Faith in God – SS2 Christian Religious Studies Lesson Note (Third Term)

Faith in God is confidence in God’s ability to solve any problem, held firmly even in unfavourable situations. It means giving up self-interest, self-reliance, arrogance, pride and self-trust. The story of Daniel in the lions’ den (Daniel 6:1-28) shows that God protects those who trust him and live uprightly.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. explain what faith in God means;
2. narrate the story of Daniel in the lions’ den (Daniel 6:1-28);
3. state why Daniel’s colleagues plotted against him;
4. state the lessons to learn from the story.

What is faith and how is it linked to courage?

Faith and trust are interchangeable. Both imply confidence in God’s ability to solve any problem one encounters, abandoning self-interest, self-reliance, arrogance, pride and self-trust. Faith implies firmness in one’s confidence in God in the midst of unfavourable situations.

Faith and power: Daniel 6:1-28

Why did Daniel’s colleagues plot against him?

King Darius of Persia divided his kingdom into a hundred and twenty (120) satraps (governors) with only three presidents appointed to oversee all. Daniel, by divine act, was one of the presidents. Besides, he was the most favoured of the three presidents. As a result, his colleagues were full of jealousy and plotted to destroy him.

Finding nothing on which to pin Daniel down, they went to the king and compelled him to make a law that no one, for thirty days, should request anything from God or man, except from the king. The penalty was being cast into the lions’ den.

What did King Darius do?

King Darius obliged them and made the decree, not knowing their plot was to rope someone in and report to the king. The king looked for a way to release Daniel when he realised what he had done, but the enemies reminded him that, from time immemorial, the laws of the Medes and Persians were unchangeable.

Against his wish, therefore, the king cast Daniel into the den of lions, but prayed for God to deliver him. The king could not sleep all night. Early the following morning, he rose and came to the den to see if Daniel was dead or alive.

How did the story end?

Daniel was alive and told the king that his God had sent his angels and shut the mouth of the lions, so they could not harm him. The king was happy. He ordered that Daniel be brought out, and the men who accused Daniel were cast into the den of lions together with their families. He also decreed that throughout his kingdom, everyone should worship the God of Daniel.

What lessons can we learn from Daniel’s story?

1. God always delivers his people from their enemies.
2. False accusers will never go unpunished. Daniel’s false accusers died in the end.
3. Our faith in God can effect a change on others around us. The faith of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego led all Babylon to begin to worship God. The same applies to Daniel: Darius recommended the God of Daniel to all his provinces.
4. For God to rise to our protection, we must have absolute faith in him and be upright like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

Evaluation

1. What does faith in God mean?
2. Why were Daniel’s colleagues jealous of him?
3. What law did King Darius make at the request of Daniel’s colleagues?
4. What happened to Daniel’s accusers?
5. State two lessons to learn from the story of Daniel in the lions’ den.

Assignment

1. Darius did not want to kill Daniel because he
   • (a) knew that Daniel was blameless
   • (b) was afraid of the people’s reaction
   • (c) was afraid of God’s punishment
   • (d) was a responsible person
2. Daniel was one of the three ____.
   • (a) presidents
   • (b) chairmen
   • (c) securities
   • (d) council members
3. Daniel was cast into the lions’ den because
   • (a) he was a Jew
   • (b) he prayed to his God
   • (c) he raped the king’s wife
   • (d) he was by the window
4. The lions could not hurt Daniel because
   • (a) he had some magical powers
   • (b) the demons were scared of him
   • (c) he trusted in God
   • (d) he was a shepherd
5. People were to pray to the king for ____.
   • (a) twenty days
   • (b) thirty days
   • (c) ten weeks
   • (d) fifty days