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1st-3rd Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 19, Session 3: God Gave Daniel Wisdom
2012 LifeWay Christian Resources
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TEACHER BIBLE STUDY 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. (Daniel 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 Peter 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. (Philippians 2:8;
Ephesians 2:4-6)
LESSON OVERVIEW/SCHEDULE Session Title: God Gave Daniel Wisdom
Bible Passage: Daniel 5
Big Picture Question: What does God do to the proud? God humbles the proud.
Key Passage: Daniel 6:27
Unit Christ Connection: Despite captivity, God used faithful people to continue His plan to
provide salvation through Jesus Christ.
1st-3rd Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 19, Session 3: God Gave Daniel Wisdom
2012 LifeWay Christian Resources
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Transition Time
Welcome time
Activity sheet/Table Centers
Session starter (10 minutes)
Lesson
Countdown
Introduce the session (1 minute)
Timeline Map (2 minutes)
Big picture question (1 minute)
Sing (5 minutes)
Key passage (4 minutes)
Tell the Bible story (10 minutes)
Discussion starter video (3 minutes)
The Gospel: God’s Plan for Me (optional)
Prayer (4 minutes)
Table Time
Timeline map (1 minute)
Bible story review (10 minutes)
Large Group Review / Activities
Key passage activity (5 minutes)
Activity choice (10 minutes)
Prayer (5 minutes)
THE BIBLE STORY/OVERVIEW
God Gave Daniel Wisdom
Daniel 5
Nebuchadnezzar (NEB yoo kad NEZ uhr), the king of Babylon, had died. A few other
kings ruled after him, and then Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson became king. His name was
Belshazzar (bel SHAZ uhr).
King Belshazzar had a big party—a feast! He invited a thousand people, and there was
plenty of food and drinks for everybody. King Belshazzar asked for gold and silver
containers. The containers had been taken from God’s temple in Jerusalem. The king and
his guests drank from the containers. They were misusing them. The containers from God’s
temple were not supposed to be used for drinking at parties. While they drank, the king and his
guests worshiped their false gods—gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
Suddenly, the feast was interrupted. A man’s hand appeared at the wall, and its fingers
began writing a message on the wall. The king watched the hand, and he was very afraid!
1st-3rd Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 19, Session 3: God Gave Daniel Wisdom
2012 LifeWay Christian Resources
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His face was pale, and his legs shook. The king looked at the message on the wall, but he didn’t
know what it meant.
“Bring me the wise men!” the king ordered. “If anyone can tell me what this message
means, I will give him gifts and an important job in my kingdom.” The wise men came, but
none of them knew what the message meant. King Belshazzar and his guests were upset.
The queen heard what was happening, and she came into the room. She told the king,
“Don’t be upset. There is someone in Babylon who is wise. He will know what this message
says.”
The queen was talking about Daniel. Daniel came to the palace. The king said, “If you can
tell me what this writing means, I will give you gifts and an important job in my kingdom.”
Daniel didn’t want the king’s gifts, but he agreed to tell the king what the message said.
First, Daniel reminded the king about what happened to his relative, King Nebuchadnezzar.
“God made King Nebuchadnezzar great,” Daniel said. “But King Nebuchadnezzar thought too
much of himself, so God punished him.”
King Belshazzar had not learned from Nebuchadnezzar’s mistakes. King Belshazzar did not
love God; he loved himself the most and he worshiped false gods. “God is in control of your
life,” Daniel said. “This message on the wall is a message from God.”
Then Daniel read the message. The words on the wall were MENE (MEE nih), MENE,
TEKEL (TEK uhl), PARSIN (PAHR sin). Daniel told the king what the words meant. MENE
meant that God had counted the days of the kingdom. The king wasn’t going to be king
anymore. The next word, TEKEL, meant that God had given the king a report card, and he
had failed. The word PARSIN meant that Babylon would be split up and taken over by two
enemies.
King Belshazzar gave Daniel gifts like he had promised, and he gave Daniel an important
job in the kingdom. That night, God’s message came true. King Belshazzar was killed, and
a new king named Darius (duh RIGH uhs) took over the kingdom.
Christ Connection: God used Daniel’s wisdom to get the king’s attention about his pride. The
king acted like he was better than God. God humbled the king. Jesus humbled Himself by dying
on the cross for our sin. God raised up Jesus and gave Him honor. When we humble ourselves
and trust in Jesus, God will raise us up too, and we will be with Him forever in heaven.
TRANSITION TIME Session Title: God Gave Daniel Wisdom
Bible Passage: Daniel 5
Big Picture Question: What does God do to the proud? God humbles the proud.
Key Passage: Daniel 6:27
Unit Christ Connection: Despite captivity, God used faithful people to continue His plan to
provide salvation through Jesus Christ.
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Welcome time Tip: As kids arrive this is a great time to collect the offering, fill out attendance sheets, and help new kids connect to
your group.
Arriving Activity: Wall Art large sheets of paper
markers
tape
Hang large pieces of paper on the wall. Encourage the kids to write or draw on the paper. They
may draw what they wish, or you may use this as an opportunity to review. Invite them to draw a
picture of Daniel eating vegetables or Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace.
Say • How many of you enjoy writing or drawing on the wall? Do you normally get to write on
walls? No. That’s why we have paper on the wall for writing. However, writing on the
wall is part of today’s Bible story. See who wrote on a wall and why.
Activities/Table Centers (5 minutes) Table centers (Miscellaneous Activities)
“Wall Writing” activity sheet / Bible Story Coloring Sheet, 1 per kid
pencils, markers or crayons
Guide boys and girls to complete the activity page.
Say • Each of the words you uncovered has a special meaning. We will find out the meanings in
a moment.
If time remains, allow kids to complete the coloring page provided with this session.
Session Starter (10 minutes) Option 1: Whose Hand? paper, 1 piece per kid
markers
scissors
pencils
Provide each kid with a piece of paper. Invite her to trace her hand and cut out what she traced.
Encourage her to write her name on one side with a pencil so it can’t be seen on the other side.
Take all the hand cutouts and shuffle them. Draw one out, and see if the kids can guess whose
hand it is.
Say • What would you do if a hand suddenly appeared and started writing on a wall? We will
see how a king reacted when that happened in today’s Bible story.
Option 2: Wrong Place tape
plastic or paper cups
Tape a long start line and finish line several feet apart. Form groups of two or more, and
encourage the members of each group to spread out between the two lines. Place six pyramid-
stacked plastic or paper cups at the start line. Explain that the cups don’t belong there. They
belong on the other side of the finish line. The kid closest to the starting line in each group must
pick up one of the cups and hand it to the next kid. This continues until the last kid in the group
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receives it. That kid must then place the cup on the other side of the finish line. Only he can
stack the cups.
Continue until all the cups are stacked the way they were at the start line. At no time during
the game may a kid hold more than one cup at a time, and a kid cannot leave his spot in the line to
help. The first group to stack the cups at the finish line wins. To make the game more
interesting, give commands about how they must pass the cup (like behind their backs or over
their heads). Allow the kids to change places and play again.
Say • You were trying to get the cups back where they belong. In today’s Bible story, some
people took some containers that belonged in God’s temple and took them somewhere they
didn’t belong.
Transition to large group
LESSON Session Title: God Gave Daniel Wisdom
Bible Passage: Daniel 5
Big Picture Question: What does God do to the proud? God humbles the proud.
Key Passage: Daniel 6:27
Unit Christ Connection: Despite captivity, God used faithful people to continue His plan to
provide salvation through Jesus Christ.
Countdown countdown video (on provided DVD with lesson videos and worship)
Show the countdown video as you clean-up table centers, set up classroom chairs for the lesson
and set it to end as large group time begins.
Introduce the session (1 minute) rope
garden hose
plastic hard hat
inflatable swim ring
TIP: You will use these same items each week.
[Large group leader enters carrying a rope, garden hose, plastic hard hat, and an inflatable
swim ring.]
Leader • Hello there! I’m glad to see all of you back because I have just received the
instructions for another emergency drill. A wall fell at a new construction site and two workers
are trapped. A rescue team is helping them get free. You know the drill. If I was on the rescue
team, which of these items would I take with me? I bet I’ll need this hard hat. After all, it’s
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really wise to protect your head at a construction site. Speaking of wise, that reminds me of
another Bible story about Daniel.
Timeline Map (2 minutes) Timeline Map (small group visual pack – copies provided for Table Time Review)
Leader • Let’s see if we can find out more by looking at our timeline map. We have talked
about two rescue stories in Daniel. The first was how God rescued Daniel and his friends and
blessed them after they refused to eat the Babylonian food. Daniel knew the Babylonians
didn’t follow the same food laws God had given to His people. Even though Daniel and his
friends had been captured by the Babylonians, they were still faithful to God. What did Daniel
do in captivity? Daniel remained faithful to God.
Last time, we saw how God rescued Daniel’s friends because they refused to worship a statue
King Nebuchadnezzar ordered everyone to worship. They were thrown into a really hot
furnace, but they were not alone. Who was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? God
was with them in the fire. God rescued them. They were not hurt at all.
In today’s Bible story, God gave Daniel special wisdom to explain a message to King
Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson. Our story is called “God Gave Daniel Wisdom.”
Big picture question (1 minute) Big Picture Question: What does God do to the proud? - 11x17 poster provided
Leader • Only one place has the true wisdom of God. Does anyone know where it is? That’s
right! It’s in your Bible. Who has a Bible today? Keep it close by because we are going to use
it to answer an important question from today’s Bible story. Here’s the big picture question,
What does God do to the proud?
Sing (5 minutes) Worship Song: “You Are I Am” (on provided DVD)
Leader • When we are proud, we give ourselves the credit God deserves. God is the One whom
we should brag about, not ourselves. After all, God is the One who makes all things possible.
Sing together “You Are I Am.”
Key passage (4 minutes) Key Passage Poster: Daniel 6:27 (provided)
Worship Song: “He Rescues and Delivers” (on provided DVD)
Leader • God had rescued Daniel and his friends, but in today’s Bible story God used a miracle
to prove He is in control even while His people are in captivity. That reminds me of the key
passage.
Show the slide or poster of the unit’s key passage, Daniel 6:27. Lead the boys and girls to read
the verse aloud. Sing together “He Rescues and Delivers.”
1st-3rd Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 19, Session 3: God Gave Daniel Wisdom
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Tell the Bible Story (10 minutes) “God Gave Daniel Wisdom” video (on provided DVD)
Bibles, 1 per kid
Bible Story Picture Slide or Poster
Leader • Let’s see what miracle God used to teach a Babylonian king that God was in control.
Turn to Daniel 5 in your Bible. Don’t forget to listen for the answer to the big picture question,
What does God do to the proud?
Show the “God Gave Daniel Wisdom” video, or choose to tell the Bible story in your own words
using the script provided. For a shorter version of the story, read only the bolded text.
Leader • Belshazzar was not the first Babylonian king to struggle with pride. His grandfather,
Nebuchadnezzar, saw how God rescued and blessed Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego. Still, Nebuchadnezzar refused to worship only God. God punished him by taking
away his kingdom until he praised God as the one true God.
It turns out Belshazzar was even worse than his grandfather. He misused the things that were
in God’s temple. He did not respect God and thought he could do whatever he wanted. He
loved himself more than God. That’s called pride. Belshazzar’s pride led to God’s message on
the wall. God was not going to let him be king any longer.
Pride is a sin. God wants us to put God and others before ourselves. God wants us to be
humble, which means putting Him and others first. What does God do to the proud? God
humbles the proud. Belshazzar was proud. Because of his sin, God took his kingdom away.
Ask the following review questions:
What did King Belshazzar use that belonged in the temple at Jerusalem? (gold and silver
containers to drink from, Daniel 5:2)
What appeared during the party and wrote on the wall? (fingers of a man’s hand, Daniel
5:5)
Who did the queen suggest Belshazzar call to tell the king what the words on the wall
meant? (Daniel, Daniel 5:11-12)
What did Daniel say the writing meant? (Belshazzar had been judged, and he would not
be king much longer; Daniel 5:26-28)
What does God do to the proud? God humbles the proud.
Discussion starter video (3 minutes) Unit 19, Session 3 - Discussion Starter Video (on provided DVD)
Big Picture Question: What does God do to the proud? - 11x17 poster provided
Leader • We often give ourselves credit for things when God deserves the credit. Watch this.
Show the “Unit 19 Session 3” video.
Leader • Are there times when you think this way too? How could Samuel have put God first
instead of himself? Do you put God and others before yourself? What is a way you can put
God first? We don’t always use the word pride. We call it being selfish, but it means the same
thing. Aren’t you glad that Jesus wasn’t selfish or proud? He humbled Himself. That means
Jesus put God first and then us second when He lived and died. God honored Jesus by raising
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Him from the grave. God wants us to humble ourselves and put Jesus first by repenting and
trusting in Him.
The Gospel: God’s Plan for Me (optional) Use Scripture and the guide provided with this session to explain to boys and girls how to become
a Christian. Assign individuals to meet with kids who have more questions. If this is not
possible, encourage boys and girls to ask their parents, small group leaders, or other Christian
adults any questions they may have about becoming a Christian.
Prayer (4 minutes) Big Picture Question: What does God do to the proud? - 11x17 poster provided
Show the big picture question slide or poster.
Leader • How about one more peek at the big picture question? What does God do to the
proud? God humbles the proud.
Invite the kids to repeat the question and answer together while standing. Repeat while asking
the kids to physically humble themselves by squatting down a little. Repeat while squatting even
lower. Continue, challenging the kids to see how low they can squat and still stay balanced.
Before transitioning to small group, make any necessary announcements. Lead the kids in
prayer. Pray that God will help each kid learn the importance of being humble.
Dismiss to small groups for Table Time
The Gospel: God’s Plan for Me Ask kids if they have ever heard the word gospel. Clarify that the word gospel means “good
news.” It is the message about Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation. Use the following
guide to share the gospel with kids.
God rules. Explain to kids that the Bible tells us God created everything, and He is in charge
of everything. Invite a volunteer to read Genesis 1:1 from the Bible. Read Revelation 4:11 or
Colossians 1:16-17 aloud and explain what these verses mean.
We sinned. Tell kids that since the time of Adam and Eve, everyone has chosen to disobey
God. (Romans 3:23) The Bible calls this sin. Because God is holy, God cannot be around sin.
Sin separates us from God and deserves God’s punishment of death. (Romans 6:23)
God provided. Choose a child to read John 3:16 aloud. Say that God sent His Son, Jesus, the
perfect solution to our sin problem, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. It’s something
we, as sinners, could never earn on our own. Jesus alone saves us. Read and explain Ephesians
2:8-9.
Jesus gives. Share with kids that Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and
rose again. Because Jesus gave up His life for us, we can be welcomed into God’s family for
eternity. This is the best gift ever! Read Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; or 1 Peter 3:18.
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We respond. Tell kids that they can respond to Jesus. Read Romans 10:9-10,13. Review
these aspects of our response: Believe in your heart that Jesus alone saves you through what He’s
already done on the cross. Repent, turning from self and sin to Jesus. Tell God and others that
your faith is in Jesus.
Offer to talk with any child who is interested in responding to Jesus.
TABLE TIME LEADER
Session Title: God Gave Daniel Wisdom
Bible Passage: Daniel 5
Big Picture Question: What does God do to the proud? God humbles the proud.
Key Passage: Daniel 6:27
Unit Christ Connection: Despite captivity, God used faithful people to continue His plan to
provide salvation through Jesus Christ.
Bible story review (10 minutes) Tip: Divide children into small groups for table time. Each group should include an adult leader at the table.
Bibles, 1 per kid
Timeline (small group visual pack – extra copies provided for Table Time Review)
Big Picture Question: What does God do to the proud? (11x17 poster provided in classroom)
Encourage the kids to find Daniel 5 in their Bibles. Help them as needed.
Say • Is Daniel in the Old Testament or New Testament? (Old Testament) In which division of
the Bible is Daniel found? (Major Prophets) What are some of the stories we’ve talked
about from Daniel? (“Daniel and His Friends Obeyed God”; “Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego”; “God Gave Daniel Wisdom”)
Use the small group visual pack to show kids where today’s Bible story is on the timeline.
Review the Bible story provided using the bolded text, or summarize the story in your own
words. Invite the kids to stand and move away from any chairs in the room. Encourage the kids
to run to a wall each time you say “wall” in the Bible story.
Say • King Belshazzar misused items from God’s temple. He considered himself more important
than God. This is pride, and pride is a sin. James 4:6 says God opposes those with pride,
but gives grace to the humble. God humbled Belshazzar by taking away his kingdom.
James 4:10 says that if you humble yourself before God, He will lift you up.
Show the big picture question slide or poster.
Say • What does God do to the proud? God humbles the proud.
1st-3rd Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 19, Session 3: God Gave Daniel Wisdom
2012 LifeWay Christian Resources
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LARGE GROUP REVIEW
AND ACTIVITIES
Key passage activity (5 minutes) “Written on the Wall” Instructions
Key Passage Poster: Daniel 6:27 (provided)
dry erase board and markers
Make sure the key passage, Daniel 6:27, is visible for each child, either as the printed poster or written
on a dry erase board. Read the verse together.
Say • God used the handwriting on the wall as a sign for King Belshazzar. His pride had cost
him the throne. He would not be king anymore. We need to be humble by putting God
and others first. If we don’t, God will use events in our lives to humble us. What does
God do to the proud? God humbles the proud.
Use a dry erase board to write the key passage. Invite the kids to read the verse while you write
it. Rewrite it or invite older kids to help write parts of it. Again, invite the kids to read the verse
as it is written.
Activity Choice (10 minutes) Option 1: Wall Writings dry erase board and markers
Write a word or phrase on a dry erase board. The kids must try to figure out what the word or
phrase is. For instance, write the word Daniel with the letters scrambled. Make enough blanks
for the word Belshazzar. Allow the kids to guess letters. Fill in the letters they guess correctly.
Begin writing a word one letter at a time, pausing to let kids guess the word. Write the word
minus the first letter or another letter. See who can guess the word. Here are some other words
to consider: wall, writing, pride, humble, feast, king, message, hand.
Say • Belshazzar didn’t know what the writing on the wall meant. Daniel told him the writing
meant that Belshazzar was full of pride and wasn’t going to be king anymore. God’s
words came true that night. Pride is a sin, and God hates sin. What does God do to the
proud? God humbles the proud.
Option 2: Wall Decals clear contact plastic
permanent markers
scissors
Provide each kid with a piece of clear contact plastic. Any size piece should work. Encourage
each kid to color a picture on the plastic and cut it out. Each kid will create a wall decal. Explain
that kids can peel off the back, and the plastic becomes a giant sticker. Encourage them to get
permission before sticking the decal on a wall. Remind parents as they pick up their kids that
contact paper generally peels off the wall without damaging it, but they may want to let their
1st-3rd Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 19, Session 3: God Gave Daniel Wisdom
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child place the decal somewhere it can stay permanently.
Say • You just created your own wall sticker. King Belshazzar saw writing on his wall. Daniel
told him it was a message from God about Belshazzar’s pride. What does God do to the
proud? God humbles the proud.
Prayer and Clean-Up (5 minutes) Say • Let’s see who remembers the big picture question and answer. What does God do to the
proud? God humbles the proud.
Invite kids to share ways they can be humble by putting God and others first. If time remains,
take prayer requests. Pray, thanking God for exalting those who humble themselves. Pray for
each child by name, asking God to forgive us when we are prideful.
Clean-Up Room
DanielUNIT 19 • Session 3 • Younger Kids Activity Pages© 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources.
Instructions: Connect the dots to find out what a king will see written on his wall in today’s Bible story.
© 2013 LifeWay
Family Journal Page
UNIT 19 • Session 3OK TO PRINT
Invite family members to write a special talent they have
below. Remind the family that God gives us talents to give
Him glory, not ourselves. Talk about how each family member’s
talent can be used for God, and help each family member plan a
time and place to use it.
DanielGod Gave Daniel WisdomDaniel 5
Preschool Key Passage: Daniel 6:27
Big Picture Question: How did God help Daniel help
the king? God gave Daniel wisdom.
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.
KidsKey Passage: Daniel 6:27
Big Picture Question: What does God do
to the proud? God humbles the proud.
Christ Connection: God used Daniel’s
wisdom to get the king’s attention about
his pride. The king acted like he was better
than God. God humbled the king. Jesus
humbled Himself by dying on the cross
for our sin. God raised up Jesus and gave
Him honor. When we humble ourselves
and trust in Jesus, God will raise us up
too, and we will be with Him forever in
heaven.