Leader BIBLE STUDY Use Week of: 1 God s people had been warned. The prophets had come with messages from God: Turn from your sin, and turn back to God! But the people did not listen. The nation of Judah was consumed by idol worship; the kings did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. So God kept His word He allowed His people to be taken from their land. They became captives in the enemy nation of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon, the strong and powerful nation that overtook Judah s capital of Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar carried the treasures of Judah away to Babylon. Even the holy vessels of God s temple were taken. Daniel was a young man in Judah when this happened. He might have heard about the prophet Isaiah s warnings; now he witnessed their fulfillment. (See Isa. 39:5-7.) King Nebuchadnezzar called for the best young men from Judah to be trained for service in the palace. Among these teens were Daniel and three of his friends. The chosen boys were given new identities new names, new education, new culture. They were indoctrinated to be good Babylonians. But Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah stayed faithful to the one true God and refused to make themselves unclean by eating the king s food. God was pleased with Daniel and his friends, and He blessed them. God gave them wisdom and knowledge. They were smarter than all the other young men in Babylon, and the king recognized their gifts. Daniel s obedience to God led to his favor with King Nebuchadnezzar, and Daniel s life would be a testament to God s control over all things. Throughout their exile, God did not forget His people. God s people could trust Him. They had God s promise through the prophets that He would bring them back to their homeland and set up a new kingdom. Daniel lived about 600 years before Jesus the perfectly obedient promised One. We can trust that Jesus will return someday to set up His kingdom forever. 1
The BIBLE STORY Daniel and His Friends Obeyed God Daniel 1 Many, many years ago, God s people lived in a country called Judah. They had a king whose name was Jehoiakim (jih HOY uh kim). Jehoiakim was not a good king. He did bad things, and God s people did bad things too. God was not happy, and He punished His people. God let another king come and take over Judah. The king s name was Nebuchadnezzar (neb yoo kad NEZ uhr), and he was the king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar and his army marched into Jerusalem, the city where King Jehoiakim lived. They took over the city! Nebuchadnezzar went into God s temple in Jerusalem and took things that did not belong to him. He carried the things back to Babylon and put them in a temple where he worshiped a made-up god. The things from the temple were not the only things King Nebuchadnezzar took from Judah. Nebuchadnezzar wanted boys to come to Babylon and serve him in his palace. I want healthy boys, the king said. I want boys who are handsome and who are good learners. So a group of boys were taken to Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar gave them the same kind of food that he ate. He gave the boys the same kind of drinks that he drank. Nebuchadnezzar wanted the boys to live like the people in Babylon. He chose men to teach the boys for three years. Then they would be ready to serve in the king s palace. Four of the boys were special. Even though they weren t in Judah, they still wanted to worship the Lord, the one true God. These boys were named Daniel, Shadrach (SHAD rak), Meshach (MEE shak), and Abednego (uh BED-nih goh). They were friends, and they wanted to obey God. God had rules about what His people could and could not eat. Daniel and his friends were not supposed to eat the kinds of food that Nebuchadnezzar gave them. They did not want to disobey God. Daniel 3
asked the man in charge if he and his friends could eat something else. The man in charge was afraid. I do not want the king to be mad at me, he said. If you do not eat the king s food, you won t be strong like the other young men. If the king is angry, he will punish me! I do not want to get into trouble. Daniel talked to the guard who watched over Daniel and his friends. Daniel said, Try this for 10 days. Bring us vegetables to eat. Bring us water to drink. Then see if we are strong or weak. So the guard brought Daniel and his friends vegetables and water for 10 days. After 10 days, Daniel and his friends looked healthier than the men who had eaten the king s food. So the guard let them eat vegetables and drink water instead of eating the king s food. God was happy that Daniel wanted to obey Him. God was good to Daniel and his friends. God made Daniel and his friends wise and smart. They learned a lot of new things. God let Daniel be able to understand visions and dreams. Three years passed, and the young men finished their training. Daniel and his friends stood in front of the king. The king talked to them. The king saw that they were smart and strong. They were smarter and stronger than anyone else. Daniel stayed and served the king for many years. Christ Connection: Daniel did what God told him to do. God helped Daniel and his friends. Daniel wasn t perfect, but he reminds us of someone who was. Jesus always did what God wanted Him to do. God is happy when we know and love Jesus. Daniel 4
Small Group OPENING Session Title: Daniel and His Friends Obeyed God Bible Passage: Daniel 1 Big Picture Question: What did Daniel do when he was captured? Daniel obeyed God. Key Passage: Daniel 6:27 Unit Christ Connection: Despite captivity, God used faithful people to continue His plan to provide salvation through Jesus Christ. Awesome Is the Lord Most High song offering basket Allergy Alert puzzles and blocks LOW PREP Circle the Vegetables activity page, 1 per kid pencils or crayons Map of the Journey Welcome and Session Starter (15 20 minutes) Play Awesome Is the Lord Most High in the background as you greet preschoolers and follow your church s security procedures. Set an offering basket near the door to collect at an appropriate time. Post an allergy alert, if necessary. Spend time learning what the kids did this week. After kids complete the activity page, encourage them to do one of the other activities you have planned, or let them choose to play with toys or puzzles you have set out. Activity Page: Circle the Vegetables Read the directions and assist preschoolers in deciding which items are vegetables. Say When do you usually eat vegetables? What kinds of vegetables do you like to eat? What is your favorite vegetable? Would you like to only eat vegetables? Trace the route from Judah to Babylon On a Bible times map, help children point to Judah and then to Babylon. Pretend that you are on the road together, walking from Judah to Babylon. Lead children around the room. Walk a few steps, and then camp by sitting or lying down. Stand up to walk a few more steps. 5
Say The Babylonians took people from Judah and made them travel a long, long way. Not only were they far away from their homes, but the people of Judah were completely different from the people of Babylon. They had different laws. They did not speak the same language. They even ate different food! Imagine what it would be like to go so far away from your home and not be allowed to go back. Would you want to try to fit in with the new people where you live? Sing Trust and Obey Sing Trust and Obey while doing hand motions. Trust and obey, [Trust: cross arms over chest; obey: extend arms out in surrender.] For there s no other way. [Shake head and finger for no.] To be happy in Jesus [Smile and point index fingers to cheeks.] Than to trust and obey. [Repeat motions for trust and obey.] Say The people of Judah needed to trust God when the Babylonians took them from their homes. Our Bible story today is about four friends who trusted and obeyed God in a special way. Obeying wasn t easy, but they obeyed because they trusted God to take care of them and do what was best for them. Transition cue: Ring the bell, show the countdown video, flip the lights, or clap a simple rhythm for children to copy to gain attention. Transition to Bible study Instruct children to hold up both hands and count down with you from 10 to 0, marking each number by dropping one finger. Start off loudly with Ten! With each number, children will follow your lead as you lower your voice slightly until you say Zero! at a very soft whisper. Daniel 6
Large Group BIBLE STUDY Session Title: Daniel and His Friends Obeyed God Bible Passage: Daniel 1 Big Picture Question: What did Daniel do when he was captured? Daniel obeyed God. Key Passage: Daniel 6:27 Unit Christ Connection: Despite captivity, God used faithful people to continue His plan to provide salvation through Jesus Christ. Large Group Bible Study (10 15 minutes) Bible Timeline Map Introduce the Bible story If you have time, review Israel s history of evil kings by looking at the timeline map. Say Remember how God s people needed a good king who loved God? All of God s people both Israel in the north and Judah in the south had followed evil kings who did not love God. God had sent His prophets to tell His people to stop sinning, to love and worship God, and to obey God s laws. If the people didn t obey God, He would send other nations to take over Israel and Judah. When His people refused to obey, He did just that. Daniel and His Friends Obeyed God video Watch or tell the Bible story Say Today s Bible story is found in Daniel 1. [Point to Daniel 1 in your Bible.] It says the Southern Kingdom of Judah was defeated by the king of Babylon. Some of the people in Judah were taken from their homes. Do you think these things really happened? (Of course! They re in the Bible!) 7
Tell the Bible story with your Bible open, or watch the video Daniel and His Friends Obeyed God. Bible Story Picture Slide or Poster Key Passage Slide or Poster He Rescues and Delivers song Big Picture Question Slide or Poster Tip: Do activities one of these ways: as a group, all at the same time in small groups that rotate through each activity set up as centers, allowing preschoolers to browse and choose Talk about the Bible story Point to the picture of Daniel and his friends in the Bible story picture. Ask the following review questions: Who obeyed God in this story? (Daniel and his friends) How did they obey God? (by only eating what God had commanded in His law) How many days did Daniel and his friends eat only vegetables and drink only water? (10 days) Were Daniel and his friends weaker and sicker than the other boys who ate the king s food? (No! They were stronger, healthier, and smarter.) What did Daniel do when he was captured? Daniel obeyed God. Say God blessed Daniel and his friends. Daniel wasn t perfect, but he reminds us of someone who is. Jesus obeyed God perfectly, and Jesus always pleases God. We please God when we trust in Jesus. Show kids where to find Daniel 6:27 in your Bible. Read the key passage from the poster. Come up with motions to help kids remember the parts of the key passage that talk about how God saves. Play the song He Rescues and Delivers and invite kids to move to the music. Lead them to sing along with the words, He rescues and delivers. Transition to small groups Describe the activities you have set up. Invite kids to find a friend to join them in a particular activity. Remind kids that Daniel and his friends helped each other obey God, like church friends help each other during small group activities. Daniel 8
Small Group ACTIVITIES Session Title: Daniel and His Friends Obeyed God Bible Passage: Daniel 1 Big Picture Question: What did Daniel do when he was captured? Daniel obeyed God. Key Passage: Daniel 6:27 Unit Christ Connection: Despite captivity, God used faithful people to continue His plan to provide salvation through Jesus Christ. LOW PREP colored construction paper masking tape beanbag Small Group Activities (20 25 minutes) Remember to include the big picture question and answer in conversation. Preschoolers learn best by repetition! Match vegetable colors On the floor, arrange pieces of colored construction paper in a line or square. Use colors that are common to vegetables such as orange (carrot, pumpkin); red (tomato, pepper); green (broccoli, peas); yellow (squash, corn); purple (cabbage, eggplant); or brown (potatoes). Secure paper to the floor with masking tape. Two or three feet away, tape a line for kids to stand behind. Invite each child to toss a beanbag onto the color that matches the vegetable you name. Say The people who captured Daniel and his friends ate the food God told His people not to eat. In order to obey God, Daniel and his friends chose to eat vegetables. What did Daniel do when he was captured? Daniel obeyed God. 9
vegetable stalks paint paper hand wipes for cleanup Allergy Alert Vegetable Pictures heavyweight paper clear contact plastic (optional) scissors Print with vegetables Use stalks of celery, cucumber slices, and broccoli stems to make vegetable prints. Cut each vegetable in half or fourths. Make sure the pieces are long enough for kids to hold them upright. The vegetables should be dry. Assist children as they dip the ends of the vegetables in paint and press them onto pieces of paper. Say Look at these incredible vegetables God has made! God has made so many good things, and He always provides for His people. We can trust God to take care of us, even in difficult situations. What did Daniel do when he was captured? Daniel obeyed God. Solve food puzzles Print the pictures of vegetables on heavyweight paper. Laminate the pictures or cover them with clear contact plastic if you like. Cut the pictures into puzzle pieces and invite children to reassemble them to discover what vegetable it is. Say Daniel chose to obey God by eating vegetables instead of the king s food. What did Daniel do when he was captured? Daniel obeyed God. Sing and move Sing to the tune Mary Had a Little Lamb : Daniel had a choice to make, choice to make, choice to make. Daniel had a choice to make, He did not eat the food. Daniel chose to obey God, obey God, obey God. Daniel chose to obey God, to trust and obey God. For choice to make, hold your arms to either side and lean left and right. Raise hands towards the sky each time you say obey God. You may do this activity while standing or leading a line around the room. Daniel 10
paper crayons aluminum foil (optional) pencils with erasers (optional) Note: Review the Babylonian alphabet online. You may print images of the Hebrew alphabet to see how different the two languages are. foam cups paper sharpened pencils flashlight (optional) Note: Review constellation patterns online. Say It wasn t easy to obey God in Babylon. What did Daniel do when he was captured? Daniel obeyed God. Train like Daniel Pretend to be a Babylonian instructor as the children pretend to be Daniel and his friends. Train preschoolers to learn things the captives from Judah were taught over three years. #1 Teach the language Invite kids to copy large Babylonian letters on a sheet of paper with crayons or on aluminum foil with the eraser end of a pencil. #2 Teach astronomy Demonstrate how to carefully poke small holes in the base of a foam cup or piece of paper with a sharpened pencil. Use a pen to mark constellations such as the Big Dipper on kids cups or paper for them to poke out, or encourage kids to create their own constellations. When they are done, kids may look inside the cup or hold the paper up to the light to admire the stars they created. You can also turn off the classroom lights and hold a flashlight to the end of each cup to view the stars on the ceiling. Say Daniel and his friends had to learn lots of new things in the land of Babylon. God gave them wisdom in everything they did. What did Daniel do when he was captured? Daniel obeyed God. 11