Opening the Text

1. Read Daniel 6:1-5 together. What do we learn about Daniel's character from the fact that his enemies "could find no corruption in him" and concluded they would "never find any basis for charges against this man unless it has something to do with the law of his God"?
2. Verse 3 says Daniel "distinguished himself by his exceptional qualities." Daniel faithfully served a pagan empire while never compromising his faithfulness to God. How did he hold these two commitments together?
3. Daniel is now around 80 years old, having lived in exile for roughly 66 years. What does his continued faithfulness after so many decades teach us about what it means to follow God over the long haul?

Faithfulness That Costs

1. Read Daniel 6:6-10. When Daniel learned about the decree, he "went home... and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before." Why is it significant that Daniel didn't change his routine — neither hiding his prayers nor making them more public?
2. It was Daniel's faithfulness to God that caused him to be thrown into the lions' den. How does this challenge the assumption that if we follow God, life should go well for us?
3. Faithfulness to God can cost us in many ways: caring for someone when it makes life harder, giving away finances, following God with our bodies, speaking up for outcasts, or acting faithfully even if it could cost us our job. Where do you see this tension between faithfulness and comfort in your own life?

Saved Through, Not From

1. Read Daniel 6:16-17. The stone sealed over the den and the king's signet ring emphasize that Daniel's situation "might not be changed" — he was essentially placed in a tomb. Why does the text emphasize how hopeless Daniel's situation was?
2. God did not save Daniel from the lions' den, but through it. Why is this distinction important for how we understand God's faithfulness to us?
3. Read Daniel 6:19-23. Darius asks Daniel, "Has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you?" What does Daniel's answer reveal about who God is and what he is able to do?
4. Daniel's sealed tomb points forward to another sealed tomb — the tomb of Jesus. How does the resurrection of Christ shape the way we face our own "lions' dens"?

Witness in Exile

1. Read Daniel 6:25-27. It is Darius — the pagan king — who ends up declaring that God "is the living God... he rescues and he saves." How did Daniel's faithfulness and suffering lead to this confession?
2. The New Testament describes the church as living in exile — knowing Jesus is King but waiting for his kingdom to be fully revealed. How does Daniel's story help us understand what faithfulness looks like in this "in-between" time?
3. We are not called to chase suffering, but we are called to trust God when faithfulness leads to hardship. How do we discern the difference between unnecessary risk and faithful obedience that may cost us?
4. What is one area of your life where you are tempted to compromise your faithfulness to God in order to avoid difficulty? What would it look like to trust that God can save you through it rather than demanding he save you from it?