bible study - myhickorygrove.com · (phil. 2:8; eph. 2:4-6) leader bible study unit 19 • session...

PreschoolJuly 20, 2014 10:15am

This week’s Bible story opens with a feast—a great banquet hosted in the palace by King Belshazzar. A thousand of his nobles were in attendance. The supply of wine was plentiful. King Belshazzar and those closest to him drank from the holy vessels that Belshazzar’s ancestor, King Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the house of God in Jerusalem. They drank and praised their false gods.

Several years had passed since King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. Babylon had seen a handful of successions, and though Daniel still served the king, he had likely lost his high-ranking position after Nebuchadnezzar’s death.

The great feast was suddenly interrupted when a human hand appeared; its fingers wrote a message on the wall. The king did not understand the message. Neither did the astrologers or wise men. The queen (possibly Belshazzar’s grandmother) remembered Daniel and his ability to understand dreams and signs. God had given Daniel wisdom to understand visions and dreams of every kind. (Dan. 1:17)

Daniel read the words on the wall: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. As verbs, these Aramaic words mean “numbered,” “weighed,” and “divided.” They can also be interpreted as a series of weights: “a mina, a mina, a shekel, and half-shekels.”

Daniel interpreted the message. God had evaluated Belshazzar and found that he wasn’t good enough. God was bringing his reign to an end. The kingdom would be divided. Belshazzar, who had witnessed the consequences of Nebuchadnezzar’s sinful pride, did not humble himself before the Lord. That very night, Belshazzar was killed and the Persians took over the kingdom. Darius the Mede became king.

God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. (See 1 Pet. 5:5.) If God were to weigh us, we too would be found deficient, lacking, not good enough. But when we put our trust in Christ, who humbled Himself on a cross, God will raise us up with Him. (Phil. 2:8; Eph. 2:4-6)

Leader BIBLE STUDY

Unit 19 • Session 3

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Use Week of: July 20, 2014

Preschool Worship GuideUnit 19 • Session 3

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Session Title: God Gave Daniel WisdomBible Passage: Daniel 5Big Picture Question: How did God help Daniel help the king? God gave

Daniel wisdom.Key Passage: Daniel 6:27Unit Christ Connection: Despite captivity, God used faithful people to

continue His plan to provide salvation through Jesus Christ.

Large Group Worship

Small Group Activities

Large Group Closing

Preschool WORSHIP OVERVIEW

UNI T

19

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Daniel

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Opening Group Activities

God Gave Daniel WisdomDaniel 5

The king of Babylon had a big party! He invited lots of friends, and there was food and drinks for everybody. The people ate food, and they drank from special bowls or cups. The cups were from God’s temple. The cups were not for drinking; they were for worshiping God. The king and his friends did the wrong thing.

All of a sudden, a man’s hand appeared! The fingers started to write something on the wall. It was a message for the king. The king was scared! He read the message, but he did not know what it meant.

The king asked for the wise men in Babylon to come and read the message. Maybe they knew what it said. The king promised to give gifts and an important job to anyone who could figure out what the message meant.

The wise men came. They read the message, but they did not know what it meant. The king and his friends were upset. The queen said, “Don’t be upset. I know someone who is very wise. He will know what the message says.”

The queen was talking about Daniel. Daniel came to the king’s palace. The king said, “If you tell me what this message means, I will give you gifts and an important job.”

Daniel didn’t care about the king’s gifts. He said, “I will tell you what this message says.”

First, Daniel told the king something important. “A man who was king before you, King Nebuchadnezzar (neb yoo kad NEZ uhr), was very powerful. He thought he was better than anyone else, so God punished him.”

The king of Babylon was a lot like Nebuchadnezzar. He did not love God. He loved himself the most. “The message on the wall is from God,” Daniel said. “He is in charge of your life.”

Daniel read four words: MENE (MEE nih), MENE, TEKEL (TEK uhl),

The BIBLE STORY


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PARSIN (PAHR sin). Each word had a special meaning. Daniel told the king God’s message. The king was not going to be king anymore. God was not happy with the king. The kingdom of Babylon was going to be taken over by its enemies.

The king gave Daniel gifts like he had said he would do, and he gave Daniel an important job. That night, God’s message came true. The king died, and a man named Darius (duh RIGH uhs) became the new king.

Christ Connection: God made Daniel wise. Daniel told the king God was going to punish him. The king thought he was better than God. No one is better than God. Jesus is God’s Son, and even He obeyed God. Jesus left His place in heaven to come to earth and rescue us from sin.

Daniel

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Opening Group Activities

Play out the Bible storyPerform the following finger play while wearing one glove. Use only the gloved hand for the actions.

The king of Babylon held a feast for 1,000 friends. [Make “come on” gesture with gloved hand.] He celebrated his kingdom, which he hoped would never end. [Play out eating and drinking.] The king drank with cups and bowls from the temple of God. [Hold up the cup as if toasting.]

A human hand wrote words on the wall that were very odd. [Write on the paper: MENE, MENE, TEKEL,

PARSIN.] The king trembled and his knees shook; he was frightened! [Cover your eyes.] The wisest men could not figure out what the writing meant. [Hold your chin as if thinking.] Daniel said the king’s problem was his pride, and he would not be king anymore. [Make the “no, no” gesture with one finger.]

Tip: Select from the activities those you can staff and which your class will enjoy.

PREPLOW

• glove• “gold”cup• lg white paper

markers




Small Group ACTIVITIES


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Transition to large group closing

Mural relayTape a large sheet of paper to a table or to the wall at an appropriate height for preschoolers. Place the crayons and markers next to the paper. Invite kids to line up single file a few feet away. When you say go, the first kid in line will run to the paper to draw something from the story (or scribble or print his name). Then he must run to the back of the line, and the second kid in line takes her turn. Say • The king saw a hand writing on the wall, but he

didn’t know what the message said. How did God help Daniel help the king? God gave Daniel wisdom.

Solve riddlesRemind kids that God gave Daniel wisdom to figure out riddles and puzzles. Invite kids to solve the animal riddles from the printables. Give additional hints as needed.Say • You were very wise to solve our riddles! How did

God help Daniel help the king? God gave Daniel wisdom.

Print in shaving creamSqueeze a small mound of shaving cream on the plastic tablecloth for each kid. Invite kids to print their names or words they know. Kids may use craft sticks if they prefer.Say • How did God help Daniel help the king? God gave

Daniel wisdom.

Transition to large group closing

• large sheet of paper• tape• crayons and

markers

• “Animal Riddles”

• Allergy Alert • plastic tablecloth• shaving cream• craft sticks

• hand wipes

Daniel

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Small Group Activities

Large Group CLOSING

Large Group Closing

ReviewWelcome the children to the large group area and invite them to sit with you in a circle. Hold up the cup. Explain

that you are going to play the key passage song as kids pass the cup around the circle. When you stop the music, the kid holding the cup may answer a review question.Say • Who threw a big party for his friends? (the king)

• What did the king of Babylon use for bowls and cups?(special bowls and cups from God’s temple)

• What appeared and wrote on the wall? (a human hand)• What did Daniel tell the king? (God was not happy withthe king. He wouldn’t be king anymore.)

• How did God help Daniel help the king? God gaveDaniel wisdom.

Read the key passage aloud. Sing the key passage song.

PrayPray, thanking God for stories in the Bible that show us how important it is to obey God. Thank God for Jesus, who always obeyed God. Thank Jesus for dying on the cross to save those who love and trust Him.

• Bible• Timeline Map• Bible Story Picture

• Key Passage Poster

• “He Rescues and Delivers” song

• Big Picture Question

• plastic cup





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Missions story: The tough stuffDo you remember the missionaries who trained in the Amazon jungle? For one month, trainees lived in a jungle community. There was no Internet or phone access. Generator-powered electricity was available only for a couple hours each day. Food selection was limited to a hodge-podge of non-refrigerated goods from a small local store, accessible only by canoe every few days. Indoor running water was precious, and the nearby river served as the shared bathtub, washing machine, food disposal, and transportation route.

Despite the challenges, trainers emphasized that the goal was to teach the missionaries how to live in the jungle.

The trainees soon learned how to collect rainwater in barrels and pump it into their homes. They—and their children—quickly discovered how to avoid the huge thorn trees beneath the muddy river water. Meat was scarce, and they learned to catch piranhas or wolf fish for dinner. Killing scorpions and tarantulas became routine, and it was understood that privacy and silence didn’t exist until everyone went to bed.Say • These missionaries learned to live and make wise

choices in a tough place, like Daniel. How did God help Daniel help the king? God gave Daniel wisdom.

Play “Who’s Got the Goblet?”Invite the kids to sit in a circle with their hands behind their backs, palms up. Give one kid a small cup, the

“goblet.” Another kid will be the guesser, and he will stand outside the circle. Play the theme song while kids pass around the cup. When the music stops, invite the

guesser to guess who has the goblet.

• t small cup

• “Awesome Is the Lord Most High” song

• Follow church security rules for dismissing children.

Daniel

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“He delivers and rescues; … he who has saved Daniel from the

power of the lions.”Daniel 6:27

Unit 19 • Key Passage Poster (ESV)OK TO PRINT Daniel

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How did God help Daniel help the king?

God gave Daniel wisdom.

Unit 19 • Session 3 • Big Picture QuestionOK TO PRINT Daniel

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UNIT 19 • Session 3 • Animal Riddles© 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources.

OK TO PRINTDaniel

Animal Riddles Instructions: Invite kids to solve the riddles below. Give additional hints as needed.

1. I have wings, but I cannot fly.I live in the desert where it is hot and dry.I am one of the fastest birds on land.It’s only a myth I stick my head in the sand. (ostrich)

2. I swim in the ocean, but I like to sing.I swim to find food and warm weather in Spring.I’m one of the largest mammals of all,but I like to eat plankton which are very small. (whale)

3. I am called man’s best friend, and indeed I am.I sometimes work on farms herding horses or lambs.I have floppy ears, a wet tongue, and a wiggling tail.I’ll even start barking when I have a tale to tell. (dog)

4. I’m the king of the beasts; hear my mighty roar.I hunt zebra, gazelles, and wildebeests galore.They call me a great cat, but don’t try to pet me!You’ll find me in Africa, in the Serengeti. (lion)

5. I start out a caterpillar, but not for long.I build a cocoon where I grow very strong.While I’m growing, I’m changing to something new.I grow wings and pretty colors; it’s something I do! (butterfly)

bible study - myhickorygrove.com · (phil. 2:8; eph. 2:4-6) leader bible study unit 19 • session...

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