SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS

Pacific Press Publishing Company · MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA · Sep 27, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 39.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS

LESSON 2.—OCTOBER 8.—DANIEL IN THE LION'S DEN.

Lesson Scripture, Dan. 6:10-23, A. R. V.

(10) "And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem); and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. (11) Then these men assembled together, and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. (12) Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's interdict: Hast thou not signed an interdict, that every man that shall make petition unto any god or man within thirty days, save unto thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. (13) Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the interdict that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. (14) Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to rescue him. (15) Then these men assembled, together unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians, that no interdict nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.

(16) "Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, He will deliver thee. (17) And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. (18) Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting; neither were instruments of music brought before him; and his sleep fled from him.

(19) Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. (20) And when he came near unto the den to Daniel, he cried with a lamentable voice; the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? (21) Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live forever. (22) My God hath sent His angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me; forasmuch as before Him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. (23) Then was the king exceeding glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he had trusted in his God."

Golden Text.—"The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them." Ps. 34:7.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) Why did Daniel's fellow officers desire to have him put out of the way? What course did they take to accomplish this purpose? Note 1. (2) When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, how did he plan to continue his worship? Verse 10. (3) How was he detected by his enemies? Verse 11. Note 2. (4) To whom did they go to report their discovery? What inquiry did they first make of him? What was the king's reply? Verse 12. (5) Then what did the informers tell the king? Verse 13. (6) How was the king affected by this report? How earnestly did he seek to rescue Daniel? Verse 14. (7) What argument did Daniel's enemies present? Verse 15. Note 4. (8) What then was done at the king's command? What words of assurance did the king speak to his persecuted servant? Verse 16. (9) What was done to make the imprisonment sure? Verse 17. Note 5. (10) Then how did the king pass the night? Verse 18. Note 6. (11) What did the king do in the morning? Verse 19. (12) What showed his agony of mind? What did he say to Daniel? Verse 20. (13) With what salutation did Daniel reply? Verse 21. (14) Then what further testimony did he give? Verse 22. Note 7. (15) What change of feeling came over the king? What command was given by the king? What was Daniel's condition when taken out? Why? Verse 23.

NOTES.

1. Daniel had been prominent in the kingdom of Babylon, and was so well known for his integrity that when the Medes and Persians came into power, King Darius retained him as his chief counselor. The other high officials were jealous of Daniel's position and authority, because he was a captive Israelite, and because he was so careful that justice should be done to the government and to the people, that scheming governors and others had no opportunity for dishonest gains. Daniel's enemies first thought to find some fault with his conduct of his office; but in this they failed. Then they proposed to make his very integrity a trap for him. Knowing his zeal for the God of Israel, they sought to make him appear as disloyal to the Persian religion. So they flattered the old king into passing a decree that no one should make any petition to any god but the king for thirty days. So he signed the decree, not realizing the covert purpose of his flatterers. But Daniel went on praying to his God, not withstanding the decree, just as he had done before.

2. Daniel was not hard to detect in his praying, for he did not change his custom in the least. Evidently he had not aimed to hide his religion before, and he would not compromise with the enemy of truth now, altho the penalty was that he should be thrown into the den of lions. Daniel was true to the principle maintained by his fellow-captives who disregarded Nebuchadnezzar's decree (Dan. 3:16-18), and afterward enunciated by the apostle Peter, that "we ought to obey God rather than men." Acts 5:29.

3. When the king heard the report concerning Daniel, he saw through the scheme for his destruction. Then he was "sore displeased" because the decree had been issued. When Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego disobeyed Nebuchadnezzar's order to worship the image he had set up, he was furious against them, and all the more determined to carry out his purpose. But Darius saw that his decree of the same character was foolish, and that obedience to it was not evidence of loyalty on the part of those who had instigated it.

4. King Darius' impotence to defend a faithful servant against the consequences of a manifestly unwise decree, and against the machinations of his own subjects, was certainly proof that he did not rank very highly as a god. He could not even pardon one who had transgressed the law. And it further illustrates the vicious use that designing persons may make of unjust laws, especially unjust religious law. And there never was a religious law enacted by any civil government that was not unjust.

5. The precaution of Daniel's enemies to have the covering of the den of lions so sealed that no one would dare to open it, only emphasized the power of God to preserve the life of His servant in spite of the authority of the government.

6. The king's night of fasting and remorse wrung from him the confession that the God of Daniel was "the living God," and he afterward made proclamation to that effect throughout the empire. So the wrath of man was made to praise God, and that which could not be made to do so was restrained. Ps. 76:10.

7. Daniel showed no ill feeling against the king. He was satisfied that the name of the God of Israel had been vindicated, and that the king had been brought to recognize "the living God." This, no doubt, would have been deemed enough for Daniel, even if it had been at the expense of his life.