U3pzEvuGTO0 · 2020. 4. 11. · 2 OT14.1 Daniel and His Four Friends Obey God ©Beverly Wilson 2020 Living in the city of Jerusalem at this time were Daniel and his three friends

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OT14.1 Daniel and His Four Friends Obey God ©Beverly Wilson 2020

Unit 14: Captivity Daniel and Esther OT14.1 Daniel and His Friends Obey God

Scripture: Daniel 1

Lesson Goal: Daniel is a major prophet during the time of Israel’s captivity in Babylon. In this lesson God helped Daniel and his three friends obey Him. We will learn that God wants us to make right choices in life.

Introduction: The book of Daniel is in the Old Testament. It is the last book in the section of books called the Major Prophets. Daniel was a prophet when Israel was in captivity in Babylon. In his book he tells about the faithful Jews living in captivity and shows how God is sovereign. Let's say the books of Major Prophets--Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel.

Attention Getter: Has anyone ever told you to "Eat your vegetables!"? Most of your moms probably have said that to you. What food does she want you to eat? Let's see if you can tell which foods are vegetables. Here is a hamburger and a carrot. Which is a vegetable? A carrot, right? A hamburger is bread and meat. This is broccoli and a cookie. Which is a vegetable? Broccoli, yes. Here's another choice: Eggs or green beans? Which is a vegetable? Yes, green beans. Why do you think vegetables are better for us? Well, they have vitamins and minerals that other foods don't have. In this lesson we are going to talk about four boys who had to choose what they were going to eat. But their choice of food was about more than just getting vitamins and minerals. The choice was whether to obey God or not.

Opening Prayer: “Father, help us to follow Daniel's example and do what is pleasing to You at all times. Please give us the courage we need to obey You. We love you and want to serve you no matter what or where we are. In Jesus' name, Amen.”

Memory Verse: The memory verse is Joshua 24:24 "We will serve the Lord our God and obey Him."

Lesson Video: https://youtu.be/U3pzEvuGTO0 In Israel there once were four boys who were about 14 years old. Their names were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. They lived many years after King David ruled Israel. After King David died, Israel began to disobey God. God had warned the people of Israel that unless they turned back to Him he would allow the Babylonians to defeat them and take them away as slaves. But Israel ignored God's warnings. Nebuchadnezzar was the king that ruled Babylon. Babylon was a fierce enemy of Israel. Because Israel had not obeyed God, the Lord allowed the Babylonians to come marching against Israel. King Nebuchadnezzar had his warriors attack every town in the land of Judah. They killed and took captive many of the people. They even took sacred objects from the Temple of God and took them back to Babylon. They put the holy things in the king's house of his false god. This was a disgrace to Israel and to God.

https://youtu.be/U3pzEvuGTO0

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Living in the city of Jerusalem at this time were Daniel and his three friends --Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. These young men came from families who believed in God and worshipped Him. When the Babylonians attacked, the young men were trapped inside the city. The Babylonian soldiers captured these boys and took them as prisoners! The Babylonians wanted lots of slaves so they took all the top leaders and the most able people as prisoners. They only left the poorest and weakest people behind. Along with the other prisoners, Daniel was forced to march all the way to Babylon which was 900 miles away. Daniel and his friends expected themselves to become slaves in a foreign land. The march from Jerusalem to Babylon was very hard. They had to go through the hot desert and it took three long months. Going to a strange land where they did not know the language must have been very frightening for the prisoners! When they arrived in Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to select from the prisoners the very best of the young men from royal and noble families. They had to be strong, healthy, good looking and clever. The king wanted them to honor his god, Bel and rule over the Hebrew captives. Among those Ashpenaz chose were Daniel and three of his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The four young men were dressed as Babylonians and given Babylonian names. Daniel was called Belteshazzar. Hananiah was called Shadrach. Mishael was called Meshach. Azariah was called Abednego. King Nebuchadnezzar wanted these four young Jewish men to be trained for three years in the language and literature of Babylon. He wanted them to talk like Babylonians, think like Babylonians and act like Babylonians so they could serve him as trained leaders and advisors. The king even ordered that food from his own kitchen be given to them. He thought he was giving them the best of everything. But Daniel knew these foods were not what God had wanted he and his friends to eat. The food had been offered to idols in false worship. This meant that eating the food would be like worshipping idols. Daniel knew that the food was against God's laws. God had said that they were not to eat pork. God had also given strict instructions about how the meat was to be prepared. Daniel and his friends loved God and did not want to disobey God. The food might have looked delicious but Daniel and his friends knew that it was more important to obey God. So they decided in their heart to do what right even it meant their death. Daniel and his friends could have done what everyone else was doing but he and his friends chose to be different. God blesses those who honor him and Daniel was determined to obey God. Daniel talked to Ashpenaz, the king's helper. He asked, "Please, can we eat only vegetables and drink plain water?" Daniel knew that drinking the wine would make him drunk and he did not want to do that. Ashpenaz was surprised at Daniel's request. He said, "No, the king has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin the king will kill me. I don't want to get in trouble with the king." But Daniel knew he had to obey God! Then God gave him an idea. Daniel spoke again to Ashpenaz the king's helper who was in charge of their meals. "Test us for ten days. We will only eat vegetables and drink water. Then compare us to the others eating the king's food. Then you can see for yourself which is better!" The king's guard agreed. So for ten days Daniel and his three friends were fed vegetables and water while the others ate the king's food and drank wine. And sure enough, at the end of the ten days, the guard looked at the four boys. He was very surprised. "You do look healthier and stronger than the others." God had caused Daniel and

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his friends to be stronger than the others! So for the next three years the king's helper allowed them to continue on their diet of vegetables and drinking water. Daniel and his friends knew that God has answered their prayers! God also gave these four young men an unusual ability to understand every aspect of literature and wisdom that the Babylonians taught them. They were even able to learn the new language faster and better than anyone else. God made them very bright! At the end of their three years of training they were presented to King Nebuchadnezzar. No one impressed the King as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The king said, "You are ten times smarter than any of my wise men." So the king appointed them to his staff of advisers or wise counselors. Do you think it was easy for Daniel and his friends to stand up for what they believed? Do you think it was easy to be different from all the other students? No it wasn't easy. The Babylonians were trying to change the thinking, the lifestyle, and the loyalty of Daniel and his three friends. That is the way that world sometimes tries to change us. So how was it possible to stand up against all this pressure? It is hard to be laughed at by others. Although Daniel and his friends learned about the Babylonian culture in an excellent way, they maintained their obedience and loyalty to God through prayer and obedience to Him. In the same way true Christians today are often made fun of because they don't do what others do. We must pray to God asking for strength to be obedient to Him. For example, true Christians don't use bad language even when others are doing it! Those who want to obey God won't smoke, or drink alcohol or do other sinful things just to be accepted by others. This story of Daniel and his friends helps us to see that it is possible to go God's way even when others are going the other way. Here is a road sign called Yield. A line has been drawn down through it. Do you know what it means? The sign means to not yield or give in. When we follow this sign we will not give in to others who want us to harm our bodies. Just like Daniel and his three friends we can choose to obey God rather than men. Our memory verse is Joshua 24:24 "We will serve the Lord our God and obey Him." God honors those who honor Him. He promises to help us obey Him. . Remember Obey God and serve Him.

Review Questions: “Paper Clip Draw” Preparation: You will need a box of colored vinyl paper clips and a draw string bag. Place about 20-25 colored paper clips in a bag, making sure that you have lots of two colors such as red and blue. Procedure: Divide the class into two teams and give them the color names of the paper clips such as red and blue. To determine which team goes first, ask the first question to the whole group. The child who raises his hand first and correctly answers the question gets to pull a paper clip out of the bag. If the red team member pulls out a red paper clip, then the red team gets 500 points. But if he pulls out a blue one, the blue team gets 500 points. No points are given for the other colors. Alternate turns to answer the review questions between the two teams. The team with the most points after all the questions have been asked is the winning team.

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Optional: You can place 1 or 2 green clips in the bag and they can become the “Zonk” clips. That is, if a team member draws a green clip then they lose all their points!

1. Why did God allow the Israelites to be taken captive to Babylon? (After King David died, Israel began to disobey God. God had warned the people of Israel that unless they turned back to Him he would allow the Babylonians to defeat them and take them away as slaves.)

2. What did Nebuchadnezzar and his army do that was particularly offensive to Israel? (King Nebuchadnezzar had his warriors take sacred objects from the Temple of God and take them back to Babylon. They put the holy things in the idol’s house.)

3. Who in this lesson were captured from Israel and taken to Babylon? (Nebuchadnezzar’s army took only the strong healthy people who were the nation’s leaders as slaves. Daniel and three of his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were part of the young men taken as captives when they were only teenagers.)

4. Why was the journey to Babylon very difficult for Daniel and his friends? (They had to walk over 900 miles with much of the trip going through hot desert land. The trip took over three months. Going to a strange land where they did not know the language must have been very frightening for the prisoners!)

5. Why were Daniel and his friends chosen for a special job? (King Nebuchadnezzar had ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to select from the prisoners the very best of the young men from royal and noble families. They had to be strong, healthy, good looking and clever.)

6. Why did King Nebuchadnezzar change the names of Daniel and his friends and educate them? (He wanted them to think like Babylonians, understand Babylonian culture, and act like Babylonians. The king wanted them to honor his god, Bel and rule over the Hebrew captives.))

7. What were the new Babylonian names for Daniel and his friends? (Daniel was called Belteshazzar. Hananiah was called Shadrach. Mishael was called Meshach. Azariah was called Abednego.

8. Why did Daniel and his friends not want to eat the food of the Babylonian King? (God had ordered that the Hebrew people were not to eat meat that had been offered to idols. The meat had not been prepared according to the law of God. God had said that they were not to eat pork. Daniel and his friends loved God and did not want to disobey God.)

9. What request did Daniel make to Ashpenaz? (Daniel asked, "Please, can we eat only vegetables and drink plain water?" Daniel knew that drinking the wine would make him drunk and he did not want to do that.)

10. Why was Ashpenaz reluctant at first to let Daniel and his friends eat only vegetables and drink only water? (He was afraid that Daniel and his friends would look worse than the other young men that had been chosen and that the king would behead him because he allowed them to only eat vegetables and water.)

11. What idea for a test did God give to Daniel to propose to Ashpenaz? (Daniel asked Ashpenaz if he could test them for ten days. Daniel and his friends would only eat vegetables and drink water. Then Ashpenaz could compare them to the others eating the king's food. Then he could see for himself which was better. The king's guard agreed.)

12. Why did Daniel and his friends look better after ten days of eating vegetables and drinking water? (God had miraculously made them healthier and stronger than the others. God protected and honored them because they wanted to obey Him.)

13. How else did God protect and provide for Daniel and his friends while they were in training? (God also gave these four young men an unusual ability to understand every aspect of literature and wisdom that the Babylonians taught them. They were even able to learn the new language faster and better than anyone else. God made them very bright!)

14. Why was it difficult for Daniel and his friends to obey God while they were in Babylon? (They were under pressure all the time to do things the way the Babylonians did. The Babylonian culture did not obey God and that meant that the four young men had to trust God and obey Him when others made fun of them and ridiculed them.)

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15. What do you think it means to be courageous? How can we be courageous in obeying God? (Be brave and do what is right even when you are scared. We can have courage by praying and asking God for strength.)

16. What is our memory verse? (Joshua 24:24 "We will serve the Lord our God and obey Him.") 17. What are some of the lessons we should learn from this lesson? (We should obey God even

when others around us are doing the opposite. We can ask God for strength to obey Him. God will honor us if we honor him.)

Bible Memory Verse Activity: “Who's Saying the Verse?” (Grades K-3) Our memory verse is Joshua 24:24 "We will serve the Lord our God and obey Him." Have students locate the verse in scripture and read aloud together several times.

Say: “This verse means that God wants us to honor Him by our obedience. He promises to help us obey Him.” Preparation: You will need a large bed sheet. Procedure: Divide the class into two groups. Ask two volunteers to hold us a sheet between the two groups so that one group cannot see the other group. Say Joshua 24:24 as you point to a child in the first group. The child that you pointed to then repeats the verse after you. Volunteers drop the sheet. Children in the second group guess who repeated the verse. Continue with new volunteers and new children repeating the verse, alternating who guessed, as time permits.

Group Learning Activity: “Nick Names” (Grades 2-5) Preparation: You will need a white board and markers. You will also need some printed blank name labels and markers. Say: “Do you have a nick name? Do you know someone who has a nick name? Do you think that these nick names describe the person?” Procedure: Pass out the name labels and have students write the nickname that they are called. Have students put on their nickname tag. Have students share their nickname and why they think they are called this name. Brainstorm other nicknames that the students know. Write the nicknames on the white board. Have students tell why or what these nicknames might mean. Sometimes nick names are meant to criticize or mock someone. Encourage students to give positive nick names. Explain if a nick name is really kind or meant do to harm. Examples:

“Baby girl or Baby boy”—the youngest girl or boy in the family “Red”—simply because the person has red hair. “Sugar”—someone has a sweet personality; generally used for girls “Honey”—someone is sweet as honey “Kitten”—a girl who is as cute as a kitten; used in the 1920s for women “Love Bug”—a girl who is your love and cute as a bug if you can find a bug that is cute! “Peach”—a girl who is sweet as a Georgia peach “Princess”—a girl who is her father’s favorite daughter “Firecracker”—someone who can explode with laughter, anger, or other passion at any time “Angel”—a person who protects you and makes life easier for you “Blue Eyes”—a person who has blue eyes

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“Country Bumpkin”—person who is from the country and often does not know the correct etiquette. “Cowboy”—a boy who is strong and likes the outdoors “Daredevil”—a guy or gal who likes rock climbing, skydiving, or other dangerous sport “Iron Man”—a guy who is very strong “Knight in Shining Armor”—a guy who will rescue someone if they ever need it.

After brainstorming the names, have students discuss the names that Daniel and his friends had. Say: “In our lesson Daniel and his friends were given new Babylonian names. Names often give important information about a person, where they are located, and who their parents were. Because Daniel and his friends had names that honored the God of Israel, Nebuchadnezzar decided to change their names to Babylonian names. The people of Babylon wanted them to be like them in every way, even in their religious worship. New names, they reasoned, would help them blend into the culture; and the names that honored God would no longer be an offense to the people.” Say: “Looking at their names helps us to realize how the Babylonians would be offended. Daniel which means “God is my judge” in Hebrew was changed to Belteshazzar, which means “He whom Bel favors.” (Bel was a Babylonian god.) Hananiah which means “Yahweh has been gracious” became Shadrach meaning, “I am fearful (of a god).” Mishael, which means “Who is what God is?” was given the name Meshach, meaning, “I am despised, contemptible, humbled (before my god).” Azariah which means, “Yehweh has helped” was named Abednego meaning “Servant of Nebo” the Babylonian god of writing and vegetation, the son of Bel. No longer would they be acknowledged by names that honored God and reminded them of their commitment to Him. The pressure was “on” for these young men to blend in and be accepted by the wicked culture that surrounded them.”

Group Learning Activity: “Easy or Hard” (Grades K-2) Preparation: No supplies needed. Say: “Daniel and his friends obeyed God when others did not. I’m sure that was hard for them. Sometimes it is easy to obey God and others times it is hard. God will always help you. We can pray and ask God to give us strength. Today we are going to play a game to decide if it would be easy or hard to obey God in different situations.” Procedure: Read the following statements and ask students to raise one hand if it is easy or two hands it is hard to do. Discuss why students answer the way they do.

Obey parents.

Be nice to your brothers and sisters.

Wait patiently in line to take your turn.

Pray before bed.

Read your Bible.

Clean your room.

Take care of your pet.

Not interrupt when someone is talking.

Tell the truth.

Say: “Just like these are easy and hard at times, so is obeying God. If you are having a hard time obeying God this week, pray and ask God to help you. Remember that we should always obey God even when others do not.”

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Group Learning Activity: “Situation Cards” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: You will need index cards and a marking pen. Say: “In this lesson we learned that Daniel and his friends had to make a choice as to whether they would serve God in a very difficult situation. Sometimes it is not easy to know what the best choice is. We are going to look at some different situations and think about different solutions for each problem.” Procedure: Print one of the following situations on an index card. Have students draw a card from the stack and read aloud the situation. Discuss each real-life situation and practice making good decision-making skills. The teacher should, ask the students if the person in the situation made a good or bad decision. Then have the students work together to come up with an alternative solution for each situation. Commend the students in their decision- making skills. As you can tell, even right decisions don’t fully solve problems. That’s why you need to think and pray about the decisions you make, so you’ll know you’re doing what’s best in every situation. Discuss several different options and the reasons for the choices for each situation.

Amy and Julie have been best friends for years. Amy is also friends with Karen. As Amy’s birthday party approaches, Julie insists that Karen can’t be invited. She says that if Amy invites Karen, she won’t come to the party. Amy decides to go along with Julie and leave Karen out.

Danny goes camping with Steve and his father. Steve’s father leaves the boys at the campsite to go fishing downstream. A young man comes up and says he’s hungry and asks the boys for something to eat. Danny says “sure” and asks the fellow to join them.

Denise hasn’t missed a single meeting of her church group. The group is preparing for a special program they’ll present soon to the congregation. Denise is excited about playing one of the main parts. Then, Mitch, who she really likes, calls and asks her to go with him and his parents to the movies. It’ll mean missing practice. She decides to go with Mitch to the movies.

Sam’s job is to feed his pet dog. He also has a lot of homework. His friend Bill calls and wants him to go ride their bikes in the park. Sam forgot about his dog and went to ride his bike. He got home late.

Tommy’s teacher has been called out of the room for a phone call. Tommy is about to take a test. The test is on the teacher’s desk. Somebody in the class says, “Look! Here are the answers! I’ll tell you what they are.” Tommy had not studied for the test so he wrote down all the answers.

Abigail and her best friend go to the same church. They love to sit together. Abigail always brings a bag of things that they can do together during the service. They color pictures and play games on her I-Pad.

Charlie has been invited to a friend’s house. His friend says that his cousin has brought a move that does not sound like it is something that a Christian should watch. Charlie is a Christian so he does not want to watch the movie. He decides to tell Charlie that he is sick and wants to go home.

Say: “Is it always easy to make the right decisions? Why? How will the choices you make now help you to make good decisions as you grow up? Who can help you? (God, parents, teachers, God’s Word) How do you feel when you say no or go against your friends in other ways? (It does not feel good.) By standing up for what is right, you can encourage others to do the same. We can serve God when we help others make good choices.”

Say: “Daniel and his friends obeyed God. Their choices were based on the truths of God’s Word. That is the same foundation that we use to make our decisions. Often the choices are not clearly defined in scripture. That is when we should pray and ask God for wisdom as to what is the right thing for us to do. Remember God will honor those who honor Him. We must choose to obey Him even when it is difficult or when others are not obeying. Let’s pray for God to give us strength and wisdom to make good decisions.” Close in group prayer.

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Group Learning Game Activity: “The Choosing Game” (Grades K-4) Preparation: You will need chairs for each of the students arranged in a large circle. Procedure: Have kids sit on chairs in a circle. Read each of the following statements one at a time. For each statement, have students follow these instructions or stay in the same seat. Students will end up sitting on top of each other in the circle. Move one chair to the right if…

1. You like math better than English. 2. You’d rather talk to your mother than your father about a

problem. 3. You prefer to wear red T-shirts instead of blue T-shirts. 4. You like redheads better than blondes. 5. You’d rather go to the beach than the mountains 6. You’d rather go to the movies than skating. 7. You like Pepsi better than Coca-cola. 8. You prefer hamburgers to pizza, 9. You like pepperoni pizza more than cheese pizza. 10. You like chocolate ice cream better than vanilla ice cream. 11. You’d rather play baseball than basketball. 12. You’d rather watch sports than play sports. 13. You like comedy TV shows better than action TV shows. 14. You’d rather stay up late than get up early. 15. You like cats more than dogs. 16. You’d rather learn to play a musical instrument than listen to somebody else play. 17. You’d rather your friend tell you the truth than protect your feelings. 18. You like advice from friends more than from your parents. 19. You’d rather spend time with you brother or sister than your friends. 20. You trust your grandparents more than your teachers.

Say: “In this game, every time you made a choice, it caused you to either move or stay where you were. It’s like that in real life, too. The choices you make determine where you’ll be and the kind of life you’ll live. We will be much happier if we choose to obey God and do what He wants us to do. He always knows and wants what is best for us.”

Group Learning Activity: “Standing Firm” (Grades 3-5) Purpose: To help students learn how to courageously take a stand for Christ. Preparation: You will need Bibles, spiritual journal page, pencils or pens. Say: “In this lesson we learned Daniel and his three friends chose to remain faithful when they were faced with the challenge of eating food that would not please God. From their example we can learn some important truths about how we are to be courageous and brave in taking a stand for our beliefs.” Procedure: Have students look up the following scripture. Discuss the meaning of each verse with the group.

• Daniel 1:8 “But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked

the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.” Daniel’s heart was determined to please God and He would not compromise. He did not wait to make a decision at the time the food was put in front of him. He made up his mind before faced with temptation.

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• 1 Peter 5:8-9 “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” Peter warns us to watch out for Satan when we are suffering or being persecuted. Feeling alone, weak, helpless, and cut off from other believers can cause us to focus on our troubles and forget to watch out for danger. Daniel and his friends were in a foreign Babylon culture and it would have been very easy to give in to any excuse to compromise.

• Matthew 10:22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” We can expect opposition when we are fully committed to Christ. Standing firm is not a way to be saved but is the evidence that a person is being obedient to God.

• 1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” Paul encouraged the Christians in Corinth to be on their guard against spiritual dangers, be brave, and pray to the Lord for strength to obey God.

• Ephesians 6:14 “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,” The choices that we make as believers must be based on the truth of God’s Word. It is not our righteousness that will overcome but rather it is trusting in the strength of Christ’s righteousness as it is given to us.

• 1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” When we stand up for our faith, we are commanded to be prepared! We are to study and know God’s Word so we have a good understanding of what we believe and why! When we share our faith with others, we are to do it with an attitude of gentleness and respect nor arrogance and pride!

• Ecclesiastes 4:12 “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Christians should seek the fellowship and encouragement of other believers as we live out our faith. Satan can have a much greater edge when we are alone or without the support of one another. Daniel and his friends used the support of one another when they courageously took a stand against the Babylonian culture.

Have students record what they have learned about God’s gift of marriage in their spiritual journals.

Challenge students to recite the names of the Books of the Old Testament without any assistance. Encourage them to practice saying the books of the Bible at home.

Group Learning Game Activity: “Books of the Bible” Ring Toss Preparation: You will need 19 brightly colored paper plates, 2 long cardboard tubes, tape, markers and scissors. Procedure: Cut the middle out of 17 paper plates to create rings. On each of the rings write one of the books of the Minor and Major Prophets. Tape each long cardboard tube on a paper plate to create two posts. Label one post Major Prophets and one Minor Prophets.

Major Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel. Minor Prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

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Distribute the prepared rings. Say: “You have rings that have books of the Bible in the Minor and Major Prophets divisions written on them. There are two posts labeled “Major Prophets” and “Minor Prophets.” We are going to repeat the Books of Major Prophets and Minor Prophets together. As we say your book, toss your ring onto the correct post.” Repeat the books of the Bible several times until all the rings have been placed on the correct post. Display the Books of the Bible posters to review facts about each of the Major and Minor Prophets.

Craft Learning Activity: “Scratch and Sniff” Fruit Pictures (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need one package each of orange, cherry, strawberry, and pure grape Kool-aid, glue, and water. You will also need paint brushes, smocks and a table cover. Print the one copy of each of the fruit outlines on cardstock for each child. Template is below. Say: “In this lesson we learned that Daniel and his friends chose to obey God by only eating foods that were allowed by God’s law. God honored their decision to obey him by making them stronger and healthier than the other boys. Today we are going to make some “scratch and sniff” pictures to help us remember that God wants us to choose to obey Him even when others don’t.” Procedure: Before class prepare the Kool-aid paint in separate containers and label them. Add 1 Tablespoon glue, 1 teaspoon water, and 3.4 teaspoon powdered Kool-aid to each bowl. Stir until well mixed to make paint. Have the children paint with the appropriate Kool-aid flavor to make fruits that actually smell like the picture they are painting. When the pictures are dry, show them how to scratch them with their fingernails to smell the fruit. Note: Kool-aid stains so make sure you cover up the children well. Let only a few of them paint at one time.

Craft Learning Activity: “Placemats” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need a large white drawing paper 11” X 17” for each child or you can print the table placemat template below, a roll of laminate paper, scissors, and marking pens. Say: “In this lesson we learned the Daniel and his friends made right choices by eating healthy vegetables instead of the king’s food. Let’s make placemats to use when we enjoy eating healthy snacks.” Procedure: Distribute the drawing paper or the printed placemat. Have children design their own mat or color the placemat template. Encourage the children to draw healthy snack foods such as vegetables, fruits, meats, breads. Measure the laminate sheet to cover both sides of the placemat with ½ “ extra on each side. Place the one piece of laminate sheet down on the table with the sticky side up. Place the colored placemat down on the laminate sheet and smooth out any bubbles. Then place the second piece of laminate down with the sticky side down to the placemat. Trim the extra laminating sheet edges to about 1/8” from the edge of the paper placemat.

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Say: “Each of us has choices to make. We should choose to do what is right. Obeying God includes making right choices. Take home your placemats to use at meal times. Tell your family about the right choices that Daniel and his friends made and how we are to obey God by making right choices. We can do what is right.”

Craft Learning Activity: “Vegetable Stamping” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: You will need different types of vegetables cut in half or quarters. (Broccoli florets, quartered carrots, celery, and halved bell peppers without seeds are good choices for this activity. You can also use cut potatoes in half and create design such as stars or hearts to stamp. You will also need plastic knives, cutting board, heavyweight paper, paint, and paper plates. Say: “In this Bible lesson, Daniel and his friends chose to only eat vegetables and water instead of the king’s food. We are going to do an activity with vegetables to remind us of how Daniel obeyed—even when it was hard.” Procedure: Place the vegetables on paper plates. Give each student a piece of heavy weight paper. Demonstrate how students are to dip one end of a vegetable into the paint and press the piece firmly onto their papers. Encourage students to use a variety of vegetables and vary their paint colors. They may choose to create an abstract design or use the vegetable to create a picture, such as a flower or outline of an animal. Be sure to wipe off any vegetable juices with a paper towel before dipping into the paint. Say: “Remember that we can be like Daniel. We can choose to always obey God even when it is hard.”

Life Application Challenge: “Dare to be a Daniel” Say: “Daniel and his friends had every excuse to compromise their loyalty to God, but they chose to honor and obey Him. God blessed the firm decision that Daniel and his friends made to be faithful!” “God’s blessing will always be upon those who seek to obey His commands and put their trust in Him. How you behave reveals what you believe—what your convictions are. How will you stand under pressure to compromise loyalty to your God?” “Let’s determine now how we will respond to those people or situations that could cause us to stumble. As Daniel did, let us learn to pray, putting our situation into God’s hands. Let us purpose in our hearts to stand strong for God in the midst of a way-ward culture that would seduce us (tempt us to compromise).” Like Daniel, we too, can be faithful when “the pressure is on” and bring honor and glory to the God we serve. Stand faithful in a sinful world. Let’s sing a song about Daniel. Here are the words:

Dare to be a Daniel, Dare to stand alone! Dare to have a purpose firm! Dare to make it known. Author: Philip P. Bliss

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Daniel and His Friends Obey God

Joshua 24:24

"We will serve the Lord our God and obey Him."

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Scratch and Sniff Fruit Pictures

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U3pzEvuGTO0 · 2020. 4. 11. · 2 OT14.1 Daniel and His Four Friends Obey God ©Beverly Wilson 2020 Living in the city of Jerusalem at this time were Daniel and his three friends