his duties as chief, they attempted to create one of their OWN. “... Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree...” (Daniel 6:5-10 KJV). It is NATURAL for the sinful flesh to HATE or be HOSTILE toward God and his people, who carry his Holy Spirit. “…The sinful nature is always hostile to God…” (Romans 8:1-14 NLT). Daniel served his government faithfully, but he was first and foremost devoted to serving the LIVING God amidst a gaggle of Babylonian deities, gods, and idols.
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