The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-01-28
SUNDAY MEDITATION.
Practical Duties Taught by a Study OF the Inter
national Sunday School Lesson Appointed for
Feb A. DAN. g. f6-SS


national Sunday School Lesson Appointed for
Feb. .. Dan, 3: i6-2S.
Zone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
indicated above. Also read The Song Of the Three
Hebrew Children" one of the books OF the Old
Testament Apocrypha.
Daniel was carried off to Babylon about B.
c. 60i. He had been in captivity Is years
when the lesson of this week opened. He was
ii years old when made a prisoner of war.
Hence we find him now % years of age. His
first three years at Babylon he spent as q col
lege student in preparation for becoming an
attendant on King Ncbuchadnezzar Three
fellow Jewish captivcs were his schoolmates.
dan, l :6 ~ After the four graduated they
became connected with the Court. 1:19)
| While Daniel was yet at school, 4 mere boy of
about 10 Summers, Northumberland had a
dream. When he awoke lie had deep impress
sion from the dream but yet was unable to re-
call the dream itself. Not knowing the dream,
neither he nor his learned men could state its
significance. He assembled all his magi (2:2
and required of them to revive the dream and
to explain its meaning. They could do neither.
Daniel, being of the Chaldean school and des-
tined to become q counselor of the King,
learned of the plight OF the magi, and knew
under what wrath of NebuchadnezZar they had
come He presents himself to the King, after
having beSought Gods aid, and volunteers to
make known to the King both the dream and
its Interpretation. In reward for his revelation
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS advanced him to great prOmi-
ncnce i'll the government. Then Daniel secured
influential positions for Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abed-ncgo. (Read Chap. p
1t is supposed the event of the lesson took
place about 5S7 B. G.. Nebuchadnezzar had been
King of Babylon Is years Daniel and his
three captive friends had heen important gov
ernmental officials for nearly the same length
of time. Zedekiah was King of Judah, but just
on the eve of captivity. jeremiah was Prophet
at jerusalem and Ezekiel in Babylonia, on the
River Chebar.
We reach an interesting event. 1t is the
erection of an image 80 feet high and 9 feet
wide. The hight probably included the pede5-
tai; thus the proportion of stature and width
would be symmetrical 1t was human in form
and most likely it was an image of the god Bel
Merodach, that being the principal Babyionian
object OF worship. 1t was constructed at DCra,
place about five miles southeast of Babylon.
There is now mound there of, say, 20 feet high,
thought by Oppert to be the pedestal of Nebu-
chadnezZar's image. The statue had for its
interior wood, stone or clay. All the surface
was covered with plates of gold. 1t was built
out of honor for the great national divinity of
BabylOnia. Observation-Disclosures had been very
successful and he wanted to return gratitude
| to the gods
The image made the day came for its ded-
]
land were summoned TO join in the exercise. 1t
was commanded that every subject should bow
down aud pay divine homage to the image. Re-
fusal was to be punished by death in a fiery
furnace.
The day came. Music was heard over all the
| beautiful plain from every sweetest instrument.
! The masses became enthusiastic and cast them
/ selves down before the gold plated god. Shad-
rach, Meshach and Abed nego, captives from
! Judah, had been elevated above the native
| youth. Hence they were objects of bittereSt
envy. Every opportunity was seized to nure
their fame and influence. 1t was noticed they
! did not worship Bcl-Merodach. The devotees
! probably bowed simultaneously before the great
image. Thus the three youths would be very
conspicuous, as in their robes OF office they
stood erect. 1t will be remembered they were
! the three young men who, with Daniel, refused
to dine after the royal heather bill of fare.
| They were reported to NebuchaduezZar, who at
once summoned them TO appear and explain.
! They did not feel it ncedful to take time to
! know what reply TO make. Their minds Tere
| firmly settled. There was only one plain course
for them to pursue. They could worship only
God. They felt certain God was stronger than
| Nebuchadnezzar or Bcl-Mcrodach, and could,
| if he saw it was best, deliver them from being
| harmed. Or God could give them strength to
endure fire. God could keep them from SHINING
| by giving them power to suffer. They were re-
|
| Gods mercy and omnipotence. They preferred
| to risk refusing Nebuchadnczzar rather than to
! disobey God. God could do more for them
| than golden imagine could do against them
! Jehovah could help them more than heather
| King could harm them.
1t is singular Daniel is not with the three
Hebrews. He may have been sick, or on q
| foreign embassy. We are certain he did not
| bow before Bel.
! The King grew angry. From looking ten
| derby on the three Hebrews, he cast eyes of
wrath grated his teeth, and grumbed ven
| geancc He ordered one of the furnaces to be
heated seven times hotter than ever Such
furnaces probably abounded, being similar in
| form to limckins, and used for smelling ore.
They had doors openings in the sides. The
victims of persecution were probably cast in
from above. The flames ragged so fearfully
that the officers of execution were suffocated
and burned to death. Thus, Northumberland
lost several of the noblest men of his army.
The three Hebrews were bound, probably, as
to hands and feet. They were, however,
clothed in very inflammable garments, having
on, according to the unreviscd Bible, coats
hOsen, and hats; and according to the Revised
Version, hOsen, tunics and mantles. The coat
was a long robe; the hoScn, an inner garment,
TUNE; the hats, outer cloaks. Besides, they
wore other garmeHts-yiZ: on head and feet
1t adds much to the miracle that though the
TaiHlclG WOTn WAS 50 SoSStlHeI-I!he, yct INC
garments were not injured; even the hair of
the captives was not singed. Though bound
hand and foot, yet the three were able to walk
about in the furnace. When they came forth
there was not even an odor of smoke or fire
about them. Ordinarily, victims would die
before they reached the bottom of such fur
mace. One could not believe it possible to sur
vive. Nebuchadnezzar was utterly astonished
they did not perish at once. (1stoaied is
Sponsors form of the word astonished Chaucer
has aStOaed; Sackvlle says stoyade.) Why
astOnished? The Babylonians bound captives
| in chains (Jer 40 4; 52: IL, and these chains
now melt and disappear without harm to the
| prisoners. Then, while three persons were put
| into the furnace. four are seen. Nebuchadnez-
Ear believed the fourth form must be that of a
god 1t was really Christ. and is styled in V.
20 an angel. The miracle proved that the God
of the three captives excellcd in strength the
Babylonan deity, Bel. A God SO great was
worthy respect, and hence the King ordered
| that no one should ever treat Jehovah rudely,
nor interrupt any deyotee Of such God in his
worship.