This week in Bible class, we are focusing on having patience
with others through the story of Daniel and the lions’ den. While this is one of the most
recognizable stories in the bible, we are looking to dive deeper into the
character of Daniel to see how he showed patience with others even when it was
difficult to do so.
| Source: http://www.bibleexplained.com/prophets/daniel/daniel-lions-prayer.jpg |
As the story goes, Daniel was too good of a servant to the
kingdom of King Darius. The other
administrators in the government were jealous of Daniel and tried to find a way
to have him arrested. When they
were not able to find any reason to arrest him, they resorted to getting the king
to pass a law that stated, “Anyone who prays to any god or human being during
the next thirty days, except to you, King Darius, shall be thrown in the lions’
den.” Daniel’s loyalty to God meant that he was compelled to violate this new
decree and continue praying to God.
Even though the king had much respect for Daniel, he was forced to
follow through on his decree by throwing his faithful servant in the lions’
den.
At this point, Daniel could have been upset and lashed out
for being unfairly targeted by this new law. Instead, he trusted God and showed
patience by accepting his fate. He
was willing to sacrifice his perceived right to justice in order for God to
rescue him and show his great power.
When Daniel was discovered unharmed the next morning by King Darius, the
king was overjoyed and in awe of God’s power. He later issued a new decree saying that, “in every part of
my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.”
Our hope this week is that our kids see this story and
realize that by showing patience when others wrong us, we can be examples of
people like Daniel who love God and trust him to look out for us even when
things are difficult.
Scripture Reference:
Daniel 6:1-28