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Daniel

faith like Daniel

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100% found this document useful (1 vote)

711 views

Daniel

faith like Daniel

Uploaded by

josebd123

We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.

Available Formats

Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

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Study Through the Bible

Daniel: Faithful in
All Circumstances

q Click on a study title

you’d like to see

2 how to use this resource

3 Study 1: Daniel’s Holiness

Leader’s Guide — Participant’s Guide

14 Study 2: Daniel’s Response in the Face of Suffering

Leader’s Guide — Participant’s Guide

24 Study 3: Three Men Trust Through Their Trials

Leader’s Guide — Participant’s Guide

36 Study 4: The King’s Life Lesson

Leader’s Guide — Participant’s Guide

45 Study 5: Daniel’s Declaration of Righteous Judgment

Leader’s Guide — Participant’s Guide

55 Study 6: Daniel’s Call to Trust and Live

Leader’s Guide — Participant’s Guide

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
How to use this resource for a group study

How to use this

resource for a
group study
This Bible study can be used for an individual
or a group. If you intend to lead a group
study, follow these simple suggestions.

1 Make enough copies of the Leader’s Guides

everyone in the group.
for

2 Don’t feel that you have to use all the material in the study. Almost all of our
studies have more information than you can get through in one session, so
feel free to pick and choose the teaching information and questions that will
meet the needs of your group. Use the teaching content of the study in any of
these ways: for your own background and information; to read aloud (or
summarize) to the group; for the group to read silently.

3 Make sure your group agrees to complete confidentiality. This is essential to

getting people to open up.

4 When working through the questions, be willing to make yourself vulnerable.

It’s important for your group to know that others share their experiences.
Make honesty and openness a priority in your group.

5 Begin and end the session in prayer.

SmallGroups.com ©2013 Christianity Today

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Holiness
Leader ’s Guide

Daniel’s
Holiness
leader’s guide

There are risks, reasons, and rewards for

remaining undefiled by the world.

Holy people are powerful tools in the

hands of God. As they stand strong in
the face of trails, they bear witness to
the reality of their Lord and Savior. They
inspire and challenge us to also stand
strong for God’s truth and righteousness.
Daniel lived out this kind genuine holiness. At great risk of losing his life, he
chose to remain undefiled by pagan Babylon.

S c r i pture: Daniel 1
Bas e d On : The sermon series, “Learning from the Faith of Daniel,” by Bryan Chapell

SmallGroups.com ©2013 Christianity Today

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Holiness
Leader ’s Guide

part One
Identify the Current Issue
Note to Leader: Provide each person with the Participant’s
Guide included at the end of this study.

When I was in seminary, the wife of one of my classmates—let’s call her Barbara—worked
as a quality-control inspector at a pharmaceutical company. One day, through mistaken
procedures, a major order of syringes was contaminated and would not pass inspection.
When Barbara reported the contamination to her boss, he quickly made a “cost-effective”
decision: ship the order. He directed her to sign the inspection clearance despite the
contamination. She refused.

Because of government regulations, Barbara was the only one who could sign the
clearance. The syringes did not ship that day. So the next day, a Friday, Barbara got a visit
from the company president. He said he would give her the weekend to think it over, but if
the forms were not signed on Monday, her job would be in jeopardy.

Much more was in jeopardy. This inspection job was this couple’s only income. The future
of her husband’s education and ministry was also in jeopardy. All their hopes, dreams,
and family plans of many years could be shattered as a result of a choice to be made over
the next two days. For this young couple, all the abstract doctrinal instruction they had
been receiving about personal consecration, world transformation, and credible witness
boiled down to this one very real decision: could they afford to remain undefiled from the
contamination the world was urging them to approve? Was the witness of holiness worth
the cost?

Discussion Starters:
[Q] If you found yourself in Barbara’s situation, how would you handle it?

[Q] Put yourself in the shoes of Barbara and her husband. What kinds of emotions
would you have been feeling over that weekend?

[Q] Barbara did refuse to sign the forms and she was subsequently fired. Again, if you
were in her shoes, what would you be feeling after losing your job?

q Regret: I should have signed the paper and not made such a big deal about it.

q Worry: What are we going to do now?

q Anger: I can’t believe my boss put me in this situation.

q Desire for revenge: I’ll sue! I’ll call the local news troubleshooter! I’ll egg his
house!

SmallGroups.com ©2013 Christianity Today

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Holiness
Leader ’s Guide

q Pity: My boss was probably put in this situation by his boss. It’s just the way the
world is.

q Confidence: I did the right thing. We’ll be OK.

q Other: ________________________________________________________

q A combination of several of these: __________________________________

uOptional Activity
The pressure to compromise your values or beliefs can come from a variety
of sources: bosses, finances, competitors, friends, relatives, congregations,
or even your own desires for success and significance. What is your
strategy for handling situations in which you’re expected to compromise?

On a blank sheet of paper, respond to the following questions:

1. What principles guide me when I’m asked to compromise my beliefs

or values?
2. Where do these guiding principles come from? Parents? Church?
Friends? The Bible? Something else?
3. Based on my responses to these questions, here’s my current plan for
handling temptations to compromise:

part TWO
Discover the Eternal Principles
Teaching Point One: Holiness comes with risks.
Read Daniel 1.

The account of Daniel and his friends makes it clear that there are risks to holiness.
Decisions not to defile—decisions to be faithful, to be a witness, to be holy—really can
involve terrible risk that demands great sacrifice.

The world that opposes the things of God will oppose those who seek to live for him. To
stand strong amid such opposition requires us to take some risks for the sake of holiness.
Risk is normal for believers. In fact, there is a fellowship of risk that enfolds all who strive
for holiness. Just like Daniel had his risk-taking friends, we are not alone. Each of us will be

SmallGroups.com ©2013 Christianity Today

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Holiness
Leader ’s Guide

more willing to stand for the Lord, and less prone to fall into discouragement, when we are
aware of the risks we share with faithful believers.

[Q] In what ways did Daniel and his friends live within the culture where they found
themselves and in what ways did they refuse to be shaped by their culture?

[Q] Why did Daniel make such a big deal about what food he would and wouldn’t eat?

Leader’s Note: There may be several reasons, but one of the most likely is that the
royal cuisine included food such as pork or shellfish that would break Jewish law. The
real issue, however, was not about food but about Daniel’s heart, which belonged to
God and his way.

[Q] What was Daniel risking?

[Q] It’s been said that faith is not believing in spite of evidence—that’s superstition—but
obeying in spite of consequences. How do you react to that?

[Q] What in your life is the “royal cuisine” that may be okay for others in the world but is
out of bounds for you? And what do you risk by “eating your vegetables and water”?

[Q] Consider this quote: “There is a fellowship of risk that enfolds all who strive for
holiness.” When we share the areas of potential compromise and the risks we face
with one another, we’re more able to live faithfully for God. Thinking about a risk you’re
currently facing, how can you gain encouragement and counsel from other believers?

Teaching Point Two: We face risks for at least two reasons: our
preparation and our protection.
God allows us to face risks because they prepare us for spiritual battles that always lie
ahead. Starting with this first chapter, the Book of Daniel goes from one cliff-hanging,
spine-tingling adventure to the next. A quick scan at the next five chapters will reveal more
encounters with death-dealing kings, nightmare visions, a giant golden idol, a foray into a
fiery furnace, a king turned into a wild animal, and a prophet thrown to the lions. Stephen
Spielberg would love this material. Each trial leads to a new and greater challenge—and
that’s just the point. Contamination keeps on threatening lives kept pure for God. Each
initial choice of holiness is preparation for later battles. Our tendency, when facing today’s
battles, is to wonder why God is abandoning us to such difficulty. Instead, Daniel helps us
to understand that the Lord is not abandoning us but preparing us for greater work in the
future.

This leads to the second reason the Lord allows the pressures of defilement: protection. By
being prepared, we are being protected from the consequences of our enemy’s victories.
Daniel faced greater battles than the test of his diet. As a consequence of committing to
serve the Lord with integrity, Daniel was without defilement. His holiness kept his heart
close to God. The understanding Daniel had of God’s ways indicates that his holiness
helped preserve a closeness with the Lord—a fellowship of Daniel’s spirit with the Spirit of
6

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Holiness
Leader ’s Guide

God—so that he could face Satan’s assaults with wisdom and courage. Prepared by the
lesser battles of the present, Daniel was also protected in the greater battles that were to
follow.

If we do not practice holiness today, God’s standards do not protect us tomorrow. The
consequences of sin are pleasant only for a season, but the ultimate result is great hurt.
God loves us enough to protect us from this future hurt by calling us to present holiness.
The trial is never without purpose. God protects us from greater harm by giving us the
opportunities to learn how to depend on him now, so that the later trials and temptations
do not overwhelm us. This is why we need to make sure we have a present commitment to
holiness.

[Q] Why is preparation so important for pro athletes? What happens when an athlete
lacks the self-discipline to prepare for the big game?

[Q] Think back over a past spiritual trial in your life. How did God work to prepare you
or protect you through that time?

[Q] Besides preparation and protection, what are some other reasons God allows
Christians to face risks?

[Q] How would you respond to a fellow Christ follower who says to you, “Things are
tough for me right now; I’ll serve the Lord better later”?

Leader’s Note: Here’s one suggested reply: “Forgive me if this sounds too harsh: No,
you will not. Whether your present trials are personal, private, moral, financial, or
familial, if you are not preparing for tomorrow’s battles with holiness today, you will not
be spiritually strong enough to stand for the Lord later. Today’s trials are the training
ground for tomorrow’s battlefield. The time to be undefiled is now. Later is too late.”

Teaching Point Three: God rewards holiness.

“[God] is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him,” says Hebrews 11:6, NKJV. The
rewards of holiness are guaranteed, but they are not always immediate or discernible or
even present in this life. The question we face—the matter of faith we are being challenged
to consider—is whether the spiritual rewards are real enough to outweigh earthly risk.
Through Daniel’s life and example, we’re given a resounding yes! God is able and willing
to provide what is best for his people for all eternity.

[Q] When was a time you won an award? Why did you receive this award? Did
receiving the award change your life in any way?

[Q] What do you think are the rewards for faithfully following God?

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Holiness
Leader ’s Guide

[Q] In what ways did God reward Daniel and his friends?

Leader’s Note: The most immediate and obvious answer to this question is found
in verse 15: God preserved their health. God also preserved them from a capricious
king who could have deemed them unfit for his service and lopped off their heads!
More than that, God overwhelmingly blessed Daniel and his friends with spiritual
gifts; they were made ten times wiser than all of the king’s wise men, and Daniel
had understanding of dreams and visions. His unwavering commitment to the Lord
was rewarded with a special closeness and communication that allowed Daniel to
understand the things of God.

[Q] Look again at Hebrews 11:6, above. When the rewards God has promised are not
immediate or discernible or even present in this life, how do you think people generally
react?

[Q] Consider this quote: “The question we face—the matter of faith we are being
challenged to consider—is whether the spiritual rewards are real enough to outweigh
earthly risk.” So, what do you think? Are the spiritual rewards real enough to you to
outweigh the earthly risks you face?

part THREE
Apply Your Findings
Remember Barbara, forced to leave her job at the pharmaceutical company? God did
not abandon her. Because she would not sign the clearance forms for the contaminated
syringes, the order was not delivered to the customer on time. Officials of the customer
company investigated the delay and discovered how Barbara had protected them from the
contaminated syringes, even at the cost of her job. That company hired her and increased
her pay. She finished putting her husband through seminary.

During a missions trip to Haiti, my son Jordan contracted a parasite that triggered Crohn’s
disease—something that is chronic and incurable. We worried and wept and wondered if
we had been right to let him go. A Christian doctor who had an eternal perspective about
such questions and trials said to Jordan, “No regrets. You were in the service of the King,
and God will use this as he knows is best.” That was an amazing thought for a young man
graduating high school and facing a lifetime of chronic illness. The Lord can use us as
tools of his glory, even in the hard things—especially in the hard things—to clarify for the
world the really important things of eternity.

In our family album are several pictures of Jordan a few years later on another mission trip
to hurricane-ravaged Honduras. There are pictures of him digging foundations for homes,
leading impoverished children in songs, and leading a Bible study in Spanish. One picture,
though, really stands out: a little girl with a red bow in her hair leans over Jordan’s New
Testament to see what he’s reading. She lingered after the other children had gone and
8

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Holiness
Leader ’s Guide

ended up claiming Jesus as her Savior.

Eternity will be different because a young man in our day, like young Daniel centuries ago,
took risks for the sake of honoring God.

Action Point: How has God rewarded you already for your faithfulness and
holiness? Are you still waiting to see the rewards? Either way, remember that there
is no greater reward than to know we have been used by him as witnesses to
secure the eternal welfare of others. So don’t give up. This upcoming week, focus
on honoring God regardless of the rewards. And remember that there is a greater
reality; this life is not the end of all things, nor is it the bulk of our existence.

—Study by Bryan Chapell, with Michael C. Mack

SmallGroups.com ©2013 Christianity Today

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Holiness
Participant’s Guide

Daniel’s
Holiness
participant’s guide

There are risks, reasons, and rewards for

remaining undefiled by the world.

Holy people are powerful tools in the

S c r i pture: Daniel 1
Bas e d On : The sermon series, “Learning from the Faith of Daniel,” by Bryan Chapell

SmallGroups.com ©2013 Christianity Today

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Holiness
Participant’s Guide

part One
Identify the Current Issue
When I was in seminary, the wife of one of my classmates—let’s call her Barbara—worked
as a quality-control inspector at a pharmaceutical company. One day, through mistaken
procedures, a major order of syringes was contaminated and would not pass inspection.
When Barbara reported the contamination to her boss, he quickly made a “cost-effective”
decision: ship the order. He directed her to sign the inspection clearance despite the
contamination. She refused.

Discussion Starters:
[Q] If you found yourself in Barbara’s situation, how would you handle it?

[Q] Put yourself in the shoes of Barbara and her husband. What kinds of emotions
would you have been feeling over that weekend?

[Q] Barbara did refuse to sign the forms and she was subsequently fired. Again, if you
were in her shoes, what would you be feeling after losing your job?

q Regret: I should have signed the paper and not made such a big deal about it.

q Worry: What are we going to do now?

q Anger: I can’t believe my boss put me in this situation.

q Desire for revenge: I’ll sue! I’ll call the local news troubleshooter! I’ll egg his
house!

q Pity: My boss was probably put in this situation by his boss. It’s just the way the
world is.

SmallGroups.com ©2013 Christianity Today

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Holiness
Participant’s Guide

q Confidence: I did the right thing. We’ll be OK.

q Other: ________________________________________________________

q A combination of several of these: __________________________________

part TWO
Discover the Eternal Principles
Teaching Point One: Holiness comes with risks.

Teaching Point Two: We face risks for at least two reasons: our
preparation and our protection.

Teaching Point Three: God rewards holiness.

During a missions trip to Haiti, my son Jordan contracted a parasite that triggered Crohn’s
disease—something that is chronic and incurable. We worried and wept and wondered if we
had been right to let him go. A Christian doctor who had an eternal perspective about such
questions and trials said to Jordan, “No regrets. You were in the service of the King, and God
will use this as he knows is best.” That was an amazing thought for a young man graduating
high school and facing a lifetime of chronic illness. The Lord can use us as tools of his glory,
even in the hard things—especially in the hard things—to clarify for the world the really
important things of eternity.

SmallGroups.com ©2013 Christianity Today

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Holiness
Participant’s Guide

Testament to see what he’s reading. She lingered after the other children had gone and
ended up claiming Jesus as her Savior.

Eternity will be different because a young man in our day, like young Daniel centuries ago,
took risks for the sake of honoring God.

—Study by Bryan Chapell, with Michael C. Mack

SmallGroups.com ©2013 Christianity Today

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Response in the Face of Suffering
Leader ’s Guide

Daniel’s Response
in the Face of
Suffering
leader’s guide

What genuine faith looks like when the

bottom falls out

What do you do when the bottom falls

out of your career, your family’s security,
your health? What do you do when
things just go horribly wrong? Though
we don’t like to think about it, we all
know the unthinkable can happen.
Believers are not insulated from life crises. We live in a fallen world and, like
everyone else, may face crippling disappointment and disaster. In Daniel’s
response to the collapse of his own circumstances, we will learn what
faithfulness to God looks like when the bottom does fall out.

S c r i pture: Daniel 2
Bas e d On : The sermon series, “Learning from the Faith of Daniel,” by Bryan Chapell

SmallGroups.com ©2013 Christianity Today

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Response in the Face of Suffering
Leader ’s Guide

part One
Identify the Current Issue
Note to Leader: Provide each person with the Participant’s
Guide included at the end of this study.

My wife, Kathy, had come home from a weekly grocery trip holding the lip of a full grocery
sack in one hand, balancing a crying baby on the other arm, and urging forward two
preschool sons who were straggling behind. Just as she squeezed through the back door
and swung around the kitchen counter, the side of the paper grocery sack ripped. The sack
and everything in it crashed to the floor, including a large, economy-size bottle of liquid
dish soap. When the soap bottle hit the linoleum, the lid sprang off, thick liquid glugged
out, and the mess spread across the kitchen floor.

Kathy put the still-crying baby into her highchair, told the two toddlers to stay out of the
mess, and then leapt across the puddle of soap to reach the paper towels. As she got
down on her knees to sop up the soap, she heard a strange hissing sound coming from
the grocery sack. Kathy looked inside the sack to see what was hissing. A two-liter bottle of
strawberry soda had ruptured. The hissing sound was the escaping soda rapidly filling the
bottom of the paper sack. Kathy grabbed the bottle and the few groceries remaining in the
grocery sack and threw them in the sink. Then, ever so carefully, she lifted the paper sack
with its pool of soda and inched toward the sink. She almost made it. But then the bottom
fell out. Carbonated strawberry soda and liquid detergent swirled around her feet. The
result? Strawberry suds! The kids loved it, but not mom—not even a little bit.

What do you do when the bottom falls out?

Discussion Starters:
[Q] What did you think of this story about Kathy? When has something like that ever
happened to you?

[Q] What do you think most people do when the bottom falls out of their lives—their
career, their family’s security, their health, or something else? How do they usually react?

[Q] When has the bottom fallen out of your life?

Leader’s Note: This is a foundational question for this study. It’s also a question that might
be difficult for some to answer honestly. You might remind them of the “fellowship of risk” you
discussed in the last session: letting others into the trials of our lives helps us grow stronger in
faith. Also remind everyone that whatever’s shared in the group stays in the group. As people
share, be sure to listen actively, asking follow-up questions such as, “What did you do in that
situation?” Also, you may consider placing a time limit on stories (say, five minutes per person)
if you have any monopolizers in the group. As you go through the rest of this study, you may
want to refer back to members’ stories to help them apply what they are learning.
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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Response in the Face of Suffering
Leader ’s Guide

part TWO
Discover the Eternal Principles
Teaching Point One: Respond with prayer.
Read Daniel 2.

Daniel responded to crisis with prayer. He immediately gathered those in his “small group”
who loved the Lord and urged fervent prayer. What’s so important about prayer?

First, prayer is the confession of our need to God. By urging his friends to pray, and through
his own prayer, Daniel was confessing that they required a greater power than their own.

Second, prayer is also and inevitably the confession of our weakness. By reaching toward
God, we confess our inability to change our world in our own strength or by our own
resources. By their very nature, our prayers are acknowledgements that we cannot provide
what we most need. But by praying, we also affirm our conviction that God can help. With
prayer we acknowledge our dependence upon God’s grace and our trust in his heart. We
push ourselves out of the way so that God’s ways can be revealed.

Third, how much or little we pray can be a poignant reminder (an internal barometer of the
soul) of how much we really think God makes a difference in our lives. By making prayer his
and his friends’ first priority, Daniel demonstrated how important he believed it was to seek
God when the king’s command created their crisis. Crises are often the means God uses to
get our prayer lives back on track.

[Q] Knowing what you do about Daniel, what options besides prayer—options that could
seem more practical and productive—did he have at his disposal?

Here are a few options. Add your own to this list.

q His intelligence (see Dan. 1:17, 20 and 2:23)

q His power (1:19; 2:23)

q His vast resources (1:4, 9)

q _______________________________________________________

[Q] Look over the list above. Which of these do you think most people turn to rather
than prayer?
16

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Response in the Face of Suffering
Leader ’s Guide

[Q] How about you? What resources besides prayer do you tend to turn to?

[Q] What significance, if any, do you see in Daniel inviting his “small group” of friends to
join with him in praying about this? What does it illustrate for us as a small group?

Leader’s Note: This may be a good opportunity for you to talk briefly about the vitality
of prayer in your group, and not just exclusively during meeting times. When we pray
for one another, we enter into others’ lives in a meaningful way. It’s part of doing life
together.

[Q] How can crisis be an instrument God uses to draw us into greater dependence on
him?

Teaching Point Two: Respond with praise.

Perhaps you think it was easy for Daniel to praise God in the midst of his crisis; he had
just received a word from God in response to Nebuchadnezzar’s wild request. Sure, he
got the dream’s interpretation, but suddenly Daniel found himself facing a second, equally
threatening crisis because he knew what the king’s dream meant. A death sentence was
already on Daniel’s head; the commander of the king’s guard, sword in hand, was at his
side; and the young prophet was supposed to tell the ruthless king that he and all he stood
for would soon be as significant as sweat on a flea.

Why should we, like Daniel, face our difficulties with praise? Because praise arms God’s
people to face their foes. Praise so focuses our minds on the greatness and sovereignty
of God that our trials are far less intimidating. Trials do not disappear when we praise God,
but our hearts do not despair when we offer genuine praise.

Perhaps the bottom has fallen out of your life. You do not know why. You cannot imagine
any sensible explanation. It hurts. Maybe the problem is finances, or a family being torn
apart, or a loved one suffering an illness—or perhaps you’re suffering. Are you willing to
face your next difficulty with praise?

[Q] Look again at verses 19–23. What tone of voice do you imagine Daniel using as he
said these words? What do you sense he was feeling at the time?

[Q] Put yourself in Daniel’s place to consider how difficult his offer of praise may have
been. What would you have been feeling?

q Fear

q Anger

q Nervous anticipation

q Self-confidence

q Other: _________________________________________________
17

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Response in the Face of Suffering
Leader ’s Guide

[Q] Is it possible to praise God when we’re full of fear or anger, or lack confidence? Why
or why not?

[Q] As difficult as it can be, what are some reasons to praise God when you’re faced with
difficulties?

uOptional Activity
Daniel could still praise God for three basic reasons: (1) God’s care for him
in his present circumstances; (2) God’s goodness to him in the past; and (3)
God’s promises for his future. On a blank sheet of paper, do the following:

1. Look back at the story and quickly write down an example for each of
these reasons Daniel could praise God:
• for his past:
• in his present circumstances:
• in the future:

2. Now do the same for yourself. In whatever circumstances you find

yourself right now, consider reasons you can praise God:
• for your past:
• in your present circumstances:
• in the future:

Finish the following phrase with words or short phrases that express
whatever comes into your mind or heart: “I thank and praise you, O God, for
you …”

Teaching Point Three: Respond with proclamation.

When the bottom seemed to fall out for Daniel, he still proclaimed the greatness of God.
Daniel’s response to peril was proclamation. He resisted any temptation to take credit for the
amazing insight God granted him. When the king asked Daniel if he could reveal the dream,
the prophet—who by now knew the dream and its interpretation—made sure the king knew
that God had provided it all. The prophet was careful to ensure that God alone was glorified.
All too often we fail to see the good that God is doing in the world and in our lives. But the
more we recognize his invisible and loving hand at work, the more we will give him the credit
and praise. Like Daniel, we will make sure that God and God alone receives the glory. We will
proclaim his name and his greatness to those around us.

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Response in the Face of Suffering
Leader ’s Guide

[Q] If you had been one of the king’s servants listening in on Nebuchadnezzar’s
question and the introduction of Daniel’s response in verses 26–30, what would have
been your impression of Daniel? What would you tell your friends about him?

[Q] What connection do you see between humility and witness?

[Q] Read the following story, and then respond to the question at the end:

A Dad caught his toddler going up the stairs one day on her own. Normally, she
would get scolded for heading up the stairs, but this time she was trying so hard
that he didn’t have the heart to stop her. He could not let her go alone, however.
There was still too much danger. He quietly stepped behind her and stretched his
arms inches below her in case she slipped. She was concentrating so much on
grabbing the stair rails to pull herself up that she didn’t even notice him. Finally, she
reached the top of the stairs. You can only imagine how proud she looked, as she
stood at the top of the stairs on shaky and inexperienced legs.

But the dad had a rather different perspective. He knew that, even if she believed
her grip had gotten her safely up the stairs, there were other hands at work. She
had no idea how much danger she was in, or how safe she really was. She was
safe in the danger, not because of the grip of her infant hands, but because of the
safety provided by arms beneath her.

How are we often like the toddler in this story?

[Q] The Bible says that God is the one who keeps us safe because beneath us are his
everlasting arms (Deut. 33:27). Why should this make us quick to give God the credit
for what he is doing in our lives? In our church and community? Around the world?

[Q] What opportunities do you have right now to proclaim the truth about our loving and
sovereign God?

part THREE
Apply Your Findings
Prayer, praise, and proclamation are all spiritual responses to crisis that shift attention from
our abilities to God’s. These responses humble us by making us realize we are ultimately
dependent on God’s initiative and provision rather than our own. Our tendency, of course,
is to take charge. We want to be in control. But when the bottom falls out in our lives,
we recognize the futility of self-sufficient efforts. God is the only one who must be put in
charge of our lives and our difficulties. Not only is he the only one who can handle our
circumstances, but he will work in them to lead us closer to himself. Extreme situations
often reflect God’s extreme desire for us to know his love more fully. As we learn to lean
on him and his love during our times of crisis, we will know no greater peace nor can we
claim any greater contentment. Dependence upon God produces a joy so full that crisis
19

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Response in the Face of Suffering
Leader ’s Guide

cannot exhaust its supply. Prayer, praise, and proclamation will grant us peace for today
and confidence for tomorrow.

Action Point: Over the next several days, make prayer, praise, and
proclamation your focus. Begin each day by reading Daniel’s prayer (2:20–23).
Then, speak your own words to God with the same praise-filled emotions as Daniel
did. If you have been battling through a crisis or walking through a dark valley in
your life, determine to praise God regardless of your circumstances. Praise him
for what he is doing right now in your life, what he has accomplished in your life
in the past, and what he has promised to do in the future. Pray that he gives you
opportunities to proclaim him throughout your day and then humbly watch for
opportunities to give him the credit and praise.

—Study by Bryan Chapell, with Michael C. Mack

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Response in the Face of Suffering
Participant’s Guide

Daniel’s Response
in the Face of
Suffering
participant’s guide

What genuine faith looks like when the

bottom falls out

What do you do when the bottom falls

S c r i pture: Daniel 2
Bas e d On : The sermon series, “Learning from the Faith of Daniel,” by Bryan Chapell

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Response in the Face of Suffering
Participant’s Guide

part One
Identify the Current Issue
My wife, Kathy, had come home from a weekly grocery trip holding the lip of a full grocery
sack in one hand, balancing a crying baby on the other arm, and urging forward two
preschool sons who were straggling behind. Just as she squeezed through the back door
and swung around the kitchen counter, the side of the paper grocery sack ripped. The sack
and everything in it crashed to the floor, including a large, economy-size bottle of liquid
dish soap. When the soap bottle hit the linoleum, the lid sprang off, thick liquid glugged
out, and the mess spread across the kitchen floor.

What do you do when the bottom falls out?

Discussion Starters:
[Q] What did you think of this story about Kathy? When has something like that ever
happened to you?

[Q] What do you think most people do when the bottom falls out of their lives—their
career, their family’s security, their health, or something else? How do they usually react?

[Q] When has the bottom fallen out of your life?

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Response in the Face of Suffering
Participant’s Guide

part TWO
Discover the Eternal Principles
Teaching Point One: Respond with prayer.

Teaching Point Two: Respond with praise.

Teaching Point Three: Respond with proclamation.

part THREE
Apply Your Findings
Prayer, praise, and proclamation are all spiritual responses to crisis that shift attention from
our abilities to God’s. These responses humble us by making us realize we are ultimately
dependent on God’s initiative and provision rather than our own. Our tendency, of course,
is to take charge. We want to be in control. But when the bottom falls out in our lives,
we recognize the futility of self-sufficient efforts. God is the only one who must be put in
charge of our lives and our difficulties. Not only is he the only one who can handle our
circumstances, but he will work in them to lead us closer to himself. Extreme situations
often reflect God’s extreme desire for us to know his love more fully. As we learn to lean on
him and his love during our times of crisis, we will know no greater peace nor can we claim
any greater contentment. Dependence upon God produces a joy so full that crisis cannot
exhaust its supply. Prayer, praise, and proclamation will grant us peace for today and
confidence for tomorrow.

Action Point: Over the next several days, make prayer, praise, and
proclamation your focus. Begin each day by reading Daniel’s prayer (2:20–23).
Then, speak your own words to God with the same praise-filled emotions as Daniel
did. If you have been battling through a crisis or walking through a dark valley in your
life, determine to praise God regardless of your circumstances. Praise him for what
he is doing right now in your life, what he has accomplished in your life in the past,
and what he has promised to do in the future. Pray that he gives you opportunities
to proclaim him throughout your day and then humbly watch for opportunities to give
him the credit and praise.

—Study by Bryan Chapell, with Michael C. Mack

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Three Men Trust Through Their Trials
Leader ’s Guide

Three Men Trust

Through Their Trials
leader’s guide

Genuine faith remains strong amid dire

circumstances and uncertain outcomes.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did

not operate on the popular notion that
faith is about having confidence in
expected or desired outcomes. By their
words and actions, they proclaim a truly
biblical faith: confidence in a sovereign
God regardless of the outcomes.

S c r i pture: Daniel 3
Bas e d On : The sermon series, “Learning from the Faith of Daniel,” by Bryan Chapell

SmallGroups.com ©2013 Christianity Today

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Three Men Trust Through Their Trials
Leader ’s Guide

part One
Identify the Current Issue
Note to Leader: Provide each person with the Participant’s
Guide included at the end of this study.

How did the New York Mets win the World Series? A few decades ago, when the Mets
were the underdog darlings of the National League, two young pitchers told the world the
secret. Tom Seaver and Tug McGraw borrowed a line from a Walt Disney character and
said, “Ya gotta believe.”

There appears to be a consensus in the popular culture that good things come if someone
just has enough confidence in the outcome. In order to win a game, get a job, get a good-
looking boyfriend or girlfriend, win a trip to Hollywood, or end up on American Idol, you just
really, really need to believe in the results you want. Unfortunately, the idea that we can
make good things happen by simply believing gets so much play in our culture that people
begin to accept it as gospel truth. Even many Bible-believing Christians have bought into
this way of thinking: good health and wealth come to those who have enough faith. They
may even have been taught this at their church.

For Christians, the downside of this kind of thinking is obvious. If our faith doesn’t produce
the desired results, then either our faith is inadequate or God is inadequate. If bad
things happen because our faith is inadequate, then no one has sufficient faith, because
everyone faces problems in this broken world. But if bad things happen because our God
is inadequate, then we have no one to turn to in this troubled world. Jesus told us difficulty
invades every life, including that of the faithful. We cannot gauge the adequacy of faith by
the absence of trials. Doing so is a recipe for discouragement and despair.

Discussion Starters:
[Q] How would you define faith?

Leader’s Note: Tell participants that you’re looking for just a sentence. Give them a minute or
two to think about their definitions before responding. You might suggest they take a moment
and write out their definition before they answer aloud.

[Q] Here is a popular idea in our culture that finds its way into the church: We can
make good things happen by the adequacy of our belief or faith. How do you respond
to this way of thinking? What are some examples of this way of thinking in popular
culture? In the church?

[Q] What are the downsides or dangers of believing that our faith can make good
things happen?

[Q] What would keep our faith from falling apart when we’re faced with struggles that
won’t go away?
25

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Three Men Trust Through Their Trials
Leader ’s Guide

part TWO
Discover the Eternal Principles
Teaching Point One: Faith is not trust in the quantity of our belief.
Reach Daniel 3.

I once heard a sweet mom express confusion and anguish over an unanswered prayer.
This young mother was running errands with a tribe of preschoolers in the car. The next
stop on the errand list was the neighborhood grocery. She began to calculate what that
meant: getting all the children out of their car seats, into their coats, into the store, into the
shopping cart—and the reverse of it all on the way out. This would be a 20-minute stop for
just a couple of needed items. Then came some inspiration, a way to get back on schedule.
If there were a parking space right by the front door, then she could leave the kids in the
car and watch them through the storefront glass. She could zip in, zip out, never lose sight
of the kids, and be right back on schedule. “Lord, please give me a parking space by the
door,” the young mother prayed. “I know that you can provide a parking space, and I believe
you will.”

Recounting the experience later, she said, “I was praying with all kinds of faith.” And she
tried to increase her faith by saying again and again in her mind, “I believe. I believe. I
believe.” She thought that if she just had enough faith, God would do what she wanted him
to do. Then she arrived at the store, turned in the parking lot, and saw immediately there
was no parking space anywhere near the front door. You may smile at this young mother’s
naiveté, but when she told what had happened, she spoke through tears. “What’s wrong
with me?” she asked. “I prayed with all kinds of faith, but God didn’t answer. There must be
something wrong with my faith.”

[Q] Let’s talk about this story.

• What do you think of the mom’s faith?

• Why didn’t God answer her prayer as she wanted him to?

• How did this mom define faith?

Leader’s Note: The mom had caught herself in the old trap of defining faith as
confidence in our quantity of belief, rather than confidence in God. Thus, when
something unwanted occurred, she could only assume that her faith was inadequate
or that her God was. This Christian mother was too well-schooled (and too full of true
faith) to believe that God was inadequate, so she assumed her faith was weak.

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Three Men Trust Through Their Trials
Leader ’s Guide

[Q] What kinds of things have you seen Christians (including yourself) do to rely more
on the quantity of their faith rather than God himself?

q Sing a spiritual song

q Pray longer

q Read more Scripture

q Fast

q Go to church more

q Punish themselves for their lack of faith

q Other: _______________________________________________

Leader’s Note: You might mention that most of the things on the list above (things
such as Bible reading and prayer) are not bad but our motivations for doing them (i.e.,
trying to control God) turn them into a deadly trap.

[Q] Consider this quote: “In a sense, we resemble witches, throwing a pinch of song,
an ounce of prayer, and a ton of belief into a cauldron of human desires so that God
must do what we determine he should do. Our faith is not so much in God as it is in the
amount of belief we have conjured to control him.” What do you think of this quote?

[Q] Re-read Daniel 3:16–18. Then look through the following list of definitions for faith.
Based on the response of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and our discussion so
far, which do you think are true and which are false? Why?

T F Real faith locks onto God.

T F God brings wealth and health to those with enough faith.

T F Real faith calls for each of us to acknowledge that God’s provision is

sufficient, loving, and good, even if it falls short of, or contradicts,
immediate desires that cannot fully anticipate his plans or fathom his
wisdom.

T F True faith is in what God knows is best—not what I think is best.

T F The power of sufficient faith will always bring healing to sick people.

T F Illness is an automatic sign that a person doesn’t have enough faith.

T F Real faith is not a feeling. Feelings change; faith should not.

Teaching Point Two: Faith is not trust in the quality of our belief.
Sometimes we get the wrong idea that God will do as we desire if our desire is spiritually
good enough. We trust God will fulfill our desires because of the quality of our belief. We
27

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Three Men Trust Through Their Trials
Leader ’s Guide

expect God to do as we want because we have determined that it is in God’s best interests to
make this happen. Because the results are “for God’s sake,” we become convinced that what
we would love to happen must occur. But faith does not require God to do what we would love
to happen, even for the right reasons. We must never mistake our will and desire for God’s
will and desire.

By their example, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego laid out a simple plan of action to help
us faithfully confront the trials we face: (1) acknowledge our needs without stipulating how
God will respond; (2) humbly acknowledge the ability of God to either meet our needs in the
way we desire or in a way that he knows is better; (3) commit ourselves to uncompromising
obedience whatever comes. True faith calls us simply to obey God and trust him to take care
of the circumstances.

[Q] Is there such a thing as overconfident faith? Explain your answer.

[Q] When have you or somebody you know believed without a doubt that God would do
something miraculous but he didn’t come through? Why do you think God failed to act?

[Q] Did God save Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego because these three men believed
God would save them so that God would receive glory? Explain your answer.

Leader’s Note: This is a tricky question. The three men may have ultimately wanted God
to receive glory through whatever happened, but they were not trying to control God by
the quality of their faith. Though they may have hoped for a miracle, they trusted God
regardless of what eventually happened (see v. 18).

[Q] If faith is not trust in either the quantity or quality of our belief, should we still ask God
for what we want? Why or why not?

Leader’s Note: The Bible is clear that we should ask God for what we want (e.g. Matt.
7:7–8), but we must trust in God’s response, not our request.

uOptional Activity
Break into subgroups of two to four people each. Assign each subgroup
one of the Bible characters and passages below. (If you use only three
subgroups, leave out the Hebrews 11 passage.)

Bible Heroes
• The apostle Paul: 2 Corinthians 11:23–30; 12:7–10
• King David: 2 Samuel 12:15–23 (this event happened after David
repented for his sin with Bathsheba, v. 13)
• Jesus and his followers: Luke 22:39–46; 54–57
• Various Bible characters: Hebrews 11:32–40 28

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Three Men Trust Through Their Trials
Leader ’s Guide

Each subgroup should answer the following questions. When finished,

each subgroup can briefly report what they learned.
1. Did this person (or group of people) get what he or she desired and
prayed for?
2. What does this Bible character(s) teach you about faith and God’s
plans and purposes?

Teaching Point Three: Biblical faith believes that God is both able
and good.
The first reason we trust God is that we believe he “is able to do far more abundantly
than all that we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20, ESV). Biblical faith affirms that our God is able to
rescue. But that is not enough reason to trust him. If he can rescue but is undependable,
unkind, or untrustworthy, then faith in him would be worthless. To trust God as he desires,
we must believe we can entrust ourselves to his care. To do this we need to know that God
is worthy of our trust. Biblical faith is not merely the confidence that our God is able; it also
requires the confidence that our God is good.

[Q] Daniel 3:17 clearly shows the three men’s belief that God is able. What are reasons
to believe that God is also good?

Leader’s Note: If participants have trouble answering this questions, turn to the
following passages for examples of God’s goodness: Numbers 23:19–20; Psalm 23;
Psalm 103; Matthew 7:9–11; Romans 5:8; 2 Peter 3:9.

[Q] God could have delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from
Nebuchadnezzar in one of at least two ways: (a) rescue the three from the fiery
furnace, or (b) rescue the three from compulsory idolatry by taking them to himself.
Which is better, to be left in this world of idols and troubles or for God to remove us
from this world and bring us home?

Leader’s Note: Group members may have their opinions, but this lesson comes down
to this: it’s better for us, and a better definition of real faith, to trust God with that
decision. The apostle Paul wrestled with this same dilemma (Phil. 1:20–26). If you think
it would be helpful, turn to that passage.

[Q] Look again at Daniel 3:25. How does God show that he is both able and good by
what Nebuchadnezzar witnessed?

[Q] We might call what the king saw as the “Immanuel principle”—God with us. How
does God’s promise to be present with us, to never leave or forsake us, help us live by
true faith?

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Three Men Trust Through Their Trials
Leader ’s Guide

part THREE
Apply Your Findings
There was once a miner—a stalwart believer—who was injured in the mines at a young
age. He became an invalid. Over the years he watched through a window beside his bed
as life passed him by. He watched men of his own age prosper, raise families, and have
grandchildren. He watched, but he did not share the rewards or the joys of others with whom
he had once worked. He watched as his body withered, his house crumbled, and his life
wasted away.

One day when the bedridden miner was quite old, a younger man came to visit him. “I hear
that you believe in God and the claim that he loves you,” said the young man. “How can you
believe such things with what has happened to you? Don’t you sometimes doubt God’s love?”

The old man hesitated and then smiled. He said, “Yes, it’s true. Sometimes Satan comes
calling on me in this fallen down old house of mine. He sits right there by my bed where you
are sitting now. He points out my window to the men I once worked with who are still strong
and active, and Satan asks, ‘Does Jesus love you?’ Then Satan casts a jeering glance around
my tattered room as he points to the fine homes of my friends across the street and asks
again, ‘Does Jesus love you?’ And, then, at last Satan points to the grandchild of a friend of
mine—a man who has everything I do not—and Satan waits for the tear in my eye, and then
he whispers in my ear, ‘Does Jesus really love you?’”

“And what do you say when Satan speaks to you that way?” asked the young man. The old
miner said, “I take Satan by the hand, and I lead him in my mind to a hill far away called
Calvary. There I point to the thorn-tortured brow, to the nail-pierced hands and feet, and to the
spear-wounded side. Then I ask Satan, ‘Doesn’t Jesus love me?’”

Action Point: Imagine you were one of Jesus’ followers standing at the foot of the
cross, witnessing the horror. You might have been tempted to cry out to God to stop the
suffering. But God knew better. He did not stop it till the life of the One who hung there had
bled away. The agony did not mean that God failed, or that the faith of the One who died
was weak. There was great suffering, but in the suffering there was a purpose so loving,
so powerful, and so good that your eternity changed as a result—your sins were washed
away.

This week, keep your focus on the cross, though troubles come and human answers fail.
As you confront trials throughout the week, work on responding as Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego did:

(1) Acknowledge your needs without stipulating how God will respond.

(2) Humbly acknowledge the ability of God to either meet your needs in the way you
desire or in a way that he knows is better.

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Three Men Trust Through Their Trials
Leader ’s Guide

(3) Commit yourself to uncompromising obedience whatever comes.

Provide index cards and encourage each group member to write out these three
responses, or you can copy the three responses on cards prior to the meeting.

—Study by Bryan Chapell, with Michael C. Mack

SmallGroups.com ©2013 Christianity Today

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Three Men Trust Through Their Trials
Participant’s Guide

Three Men Trust

Through Their Trials
participant’s guide

Genuine faith remains strong amid dire

circumstances and uncertain outcomes.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did

S c r i pture: Daniel 3
Bas e d On : The sermon series, “Learning from the Faith of Daniel,” by Bryan Chapell

SmallGroups.com ©2013 Christianity Today

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Three Men Trust Through Their Trials
Participant’s Guide

part One
Identify the Current Issue
How did the New York Mets win the World Series? A few decades ago, when the Mets
were the underdog darlings of the National League, two young pitchers told the world the
secret. Tom Seaver and Tug McGraw borrowed a line from a Walt Disney character and
said, “Ya gotta believe.”

Discussion Starters:
[Q] How would you define faith?

[Q] What are the downsides or dangers of believing that our faith can make good
things happen?

[Q] What would keep our faith from falling apart when we’re faced with struggles that
won’t go away?

SmallGroups.com ©2013 Christianity Today

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Three Men Trust Through Their Trials
Participant’s Guide

part TWO
Discover the Eternal Principles
Teaching Point One: Faith is not trust in the quantity of our belief.

Teaching Point Two: Faith is not trust in the quality of our belief.

Teaching Point Three: Biblical faith believes that God is both able
and good.

part THREE
Apply Your Findings
There was once a miner—a stalwart believer—who was injured in the mines at a young
age. He became an invalid. Over the years he watched through a window beside his bed
as life passed him by. He watched men of his own age prosper, raise families, and have
grandchildren. He watched, but he did not share the rewards or the joys of others with
whom he had once worked. He watched as his body withered, his house crumbled, and his
life wasted away.

One day when the bedridden miner was quite old, a younger man came to visit him. “I hear
that you believe in God and the claim that he loves you,” said the young man. “How can
you believe such things with what has happened to you? Don’t you sometimes doubt God’s
love?”

The old man hesitated and then smiled. He said, “Yes, it’s true. Sometimes Satan comes
calling on me in this fallen down old house of mine. He sits right there by my bed where you
are sitting now. He points out my window to the men I once worked with who are still strong
and active, and Satan asks, ‘Does Jesus love you?’ Then Satan casts a jeering glance
around my tattered room as he points to the fine homes of my friends across the street and
asks again, ‘Does Jesus love you?’ And, then, at last Satan points to the grandchild of a
friend of mine—a man who has everything I do not—and Satan waits for the tear in my eye,
and then he whispers in my ear, ‘Does Jesus really love you?’”

“And what do you say when Satan speaks to you that way?” asked the young man. The old
miner said, “I take Satan by the hand, and I lead him in my mind to a hill far away called
Calvary. There I point to the thorn-tortured brow, to the nail-pierced hands and feet, and to
the spear-wounded side. Then I ask Satan, ‘Doesn’t Jesus love me?’”

SmallGroups.com ©2013 Christianity Today

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Three Men Trust Through Their Trials
Participant’s Guide

Action Point: Imagine you were one of Jesus’ followers standing at the foot of the
cross, witnessing the horror. You might have been tempted to cry out to God to stop the
suffering. But God knew better. He did not stop it till the life of the One who hung there
had bled away. The agony did not mean that God failed, or that the faith of the One who
died was weak. There was great suffering, but in the suffering there was a purpose so
loving, so powerful, and so good that your eternity changed as a result—your sins were
washed away.

This week, keep your focus on the cross, though troubles come and human answers
fail. As you confront trials throughout the week, work on responding as Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego did:

(1) Acknowledge your needs without stipulating how God will respond.

(2) Humbly acknowledge the ability of God to either meet your needs in the way you
desire or in a way that he knows is better.

(3) Commit yourself to uncompromising obedience whatever comes.

Provide index cards and encourage each group member to write out these three
responses, or you can copy the three responses on cards prior to the meeting.

—Study by Bryan Chapell, with Michael C. Mack

SmallGroups.com ©2013 Christianity Today

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
The King’s Life Lesson
Leader ’s Guide

The King’s Life

Lesson
leader’s guide

Looking up to heaven

Nebuchadnezzar needed a reminder

about the limits of his greatness and
glory. God gave him that reminder
through a dream that terrified the king,
and he again called for Daniel to inter-
pret the vision. The meaning was as
simple as it was scary. Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar that he was going to
have a great fall. And that he did! When Nebuchadnezzar ultimately regained
his mind and rule, he plainly stated what “the peoples, nations, and men of
every language who live in all the world” needed to learn as a result of his
demise.

S c r i pture: Daniel 4
Bas e d On : The sermon series, “Learning from the Faith of Daniel,” by Bryan Chapell

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
The King’s Life Lesson
Leader ’s Guide

part One
Identify the Current Issue
Note to Leader: Provide each person with the Participant’s
Guide included at the end of this study.

The poet Percy Bysshe Shelly told of meeting a traveler from an “antique” land who
described the ruins of a great statue in the desert. The head, half sunk in the sand,
lay apart from great stone legs still standing on their pedestal. The shattered face yet
portrayed a sneer of royal arrogance. Words on the nearby pedestal reflected the look on
the statue’s face:

My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;

Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!

But beyond these words and relics the poet related,

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

The words of Shelly’s fabled Ozymandias echo in Nebuchadnezzar’s prideful claims in

this fourth chapter of Daniel. Like the king in Shelly’s poem, Babylon’s king forgot that time
and circumstance erode all the accomplishments of men, making pride absurd. Thirty-two
years had passed since Daniel’s first interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams had burst
the king’s illusions about this greatness.

The purpose of the king’s resulting trial is stated three times in chapter 4: “that the living
may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and
sets it over the lowliest of men.” Each of the three clauses of this key verse contains an
essential truth God intends for us to take from the king’s experience.

Discussion Starters:
[Q] What’s the most vivid dream you remember having? What, if anything, did it mean?

[Q] As a child, when did a parent or another adult (teacher, principal, or coach, for
instance) put you in your place? What was that like?

[Q] How about as an adult? When have you been knocked down a peg or two? How
did that feel?

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
The King’s Life Lesson
Leader ’s Guide

part TWO
Discover the Eternal Principles
Teaching Point One: God is in charge; you are not.
Read Daniel 4.

God reminded Nebuchadnezzar there is only one true sovereign, the King of kings.
Though human power and glory may tempt us to believe otherwise, God’s dealings with
Nebuchadnezzar caution us always to remember that he is in control, and we are not.
Our smarts, our abilities, our accomplishments do not ultimately determine our futures or
provide our security. This is, of course, a difficult truth for a proud and powerful man like
Nebuchadnezzar to accept, but it’s not much easier for most of us to accept.

We can be more like Nebuchadnezzar than it is pleasant to confess. If our abilities or

hard work have resulted in success, we may believe our security is due to our efforts. We,
like Nebuchadnezzar, may scan what we have built, whether it be in terms of academic,
commercial, professional, or church accomplishment, and admire what we have done
by our ability and wisdom. We’ve done it! But, that’s never the whole picture. We must
remember how the events behind our successes fell into place. We had to be in the right
place at the right time. Someone opened a door or helped us along the way. If we are
honest, we can imagine how a different person here or a different circumstance there would
have made all the difference. Although it is difficult to confess that we are not really in
charge of our lives, this is a confession God requires.

[Q] If you had been Daniel, asked to interpret the king’s dream, how would you have
responded?

q Stall: “Wow, this one’s a real mystery. What did the other guys say?”

q Evade the issue: “Dude, what have you been eating before going to sleep? I’d
suggest you change your bedtime snack!”

q Change the subject: “Speaking of dew, can you believe how humid it’s been
lately?”

q Make something up: “Yeah, that tree is one of your enemies. You’ve got nothing
to worry about.”

q Speak the truth and deal with the consequences: “My lord, you may not like this,
but …”

q Other: ________________________________________________________

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
The King’s Life Lesson
Leader ’s Guide

[Q] How did God’s actions show Nebuchadnezzar the insufficiency of his power and
authority?

Leader’s Note: See verses 28–33.

[Q] What was the turning point for Nebuchadnezzar? What did he do to get his sanity
and kingdom back?

Leader’s Note: See verse 34 and following.

[Q] What does this passage teach you about depending on each of the following?

• Human power and authority

• Human wisdom

• Human accomplishments

Teaching Point Two: God gives the kingdom to whom he will.

The only explanation for earthly success is God’s gracious provision. The truth of God’s
unmerited mercy to one who possesses no apparent good in himself is gospel gold to
mine in the Book of Daniel. God makes a pagan king a member of heaven’s family by
grace alone. The same must be true for us. We become members of God’s family simply
because of his mercy. Despite our sin and guilt, he loves us. He gives the kingdom to
whomever he wills despite their unworthiness. No one is worthy or deserving of the
kingdom of an absolutely holy God, and yet he claims us. If we have any standing before
God, it’s because of his grace alone.

This may not be a truth we want to hear on our good days, when we are confident of our
apparent achievements, but it is a truth we desperately long to hear on our bad days, when
we are sure of our spiritual failures. When shame dominates more than success, we must
not forget God loves us because of his grace and not because of our goodness. On our
bad days, our lives may depend on whether we remember his grace.

[Q] How does Nebuchadnezzar’s life refute a cause-and-effect relationship between

human goodness and earthly success?

[Q] Isaiah 64:6 says even our best works are only filthy rags to God. So then, why do
good works?

Leader’s Note: Ephesians 2:8–10 provides a good explanation: “For it is by grace you
have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not
by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

[Q] “When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not
because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy” (Titus 3:4–5).
How could Nebuchadnezzar claim this as his life verse?
39

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
The King’s Life Lesson
Leader ’s Guide

[Q] How does Titus 3:4–5 speak to you if you add the phrase, “nor the unrighteous
things we had done” after the second comma?

Teaching Point Three: God loves the lowly.

The lowliest get the kingdom. Here is the encouragement our hearts need. No matter what
a low life we may think we have become, we are not automatically excluded from God’s
blessing. If a low life like Nebuchadnezzar was granted the kingdom, there is hope for the
lowliest of us—no matter how great the sin or how hard the heart.

Nebuchadnezzar was murderous, arrogant, materialistic, idolatrous, and an enemy of

God’s people. Yet God claimed his heart. Once the king acknowledged his lowliness before
God, the Lord restored him (4:34). If God reached Nebuchadnezzar, he can reach anyone
though we may have sinned greatly. If God can reach a low life like Nebuchadnezzar, there
is nothing that can stand between us and God’s restoration, except a failure to confess our
lowliness as this king did.

Not only does Nebuchadnezzar indicate that God can forgive no matter how great the
sin, he teaches us that God can heal no matter how hard the heart. Nebuchadnezzar
was hardened to God’s truths. He had heard of Daniel’s God for years, but rejected the
message.

[Q] Nebuchadnezzar raised his eyes toward heaven, and he was restored. How was
the king’s action a signal of admitting his lowliness to God?

[Q] Do you believe Nebuchadnezzar’s repentance and confession of God were real?
Why or why not? Does it matter if we feel his repentance was real?

uOptional Activity
Take several minutes to thoughtfully reflect on and respond, on a
separate sheet of paper, to the questions below.
• Do you know a person who is hardened to God’s truths—someone
who has perhaps heard the gospel of Jesus Christ but has never
responded? Think of this person or write his or name at the top of
your paper.
• If you scratch deeply into your innermost heart and mind, would
you have to confess that you don’t believe this person can change?
Hold your answer in your mind a moment.

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
The King’s Life Lesson
Leader ’s Guide

• Whoever you are thinking of, remember: it does not matter how
hard his or her heart is. God can change hard hearts. If he could
change Nebuchadnezzar’s heart, God can change the heart of the
person you are thinking about right now. With that in mind, write out
a brief prayer for this person. Even if you’re still not sure the person
can change, place your faith in God’s power to transform. How are
you led to pray?

[Q] When in your own life have you experienced something like Nebuchadnezzar—a
time when your own heart was hard, God somehow got your attention, and you turned
from trying to control everything in your life to trusting in God’s sovereignty?

part THREE
Apply Your Findings
At the beginning of Daniel 4, it had been 32 years since Daniel first began his testimony
of God in Nebuchadnezzar’s life. Apparently Daniel had developed affection for the king
in the intervening years (4:19), but still the ruler had not responded to Daniel’s testimony.
Another year passed between Daniel’s interpretation of his dream and its fulfillment. Seven
more years passed before Nebuchadnezzar lifted his eyes to heaven. A total of 40 years
passed before the king responded to Daniel’s witness. But the king did finally respond.

God can change the hardest hearts and wipe away the darkest sin. He must do it, for
we cannot. Our God calls us to put aside all we trust, take pleasure in, or have used to
make ourselves worthwhile. He urges us to come to him as a helpless child and then
promises us his kingdom forever. When we call to him, without trying to stand on our
accomplishments or goodness, but humbled by his mercy for sinners like us, he responds.
His voice is gentle and loving. His words echo our desires. He says, “Forever you are
mine. The kingdom of heaven is for humble ones such as you.”

Action Point: The message for us is that we must not cease working and praying for
a brother, father, spouse, or friend. Never give up. It does not matter how hard the heart.

Think of someone right now who, it seems, has a hard heart toward God. (If you did the
optional activity, bring this person to mind.) Commit to praying for the salvation of this
person God has put on your heart and anyone else that God places in your care. Pray
with the confidence that God is able to break the hardest heart. The battle may be long
before it’s won.

—Study by Bryan Chapell, with Michael C. Mack

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
The King’s Life Lesson
Participant’s Guide

The King’s Life

Lesson
participant’s guide

Looking up to heaven

Nebuchadnezzar needed a reminder

S c r i pture: Daniel 4
Bas e d On : The sermon series, “Learning from the Faith of Daniel,” by Bryan Chapell

SmallGroups.com ©2013 Christianity Today

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
The King’s Life Lesson
Participant’s Guide

part One
Identify the Current Issue
The poet Percy Bysshe Shelly told of meeting a traveler from an “antique” land who
described the ruins of a great statue in the desert. The head, half sunk in the sand,
lay apart from great stone legs still standing on their pedestal. The shattered face yet
portrayed a sneer of royal arrogance. Words on the nearby pedestal reflected the look on
the statue’s face:

My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;

Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!

But beyond these words and relics the poet related,

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

The words of Shelly’s fabled Ozymandias echo in Nebuchadnezzar’s prideful claims in

Discussion Starters:
[Q] What’s the most vivid dream you remember having? What, if anything, did it mean?

[Q] As a child, when did a parent or another adult (teacher, principal, or coach, for
instance) put you in your place? What was that like?

[Q] How about as an adult? When have you been knocked down a peg or two? How
did that feel?

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
The King’s Life Lesson
Participant’s Guide

part TWO
Discover the Eternal Principles
Teaching Point One: God is in charge; you are not.

Teaching Point Two: God gives the kingdom to whom he will.

Teaching Point Three: God loves the lowly.

part THREE
Apply Your Findings
At the beginning of Daniel 4, it had been 32 years since Daniel first began his testimony of
God in Nebuchadnezzar’s life. Apparently Daniel had developed affection for the king in the
intervening years (4:19), but still the ruler had not responded to Daniel’s testimony. Another
year passed between Daniel’s interpretation of his dream and its fulfillment. Seven more
years passed before Nebuchadnezzar lifted his eyes to heaven. A total of 40 years passed
before the king responded to Daniel’s witness. But the king did finally respond.

God can change the hardest hearts and wipe away the darkest sin. He must do it, for we
cannot. Our God calls us to put aside all we trust, take pleasure in, or have used to make
ourselves worthwhile. He urges us to come to him as a helpless child and then promises us
his kingdom forever. When we call to him, without trying to stand on our accomplishments
or goodness, but humbled by his mercy for sinners like us, he responds. His voice is gentle
and loving. His words echo our desires. He says, “Forever you are mine. The kingdom of
heaven is for humble ones such as you.”

Action Point: The message for us is that we must not cease working and praying for
a brother, father, spouse, or friend. Never give up. It does not matter how hard the heart.

—Study by Bryan Chapell, with Michael C. Mack

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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Declaration of Righteous Judgment
Leader ’s Guide

Daniel’s Declaration
of Righteous
Judgment
leader’s guide

The judgment of grace

Chapter five of Daniel is the flipside of

chapter four. In chapter four, Daniel
used King Nebuchadnezzar’s conversion
to affirm that the repentant reap the
rewards of grace, however bleak their
pasts. In this chapter, Daniel uses King
Belshazzar’s sacrilege to declare that the
rebellious reap the consequences of wrath, however secure their present. Two
equally evil kings demonstrated two equally vital messages: God’s complete
pardon for the humble and God’s sure judgment for the proud.

S c r i pture: Daniel 5
Bas e d On : The sermon series, “Learning from the Faith of Daniel,” by Bryan Chapell

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Declaration of Righteous Judgment
Leader ’s Guide

part One
Identify the Current Issue
Note to Leader: Provide each person with the Participant’s
Guide included at the end of this study.

This is not an easy lesson. Who wants to hear or talk about judgment? But if sin has no
consequence, if evil has no check, if justice never comes, then what good is God and of
what benefit is his grace?

Belshazzar was a powerful man. He had become the undisputed sovereign of Babylon,
the empire that had dominated the ancient world for generations. Outside the walls
of his capitol, a foreign army challenged the king’s dominion, but Babylon’s ruler was
unperturbed. Belshazzar was secure. The Persian invader had been kept at bay outside
the city gates for two and a half years. The walls of Babylon were as much as 350-feet
high, 87-feet wide, and impregnable to any war machine of that day. The metropolis
surrounded by these mammoth walls was itself so spacious that food could be cultivated
within the walls. The river Euphrates even flowed through the city supplying a fresh and
ample source of water for people, cattle, and crops. Babylon could not be starved into
submission. Belshazzar was secure. So confident was he of his safety that as a slap in the
face of his enemy, Belshazzar threw a party. By hosting a feast, the king thumbed his nose
at the enemy.

Yet that was only the beginning of Belshazzar’s pride. So arrogant was he about his
security that he even decided to thumb his nose at God.

God says to every person, “Beware.” Beware, because there is no human wall so high,
no human fortress so secure, no activity so hidden that it can protect sin from the wrath
of God. We must consider this truth not only in the context of this ancient account of an
arrogant king, but in terms of our lives today. There are walls we, too, may try to erect to
protect our sin from the wrath of God. We must see the walls for what they are—foolish
defenses that must be abandoned for our own welfare.

Discussion Starters:
[Q] What are the walls that people today build to try to protect their sins from God’s
judgment?

Leader’s Note: You might go first and talk about human achievement. Use some
follow-up questions to make responses more specific. Think of people in the news
today, for instance, who have hidden behind walls of power, prestige, position, wealth,
and the like, yet their lives are a mess inside those walls. Personalities from the past
include people like Lance Armstrong, Bernie Madoff, and Ted Haggard.

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Declaration of Righteous Judgment
Leader ’s Guide

[Q] This really is a tough issue to talk about. No one likes to discuss “judgment.” Why do
you think it’s important to talk about this subject anyway?

part TWO
Discover the Eternal Principles
Teaching Point One: Human security won’t last.
Read Daniel 5.

Daniel’s message should be moved to focal distance for us so that we can read the writing
on the wall of real life. Power, position, prestige, peer approval, wealth, wisdom, wonderful
potential, amazing accomplishment, even esteem in the church will not shield us from an
all powerful, all knowing, holy God who brings every dark thing to light and judges sin. The
situations vary but the consequences do not. The judgment of God is sure.

No human wall is so high, no human accomplishment so great, that it’s secure against the
judgment of God. God will bring every deed into judgment. No matter how great the man,
how hidden the means, or how long the practice has continued, God ultimately will prevail.
His Word is true, and his justice is sure. In the Bible, in the newspaper, in the lives of the
people we know, God warns us to beware of his holy judgment.

[Q] What can you tell about Belshazzar’s character from this passage?

Leader’s Note: A follow-up question to this may be to compare Belshazzar’s character

with Nebuchadnezzar’s. The former monarch was evil, but he seemed to have a humility
that the present king did not.

[Q] How did Daniel treat King Belshazzar?

Leader’s Note: Again, you might follow up by comparing how Daniel responded to
Belshazzar (vv. 22–23) with how he responded to Nebuchadnezzar—even how he talked
about Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 5:18–21.

[Q] What could Belshazzar have done differently to avoid the loss of his life and the
Babylonian kingdom?

[Q] How does God warn people today of his holy judgment and the frailty of the walls
people build?

Teaching Point Two: Spiritual insulation won’t work.

Since God speaks so plainly to warn us of the consequences of sin, why do so many
continue to ignore him? One reason, of course, is that many do not believe in a living,
just God. But there must be other reasons. Daniel said to King Belshazzar, “Through your
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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Declaration of Righteous Judgment
Leader ’s Guide

predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, you knew all about God’s judgment and, still, you did not
humble yourself” (5:22). The clear message is that simple knowledge of God does not
insulate us from the consequences of an unrepentant life.

Belshazzar praised the gods of his own making (5:23). He continued in sin because he
trusted the gods he made to protect him. Sometimes contemporary people continue in
sin because of a god they invent to protect them. They believe that because they say that
Jesus died for their sins and God forgives whatever they confess, they can do as they
please. Such people reason, “God doesn’t want us to be ‘really bad,’ but the ordinary
business lies, the ungodly entertainments, the academic compromises, the residual
anger toward a brother, the neglect of church obligations—these things don’t really count.
After all, God knows we’re just human.” Such “believers” smear the truth about Christ’s
blood on their sin, believing this will insulate them from its consequences. They only fool
themselves. The god that they imagine will protect them is not the God of Daniel.

Daniel’s warning must not go unheeded. God says, “Beware, your sins will surely find you
out” (Numbers 32:23); “I am just and execute judgment” (Jeremiah 23:5); “God will bring
every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes
12:14).

[Q] At what point in this account of Belshazzar’s feast did God inscribe his judgment?

Leader’s Note: See verses 4 and 5. Ask a follow-up question such as, “ What
significance, if any, do you think this timing has?” The next question will follow up on
this one.

[Q] God revealed his wrath at the moment when what was intended to be kept holy
was used for sin. The Bible calls us God’s vessels (2 Corinthians 4:7). With that in
mind, what message might God have for us today?

Leader’s Note: God intends for our lives and testimonies to be holy. If we begin filling
with sin the vessel God has made sacred with the blood of his own Son and using it for
unholy purposes, we can’t imagine we have any security against his wrath.

[Q] How would you respond to a Christ follower who says God’s children will never
face earthly consequences despite unrepented rebellion against him?

Leader’s Note: Sin does matter to God. No Scripture says that because you are a
believer, God will never allow consequences for unrepented sin. The Bible says, “ To
whom much is given, much is required” (Luke 12:48). Israel was given the promise of the
Covenant, but for her sins she languished in this Babylonian captivity.

Teaching Point Three: Choose to grieve, repent, and grow in grace.

Daniel’s message includes more than a warning of sin’s consequences. With the warning
was weeping. For more than 40 years, Daniel nurtured, loved, and, ultimately, changed
the heart of Babylon’s mightiest king. But, a generation later, the impact of so great a
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Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Declaration of Righteous Judgment
Leader ’s Guide

change seemed lost. God was reminding us that sin can re-infect a people. By indicating
this great concern for his people, God disclosed how much grief he himself experiences
when people sin. Our awareness of his grief for our hurt furthers our love for him and
strengthens our resistance to sin (Ephesians 4:30).

Grief for sin drove Jesus to the cross where sin was overpowered. If we are to have power
over sin today, grief must at least drive us to our knees. It is not enough that our knees
quake in fear of sin’s consequences. If our knees do not give way to grief over the tragedy
of sin, we are powerless to confront it or correct it.

Where is the grace in all of this? Are warnings to fear and grieve all Daniel can offer from
God in this chapter? No. The mercy of the previous chapters has not vanished. God’s
warnings are proof of God’s love. If he didn’t care, he wouldn’t warn. Daniel’s warnings are
only the early strains of a clarion call echoing through history and culminating at Calvary.
The message of the Cross completes that warning. The Cross stands both as God’s
ultimate warning of the consequences of sin, and as the greatest expression of his love for
sinners.

“Mene; Tekel; Peres” is not ultimately the handwriting against Belshazzar; it is the
handwriting of God for us. By his hand God warns us of our sin. On the Cross of Jesus, we
see that handwriting in its boldest and brightest strokes, for there the script is written in the
blood of God’s own Son. God only wants us to turn from the sin that will hurt us and return
to the arms that will hold us in safety. As a father lovingly reserves sternest warnings for
the greatest dangers his child will face, our heavenly Father carefully measures his terms
to warn us of dangers to our growth in grace.

[Q] On the scale below, mark with an X how much you think our society grieves over
sin in our world.

Next, mark with a C how much you think your church or group grieves over sin.

Finally, mark with an S how much you (self) grieve over sin.

Discuss how you marked your scale. What does this little exercise reveal to you about
how much we grieve over sin, especially in comparison to how much Jesus grieves
over it?

|----------------------------------------------------------------|

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

No Grief Utter grief

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Declaration of Righteous Judgment
Leader ’s Guide

Leader’s Note: An example of Jesus grieving over sin is found when he looked over
the people of Jerusalem so immersed in sin and so hardened to his message that they
soon would murder him. Jesus was so grieved over this that he wept. Jesus knew how to
express rage and umbrage, but his first response to the devastation of sin was grief : “O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how I longed to gather you to myself as a hen gathers her chicks
under her wings, but you would not” (Luke 13:34).

[Q] The cross stands both as God’s ultimate warning of the consequences of sin and
as the greatest expression of his love for sinners. How do both of those lead a person
to repentance?

[Q] Imagine God saying these words out loud personally to you (close your eyes and
listen, if that will help): “Your sin will surely find you out, for I bring every deed into
judgment including every hidden thing. You must turn from it, my child. Go back; go
back from the sin that will destroy what is most precious to you and to me. I judge sin.
I desire to show mercy. I love you. I gave my Son for you. Come to the arms that will
embrace you with love and life. Come, my child; come to me.” How do those words
move you?

Leader’s Note: Be prepared to comfort anyone who responds with emotion and to
listen without judgment to anyone who chooses to confess sin. You may consider
saying a brief prayer, regardless of how people respond, after you read these words.
Simply thank God for both his warnings to bring us back to him and his love, his
forgiveness, his grace.

uOptional Activity
On a separate sheet of paper, write down these three words from Daniel 5:

Mene God has numbered the days of my “reign” (my control over a
particular situation) and brought it to an end.

Tekel My life has been weighed on the scales and found wanting by
God.

Peres My “kingdom” (everything I believe I own) is divided and given

to others.

Take a moment and personalize each word. For instance, what is the
situation that you have been trying to control that God will someday bring
to an end? Then write out a brief response to any warnings from God you
sense. In what ways is God moving you to grieve over your sin? Where is
God calling you to repent—to return to him? How is God beckoning you to
grow in grace?
50

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Declaration of Righteous Judgment
Leader ’s Guide

part THREE
Apply Your Findings
Lieutenant Colonel Brian Birdwell recounted his harrowing experience of being in the
section of the Pentagon that was struck by the 9/11 attackers. The hallway in which he was
walking was immediately enveloped in flame as an 80-ton aircraft traveling at 520 miles
per hour struck the building. The force of the impact knocked him from his feet, and he
temporarily lost consciousness. He awoke surrounded by fire, and without orientation. He
knew he was facing a ghastly death and wanted to flee but did not know which direction
to run. The wrong choice would send him deeper into the flames, but he had to make
a choice. So he ducked his head and ran, screaming, “Jesus, I am coming to see you.”
Whether he headed toward life or death, he still knew he was heading in the right direction.
It turned out to be the right direction for more life here on earth.

Action Point: You don’t have to wonder what direction to run. In his mercy, the Lord
has shown you the consequences of sin and the mercy of his Son, so that you will run
toward him. Whatever is in your life, whatever is the evil you have allowed, there is a
direction to run. Run to your Savior. He will receive you and hold you and help you. He
loves you enough to point to the consequences of sin and say, “Mene; Tekel; Peres.” And
he does so to express with all the love in his heart: “Not that way. Come to me. If I love
you enough to warn you, then you know that I love you enough to receive you. Come to
me.” Turn from the sin and run to him.

—Study by Bryan Chapell, with Michael C. Mack

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Declaration of Righteous Judgment
Participant’s Guide

Daniel’s Declaration
of Righteous
Judgment
participant’s guide

The judgment of grace

Chapter five of Daniel is the flipside of

S c r i pture: Daniel 5
Bas e d On : The sermon series, “Learning from the Faith of Daniel,” by Bryan Chapell

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Declaration of Righteous Judgment
Participant’s Guide

part One
Identify the Current Issue
This is not an easy lesson. Who wants to hear or talk about judgment? But if sin has no
consequence, if evil has no check, if justice never comes, then what good is God and of
what benefit is his grace?

Yet that was only the beginning of Belshazzar’s pride. So arrogant was he about his
security that he even decided to thumb his nose at God.

Discussion Starters:
[Q] What are the walls that people today build to try to protect their sins from God’s
judgment?

[Q] This really is a tough issue to talk about. No one likes to discuss “judgment.” Why
do you think it’s important to talk about this subject anyway?

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Declaration of Righteous Judgment
Participant’s Guide

part TWO
Discover the Eternal Principles
Teaching Point One: Human security won’t last.

Teaching Point Two: Spiritual insulation won’t work.

Teaching Point Three: Choose to grieve, repent, and grow in grace.

Action Point: You don’t have to wonder what direction to run. In his mercy, the Lord
has shown you the consequences of sin and the mercy of his Son, so that you will run
toward him. Whatever is in your life, whatever is the evil you have allowed, there is a
direction to run. Run to your Savior. He will receive you and hold you and help you. He
loves you enough to point to the consequences of sin and say, “Mene; Tekel; Peres.” And
he does so to express with all the love in his heart: “Not that way. Come to me. If I love you
enough to warn you, then you know that I love you enough to receive you. Come to me.”
Turn from the sin and run to him.

—Study by Bryan Chapell, with Michael C. Mack

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Call to Trust and Live
Leader ’s Guide

Daniel’s Call to
Trust and Live
leader’s guide

Beyond the lions’ den

Sunday school pictures of a ruddy-

faced lad in a lions’ den have scant
resemblance to the actual situation
described in this sixth and last chapter
of Daniel’s life story. Daniel was more
than 90 years old when these events
unfolded. You might think he had earned
a little rest and relaxation for those retirement years, but God still was using the
faithful prophet. Age apparently is no barrier to spiritual usefulness. In Daniel’s
case, glorious gospel truths that have been building through the chapters
describing his life in Babylon reach their climax.

S c r i pture: Daniel 6
Bas e d On : The sermon series, “Learning from the Faith of Daniel,” by Bryan Chapell

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Declaration of Righteous Judgment
Leader ’s Guide

part One
Identify the Current Issue
Note to Leader: Provide each person with the Participant’s
Guide included at the end of this study.

As we come to the end of what is Act One in the Book of Daniel (chapters 1–6, describing
Daniel’s life), it’s helpful to review the key images or events that play a pivotal role in
piecing together the gospel message of Daniel.

In chapter one, Daniel and his friends were kept healthy on a dangerous diet of
vegetable soup, as God communicated to his people, “I remember you.” In chapter two,
Nebuchadnezzar’s multilayered statue was displaced by a heavenly Rock, as God assured
his people, “I will rescue you.” In chapter three, one “like a son of the gods” appears with
Daniel’s friends in a fiery furnace to demonstrate God’s Immanuel principle: “I am right
here with you.” In chapter four, Nebuchadnezzar’s restoration from animal-like insanity
communicated God’s vital message to his own idolatrous people: “I restore the humble.”
In an important but gracious contrast, chapter five revealed the writing on the wall that
humbles an arrogant King Belshazzar and discloses God’s loving warning of judgment to
all people in all times: “I remove the proud.”

Now as we come to this concluding chapter of the biographical portions of the Book of
Daniel, the final brick in the foundation of Daniel’s gospel message gets laid. What is the
final gospel truth that a loving God will unveil in this chapter? It’s not complicated. The Lord
allows the aged Daniel to face his greatest challenge in a lions’ den to say to his people
then and to us now: “Trust me.”

Discussion Starters:
[Q] Daniel 6 may be familiar to anyone who grew up going to Sunday school or VBS
because it contains the famous scene of Daniel in the lions’ den. What thoughts or
images come to you about this story?

q One word: Flannelgraph

q Animated cartoons

q The Daniel in the Lions’ Den sing-along song

q Coloring pages with a teenage-looking Daniel petting smiling lions

q Larry the Cucumber playing Daniel in the VeggieTales version: “Where is God
When I’m S-Scared”?

q Daniel in the Den of Lions Drama: Guess what part I had to play?

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Declaration of Righteous Judgment
Leader ’s Guide

q Crafts: lion cookies, lion Styrofoam cups, spin-the-lion game, lion visor, lion
puppets …

q I didn’t grow up going to church, but I did see The Bible on the History Channel

q Other: ________________________________________________

[Q] If a law were passed making it illegal to pray, what would you do?

q Call the ACLJ (American Center for Law & Justice)

q Make a sign and protest in the streets

q Go on a hunger strike

q Obey the law (according to what it says in Romans 13)

q Pray in private

q Pray in public, in front of the police station if I have to!

q Do as I always do: _______________________________________

q Other: _________________________________________________

[Q] Have you ever faced a trial in which you were pressured to abandon your integrity or
your faithfulness to God? If so, please share what happened.

part TWO
Discover the Eternal Principles
Teaching Point One: Trust God.
Read Daniel 6.

We live to reflect our God and to reclaim the world that he is redeeming for his own
glory. Daniel trusted God enough to serve him in secular endeavors, as well as religious
ones. He refused to recognize walls that would separate secular from sacred obligations,
demonstrating that he would trust God enough to serve him in every context of life. Daniel’s
trust was not merely a valiant stand in one crisis but a life of dedication exhibited across
decades, before a succession of empires, and without the support of his own people. His
was the kind of life an author has described as “a long obedience in the same direction.”
Daniel’s faith was tested time and time again. No victory lasted. No triumph made more
than the most fleeting of spiritual impressions on his history, culture, or circumstances. As
far as Daniel knew, his life had been spent in fruitlessness.

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Declaration of Righteous Judgment
Leader ’s Guide

As with Daniel, our trust does not eradicate all present trials, but when we believe tears
of today will be dried by triumphs of tomorrow, we will find the strength to live for our God.
Frustration and tragedy may still come, but they cannot overwhelm the purposes of our
God or the usefulness of our lives when we continue in the duties he sets before us.

[Q] What signs of trust in God do you see in Daniel?

Leader’s Note: Take a moment to look through chapter 6 for various examples of
Daniel’s trust in God. The most obvious example is his faithful prayer in the face of
threat, of course. Another is the reason he was put to this test by his detractors: his
integrity and excellence in his work for the opposition. Participants may also mention
signs of Daniel’s trust in God in Daniel 1–5.

[Q] Daniel ministered in this pagan land for most of a century. What did he have to
show for it?

Leader’s Note: The short answer is almost nothing. Ask some follow-up questions to
help participants deepen their observation and to add to the discussion:

• How about with the people of Babylon? What spiritual awakening did his work
accomplish? (Again, almost nothing, although participants may come up with
a few examples, but most of them were probably short-term. The officials of the
king had all turned against him. No spiritual awakening among the Babylonians is
recorded.)

• How about with the people of Israel living in Babylon? ( There’s no uprising to
rescue Daniel, and no crowd petitions the king to save their prophet. Daniel is
the only one mentioned who still prays to his God in the face of the king’s edict.
Daniel’s life seems to have had little effect on the spiritual progress of his own
people. No revival was recorded among them. No repentance swept through them.
The chosen nation remained in captivity despite Daniel’s political power, and their
hearts seem similarly bound despite his prophetic ministry. When these chosen
people returned to Israel after Daniel’s death, their spiritual understanding had
so eroded they could not even remember the language in which God’s law was
written, much less the standards and traditions it described.)

[Q] For all his wisdom, integrity, and faithfulness, Daniel was now an old man facing
the jealousy of peers, the idolatrous arrogance of a king, and a death sentence in a
lions’ den. If you were in his position, what would be going through your mind?

[Q] How would you describe your emotions if you were in Daniel’s place?

Teaching Point Two: Live with courage.

Because he trusted in his Lord, Daniel was able to live for God in a great variety of
circumstances. The circumstances that climax his life and most capture our hearts are
those that require great courage. We should recognize that these accounts are recorded
58

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Declaration of Righteous Judgment
Leader ’s Guide

precisely for this purpose. Through Daniel’s example, the Bible inspires us to live with
courage when circumstances and threats tempt us to compromise. Theological sensitivity
should keep us from praising Daniel’s courage apart from the God who granted it, but the
scruples that keep us from aspiring to Daniel’s heroism are mistaken. Our trust in God
should fill us with the courage to live for him.

You are not ready to live with courage if your only resolution is to live for the Lord even if it
costs you everything. Daniel is teaching us something even harder. We are being called to
live for the Lord not only when it costs us everything, but also when it changes nothing.

We may say to ourselves, Because this product or practice or stand for integrity and justice
will make no difference, it doesn’t matter. Since what I do will affect nothing, there is no
duty required. Such reasoning leads countless people into desperation.

Imagine how imposing the forces with which Daniel contended were. He was alone in his
stand of faith against all the other advisers of the king. The law—the unchangeable decree
of the Medes and Persians—opposed Daniel. Even the king had no power to alter this law.
Injustice ruled. Idolatry dominated. Israel remained in powerless captivity.

[Q] How do you think Daniel faced all this and kept his faith, not to mention his sanity?

[Q] What do you think it takes to develop a courageous faith such as Daniel’s?

[Q] What are the obstacles to living with this kind of faith?

[Q] How do you relate to the temptation Daniel faced—the temptation that argues that
because it will make no difference what I do, it does not matter what I do?

Leader’s Note: This question gets to the gist of what this section is all about. Daniel
lived in faithfulness to God regardless of the circumstances or outcomes. Like Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, he was not ruled by outcomes but by his commitment to God.

Teaching Point Three: Live in hope.

Believing that the Lord can change everything through us, beyond us, or after us is what
should keep us living courageously, because we are living in hope—the confidence that
our God will fulfill purposes through us if we will stand for him.

We live in hope despite the trials—trials at school, at work, or in our own family, where others
are pressuring us to abandon our stand for the Lord. You may not be able to see any value
or results from your stand. Still stand! We carve a piece of the kingdom of God out of this
world whenever we claim any corner of it for him. God can use you to build his kingdom if
you stand your ground, because you are never alone in your stand for him.

The sign of God’s faithfulness that we all remember is Daniel’s rescue from the lions. But the
greater sign that proves the value of Daniel’s hope for his nation and for us is almost hidden
59

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Declaration of Righteous Judgment
Leader ’s Guide

in the last words of this chapter. The chapter ends with these words, “So Daniel prospered
during the reign of Darius and during the reign of Cyrus the Persian” (6:28). The name of
the final ruler is most important because under this ruler the people of Israel began to return
to their homeland. And because they returned to Israel, ultimately a child would be born in
the city of David who would be Christ, our Lord. Daniel’s influence and God’s promise finally
were fulfilled according to the hope Daniel maintained into his old age.

The message to Daniel’s people and to us is that our hope in God is not misplaced.
Though we may have to wait to see the results of our faithfulness—and may never see
them until we are with him—our God will accomplish his purposes. So we trust him
and live for him. Because we know that God shut the mouths of lions for Daniel and
subsequently, shut the mouth of the raging lion who seeks to devour us, we trust our
Savior and live for him. We always live in the hope of the ultimate and eternal victory he
will provide for us.

[Q] When Daniel prayed (v. 10), what is significant about him praying toward
Jerusalem?

Leader’s Note: The answer is that Daniel was a prophet of God and he saw sure victory,
future triumph, and certain hope. Through the eyes of hope, ruined Jerusalem shone yet
as the great symbol of God’s abiding faithfulness to those he would defend. The point
of this question is to jumpstart a dialogue about the eventual return of Israel to their
homeland, something Daniel looked forward to with great hope. See the next question.

[Q] We don’t know how long Daniel had been praying specifically toward Jerusalem,
but we can assume this was not a new habit for him (see v. 10). Daniel held out hope—
despite how things appeared—for more than 60 years that his people would return
to their homeland. As a prophet, he understood it was part of God’s plan. What does
Daniel’s faith and hope teach you about waiting on God’s timing?

uOptional Activity
What have you been waiting a long time for? Perhaps you’ve been praying
three times a day for years about this. Whatever it is—a spouse, a baby, a
reconciled relationship, a job, a friend or family member to know God—set
it firmly in your mind. In fact, imagine facing toward it as you pray. Now
take a moment and write out a brief prayer, asking God for what you hope
for. At the end, write, “Yet, not my will, but yours be done … in your timing.”

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Declaration of Righteous Judgment
Leader ’s Guide

part THREE
Apply Your Findings
In the 1940s the Crossetts were missionaries in mainland China. They struggled against
poverty and paganism in a remote village to tell others about Jesus. The work was slow and
painstaking. Yet after much sacrifice, a small church (we might call it a simple Bible study)
seemed almost established. But right on the threshold of this small triumph for the kingdom
of God, Satan began his prowl. The communist Chinese government inaugurated the
Cultural Revolution of 1948–49. All foreign missionaries were forced to leave the country.

The Crossetts hated to leave. Their fledgling flock of believers hardly seemed ready to
stand the coming onslaught. An atheistic, dictatorial government dedicated to wiping
out all Christian influence began its rule with ruthless power. How could the little church
survive? The situation seemed impossible. What could the Crossetts do? From a worldly
perspective, there was nothing to do. The church appeared destined for extinction. But the
Crossetts don’t see as the world sees. They saw no reason to despair. Through eyes of
faith, they saw a God who is faithful to those who honor him.

The Crossetts continued to do their duty. Yes, the missionaries were closed out—but not
their prayers. For nearly 40 years, the Crossetts daily kept their prayer windows opened
toward China. They heard nothing and knew nothing of their friends for four decades, but
still they dutifully prayed for God to be victorious in the church they left behind.

Finally, the political climate changed and China again opened to the West. The Crossetts
returned. They hastened to the village where they had left the tiny, struggling group of
believers. There was no small church in the village anymore. Instead, from that Bible study
had grown a church of 4,000 people. This church had spawned other churches. In the
surrounding region nearly a dozen churches, each with a membership of no less than 1,000
people, had sprung up. All the Crossetts did was pray; it was all they could do. But with their
faith and duty God triumphed. He turned back the flood of evil. He shut the lions’ mouths.
The God of Daniel is alive and well. The victories of God are as near as faith and duty.

Action Point: What are you facing today? Is it sin around you or in you that is so
great that you can’t see the sense of fighting it? Fight it. Stand your ground. Do what is
right, and let God take care of the rest. Do you think nothing could change your boss or
your marriage or your circumstances? Things can appear to be such a mess that there
seems to be no chance of ever straightening them out. But, however confusing the
circumstances, God still explains clearly what he expects. No matter the trial, God asks
you to do two important things: trust and live. And, just as Daniel modeled, pray without
ceasing as you trust your Lord and live for him.

—Study by Bryan Chapell, with Michael C. Mack

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Call to Trust and Live
Participant’s Guide

Daniel’s Call to
Trust and Live
participant’s guide

Beyond the lions’ den

Sunday school pictures of a ruddy-

S c r i pture: Daniel 6
Bas e d On : The sermon series, “Learning from the Faith of Daniel,” by Bryan Chapell

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Declaration of Righteous Judgment
Participant’s Guide

part One
Identify the Current Issue
As we come to the end of what is Act One in the Book of Daniel (chapters 1–6, describing
Daniel’s life), it’s helpful to review the key images or events that play a pivotal role in
piecing together the gospel message of Daniel.

q One word: Flannelgraph

q Animated cartoons

q The Daniel in the Lions’ Den sing-along song

q Coloring pages with a teenage-looking Daniel petting smiling lions

q Larry the Cucumber playing Daniel in the VeggieTales version: “Where is God
When I’m S-Scared”?

q Daniel in the Den of Lions Drama: Guess what part I had to play?

q Crafts: lion cookies, lion Styrofoam cups, spin-the-lion game, lion visor, lion
puppets …

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Declaration of Righteous Judgment
Participant’s Guide

q I didn’t grow up going to church, but I did see The Bible on the History Channel

q Other: ________________________________________________

[Q] If a law were passed making it illegal to pray, what would you do?

q Call the ACLJ (American Center for Law & Justice)

q Make a sign and protest in the streets

q Go on a hunger strike

q Obey the law (according to what it says in Romans 13)

q Pray in private

q Pray in public, in front of the police station if I have to!

q Do as I always do: _______________________________________

q Other: _________________________________________________

[Q] Have you ever faced a trial in which you were pressured to abandon your integrity or
your faithfulness to God? If so, please share what happened.

part TWO
Discover the Eternal Principles
Teaching Point One: Trust God.

Teaching Point Two: Live with courage.

Teaching Point Three: Live in hope.

Daniel: Faithful in All Circumstanc es
Daniel’s Declaration of Righteous Judgment
Participant’s Guide

—Study by Bryan Chapell, with Michael C. Mack

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