The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-06-02

The Fiery Furuaee-bnn. 3.is-e8--r>esson
for yune B. 1909.

Especially Arranged from s. s. Quarterly.
GOLDEN TExT.--Whcn thou walsest through
the tlrc thou shalt not to burned; neither shall
tho flnrnc kinllo upon thcc.--1sn. 4S;2.
CENTRAL TRurH.-GVd will deliver In the
hour CT temptation and trouble thosc who ere
faithful to Kim. Hss, a ss
TnfE.-Probably between Cs5 ,nnd ESQ q. c.,
sixteen to twenty years after our last lesson.
PLAcr.--,ric plain Of Dura, about Ave miles
sorthcaat OF Babylon.
RULERS. -,5cbuchndncxsar, king Of Babylon
(005-cGi,. zcdekiah. tho last king of Judah.
Pharaoh llor!.ra. king OF Egypt The ''scvcn
wise mon" n Greece.
lIrLps OVER uArD PLAcrs-Tt golden
fr1igc wns erected on tie pl2in Of Durs, Eve
r1ilos frctn Babylon. II vas 20 cubitS 100
fect) high. and cuoits 70 fcct) broad This
Includes t,,c pedestal. II wns probably OF wood
or clay. nni covered with plntcs Of gold. Dio-
dorus tcll3 us OF three golden limoges In tho tenn
pic Of Bel nt babylon, worth with their alrars
Of gold. G,000,00l The officers and chief men
from nll parts OF tho empire were summoned to
Babylon, md compelled TO bow down and wor-
ship before the golden image, on pain Of being
cast ilto tho lcry furnace. wEon the music
sounded. oil bowed before the image except tho
three mon who were with Daniel In our last les.
son
10 "shadrach," etc.: soc last lesson "Said
70 tho king" whom thoy wore summoned 10
him for not worshiping tho image. II. IF II
bc so:" Il God secs this TO be best 10 "Eull
Vi luTy. W DCcoubC tuClr cOnOuct was IN Ql-
rect disohcdicncc to his comm md. () Inter-
fcrcd with his plan OF vnifyitg tho empire. e,
1t w:s against his religion. (4) It seemed bad
example 10 his subiccts. 81 "Ficry furnace
sach ns wore used for smelling metals: u hole IN
tho top into which tie men wcrc cast. nnd ~
OPENING in the side, through which they wore
eecn, nnd ccmc forth. 81. "Dound:" with Iron
chains. (Jcr. +o:4) "Coats,'' o long robc.
"1losca:" inner tunic "Hats:" rather, cloeks.
These orc mentioned because ttcy wore com.
bustiblc, ind yet were not burnod. ~. "As.
tonicd:" Cstouished G5. "Tho Son CT God:~
o son OF God, divine being, an ongci w. cs).
z TIE ResAffs.-i The eject On Ncbuchadnez-
sar wcs tho recognition Of the Jewish God rs
superior TO a!l idols. The dcliverancc was pub
lie and unm!s.akabic, and II would mako such
on impression on tho Princes and people that
the king could moro easily treat the Jews kindly
9. Tho effect on the three racn was that they
wcro rc.ns,ased In their places with moro In.
hucncc nnd pcrnancnce than ever. But II may
be that after SO many years Of prosperity their
picty needed rekindliny ana q new experience
s. Tho effect on the cxilcs was also GOOD. II
would enrich their faith: It held before them
noble examples: It wot:ld enable thcc, TO real.
tzc the power aad goodness Of God: It was one
Of the forces that during the exile entirely
cured them OF idolatry and prepared them for
the return and the rebuilding Of their city and
temple. Doubtless also It raised them 70
higher place among the people and enabled
tuCfu bO ScfVc tQClf lfOQ Win lcSS Opposition.
Lesson NOTES.
This lesson is exceedingly dramatic.
The preparation for this imposing spec
tacle on the plain of Dura had been
vast. A mighty empire was there rep
resented in all Its barbaric pngcuntry.
All that pomp and circumstance could :
do had been dono. The supreme mo
ncnt had at lost arrived The blarc Of
the trumpets had been heard, and tho
clash of cymbais had rent the DIR.
Thousands upon thousands had pros
trated themselves before the huge idol
md lay prone In the dust. Then were
seen tho forms Of three mon proudly
crcct, who refused to bow the head or
bend the knee ut the command Of tho
worlds raost powerful sovereign Who
are the three? None other thnn three
cnptives, who owe their positions nt
court-ayc, and oven their very lives
to the sovereign whom they now dare TO
disobey. Surely, II David had ..thrce
mighty mon Of valor, = those thrcc wero
their match and their ovet1nntch. For,
notice tho pcculiarities Of their position !
and see what grentts heroes these three
sons of Abraham were.
They stood alone. Luther, when he
stood before the diet Of Worms, knew
that even In that council he had friends.
But in this vast assembly that day these
three knew that while enemies
aboundcd, friends they had none. Spies
were on every side; allies were not to
be found. In the first lesson In Daniel
1t would seem as though. Daniel had
been the first to tal,c q stand eor the
right II so, these men had we'll learned
BY this time to follow his example.
Now, to stand alone requires moro NOR
al courage than to resist when there arc
sympathetic friends around; their APP
plause and fciiow-feeling buoy one up
and give courage and strength. They
arc what Aaron and Hur were 10 Moses
on the mount, and what Christ wanted
the three disciples 70 be 10 Him Ia ths
garden Of Gethsemanc. No such "a.
vantage Of cooperative fcilowship did
these three ,ncn have outside Of their
own small circle.
They stood against Q wosad-powes.
- well might . man try 70 sweep back |
the Atlantic tide with . broom, q Tor
them TO try 10 resist the mandates Of
How could they for
, moment hope that tho monarch tina
dcfied IN the face Of his whole realm |
could in any way BE- paciasds hNSpsc
have eastern despots becn known tor
tsseir pacific sempcn when they have
been openly thwarted' No! Inevitable
md rcmorseleas power was asrayed
against them, and they knew Il.