Daniel & Three Holy Youth

OBJECTIVE

  • The objective of this lesson is to introduce the book of Daniel, overview the narrative of the book, and identify types of Christ throughout

HOOK - 5 Minutes

  • Have you ever wondered why sports teams or institutions have all participants dress the same?
  • In these cases, dressing the same means everyone has a uniform, which signifies a united identity
  • Many times, teams have these uniforms so that the members may not only be the same on the outside, but also on the inside, such as having the same attitudes, goals, and values
  • When students go to school in a uniform, it means they have the same educational values and goals
  • The only problem is when the uniform doesn't represent the person underneath
  • The book of Daniel describes this problem, of when Jews are taken captive in a foreign society and are expected to adopt the culture, religion, values, and practices of their captors
  • Today we will study the book of Daniel, which describes individuals who, despite being forced to wear a uniform, refused to play by the rules

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 5 Minutes

  • 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, andpsaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?" 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up" (Da. 3:13-18)

Memory Verse

"Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him." (Daniel 3:28)

CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 25 Minutes

Introduction

  • Authorship
    • Daniel is the author of this book
    • He wrote it during the Babylonian captivity, between 605 and 530 BC
  • Babylonian Captivity
    • As Ezekiel and other prophets foretold that if the Jews didn't repent God would deliver them to another nation, God finally delivered the Jews to the Babylonians
    • The Babylonians destroyed the Northern Kingdom and took the Jews of the Southern Kingdom (Judah) captive
      • The Jews being exiled or displaced from Judah and living in Babylon is called the Babylonian Captivity
    • It wasn't until 586 BC that Judah fell and the temple was destroyed
    • The book of Daniel follows Jews during the Babylonian captivity when the Jews had to live under the culture, religion, and influence of the Babylonians
  • Literature of Daniel
    • Daniel is a Major Prophet, but his book includes narratives
    • Da. 1 to 6 is a historical narrative about Daniel and the Three Holy Youth
    • Da. 7 to 12 is a prophetic vision
  • Deuterocanonical Chapters
    • When the Greek speaking Jews in Alexandria wanted to read Scripture in Greek, 70 or 72 elders were called by Ptolemy II to translate the Hebrew manuscripts into Greek, resulting in the Septuagint (=LXX), which is the translation used by Christ, the early Church, and the Orthodox Church today
    • The Greek manuscripts of Daniel contain sections not found in the Hebrew
    • Since the Greek is accepted by the Orthodox Church, these stories are read in Church and prayed in our Midnight Worship (=Tasbeha)
    • Since the NKJV are based off the Hebrew Manuscripts, these stories are omitted, even though they were accepted as Scripture by the Church
    • These include:
      • Susanna (Intro to Daniel)
        - > Read on Apocalypse/Bright Saturday
      • The Hymn of the Three Youth (In Da. 3)
        - > Third Hoos in Tasbeha
      • Bel and the Dragon (epilogue to Daniel)

Narrative of Daniel

  • Susanna (Preface to Daniel LXX)
    • The story of Susanna demonstrates the wisdom of the young man Daniel as well as the perseverance and purity of the Jewish girl Susanna
    • When Susanna (niece of Jeremiah) was threatened by two corrupt elders who said they would falsely accuse her if she did not consent to evil, she chose to die rather than sin against God
    • As she wept and looked up to heaven, she cried out to God to deliver her
    • At that moment Daniel examined the two men, and when he found their false testimonies conflicted and their accusations were false, he pronounced Susanna innocent and put the elders to death according to the Law of Moses
  • Daniel and the Youth are Chosen to Serve the King (Da. 1)
    • The king required a strict diet to ensure his servants would be in peak physical shape
    • Daniel and the three youth could not eat the king's food because it would violate their obedience to God's law (i.e. defilement), so Daniel reasoned with the steward to give them a diet of vegetables and water for ten days
    • Although the steward was concerned this would make them weaker than the other men, he was surprised to find their physique superior to those of all the other servants
    • King Nebuchadnezzar interviewed the youth at the end of their training and found that they were ten times wiser and more knowledgeable than any of the other men,
    • Daniel was chosen to be the ruler and chief administrator over Babylon while the three youth became administrators over Babylon
  • The Image of Gold and the Blazing Furnace (Da. 3)
    • King Nebuchadnezzer erected a large image of gold in Babylon, gathered all the people to its ceremony, and commanded them to bow down and worship at the sound of the music
    • He threatened those who would not bow to be thrown into his fiery furnace
    • The Chaldeans mocked the King because the Jews in charge (i.e. the three youth) would not bow, so he threatened to throw them into the furnace if they would not acquiesce
    • The Three Youth proclaimed that God would deliver them, and as they were thrown into the furnace, they were neither burnt nor injured
    • When Nebuchadnezzar observed the furnace, he saw three walking, and a fourth like the Son of God (Da. 3:25)
    • The King commanded the Three be removed from the furnace and glorified their God
  • Daniel and the Lion's Den (Da. 6)
    • After the Babylonians were conquered by the Persians, Darius was King (Medo-Persian Empire)
    • The administrators and governors were jealous of Daniel and asked King Darius to decree that anyone found who petitions any god or man but the king would be thrown into a lion's den
    • Daniel learned of the decree, went to his house, opened the windows of the upper room, knelt three times, and prayed towards Jerusalem as he always did
    • The administrators caught Daniel and made Darius throw him into the lion's den
    • As Darius worried about Daniel all night, God shut the mouths of the lions so they would not trouble Daniel
    • The next day, Darius ran to the den and found Daniel unharmed, at which point Darius threw the administrators, governors, and their families into the lion's den

Types of Christ in Daniel

  • To review, we study types of Christ within the Old Testament to learn more about Him through hidden images that weren't recognized until the coming of Christ
    • This is an example of using the New to read the Old Testament
  • Susanna is the Church
    • Susanna is a type of Church, who bathes in the waters of baptism, and is sought out by false accusers to fall into sin
    • The Church Fathers recognize the two elders who falsely accused Susanna to represent those who attempt persecute the Church
    • As Susanna is a type of Church who cries out to God for help, so Daniel is a type of Christ who comes to redeem the Church from the plot of Satan
  • Christ in the Furnace
    • The Church Fathers recognize that the fourth man in the furnace was the Son of God
  • Daniel is a Type of Christ
    • As the administrators and governors plotted to kill Daniel, so too did the Jews, Scribes, Pharisees, and Chief priests plot to kill Jesus
    • As Darius ran very early to the den to see Daniel, so the Marys rushed very early to Christ's tomb
    • As Daniel was seen living after spending the night with the lions, so Christ is found living after the crucifixion

DISCUSSION (Challenge)- 5 Minutes

  • How would you describe the actions of Daniel and the Three Youth? Can you think of a time when you showed similar qualities in your actions?
  • What do you think was going through their mind when they were brought to the king for not bowing to the statue? Can you think of a time when you were put in a situation where you were torn between your beliefs and what everyone else was doing?
  • What impact did the Three Holy Youth have on the king? How can we have a similar impact on others around us at home, school, church, etc.?

LIFE APPLICATION - 10 Minutes

  • Trust in God
    • Just like God didn't abandon the Three Youth, and went into the fire with them, God will never abandon us and will always be with us during any struggle we face.
    • We must surrender our will to God and trust that He is in control and will always take care of us.
    • We must remember to praise God, even when we are going through a difficult time.
  • Courage & Standing up for Faith
    • It may not be easy to stand up against everyone else, but it is still the right thing to do when they are not following the teaching of Christ.
    • We can find the courage to take a stand because we know God will stand with us. God will be with us at school, online, at church, and any place we go
    • We should always stand up for God and our Church whenever anyone questions our beliefs, and live as examples of God's children through our actions and words.

ACTIVITY - 10 Minutes

  • Option 1: Video/Demonstration
    • Watch the video below, or do a similar demonstration in class to reinforce the lesson message.

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Option 2: Coffee Cup Craft

  • Using paper coffee cups, and battery tealight candles, the students can make the craft shown below

SERVANT RESOURCES

PARENTS CORNER/HOMEWORK

  • There is an important application here regarding fasting, given that Daniel and the Three Youth fasted while in Babylon
    • Therefore you may consider fasting together as a family, either during one of the fasts or just the Wednesdays and Fridays, according to the direction of the Father of Confession
  • Read Daniel 1 to 6 together as a family this week (one chapter a day)
  • In order to remind your child that positions in society are granted by God, as they were for Daniel and the three youth, remind them to pray and read their Bible during the week, before and after their studies, so that they may always remember that God provides these positions and opportunities

LESSON ATTACHMENTS

Grade 6 Week 3 Phone Wallpaper.pdf

Old Testament Timeline & Summary.pdf