The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-06-01
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
The Fiery Furnscc-Dan. s:1s-e5-Tessos
for June 8, 1eo2. sr4rr

The Fiery Furnacc-Dan. 3.13-e5-Lessos
for June 8, 1894. .r4rrt
s Especially Arranged from 8. s, Quarterly.
GOLDEN TExT-When thou walkcst through
the fire thou shalt not be burned; neither shall.
the flame kinlle upon thee.-Isa. 4S:2
CENTRAL THuTH.-God win deliver in the
hour Of temptation and trouble those who are
faithful to Him. Nl4s .l5tft
TINE.-Probably between SIS and $50 q. c.,
PLAcE--The plain OF .Dura. about i've miles
southeast Of Babylon A@ t,A
RULERS Nebuchadnexzar, king Of Babylon
(605-56l) Zedekiah. the last king OF Judah
Pharaoh Hophra. king OF Egypt The "seven
wise men, in Greece.
HELPS OVER HARD PLAcEs.-The goieen
image was erected on the plain Of Dura. 1--WE
miles from Babylon. II was 90 cubits 100
feot) high, and cubits 70 fect) broad This
includes the pedestal II was probably Of wood
or clay, and covered with plates of gold Dio-
dorus tells us Of three golden images IN the ten
pie OF Bel at Babylon, worth, with their affairs
OF gold. ss6,0000o0 The Officers and chief men
from all parts Of the empire were summoned TO
Babylon, and compelled to bow down und wor-
ship before the golden image, on pain OF being
cast into the fiery furnace. When the music
sounded, oil bowed before the image except the
three men who were with Daniel in our last les
SON 49,
TO- "Shadrach," etc. see last lesson said
TO the king" when they were summoned 70
him for not worshiping the image H. III IL
be so:" II God sees this to be best 10 "Full
OF fury" ~ Because their conduct was in di.
rect disobedience to his command. Cs) Inter
fered with his plan of unifying the empire. go
1t was against his religion. az II seemed bad
example TO his subjects. 90 Fiery furnace: 4"
such as were used for smelling metals; q hole in
the top into which the men were cast, and an
opening In the side, through which they were
seen, and came forth. 81. Bound" with iron
chains. (Jer. 40:4) "Coats:" long robe
s'Hosen:" inner tunic. "Hats:" rather, cloalls.
These are mentioned because they were COM
bustiblc, and yet were not burned. "a "As-
tonicd:" astonished. IS 1.-THE Son Of Cod"
son of God divine being On angel ". 49,
The Results. The effect on Nebuchadnez.
ear was the recognition OF the Jewish God as
superior to oil idols The deliverance was pub
lie and unmistakable, and 1t would make such
On impression on the princes and people that
the king could more easily treat the Jews kindly.
2. The effect on the three men was that they
were reinstated In their places with more In
fiuence and pcrmanence than ever But II may
be that after SO many years Of prosperity their
piety needed reminding and o new experience
s. The effect on the exiles was also good. II
would enrich their faith; It held before them
noble examples; 1t would enable them TO real
lie the power and goodness Of God; 1t 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 II raised them 10 0
higher place among the people and enabled
them to serve their God with less 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 pageantry
All that pomp and circumstance could
do had been done. The supreme mo
ment had at last arrived. The blare o.
the trumpets had been heard, and the
clash of cymbals had rent the air
Thousands upon thousands had pros
trated themselves before the huge lido
and lay prone in the dust. Then were
seen the forms of three men proudly
erect, who refused to bow the head OF
bend the knee at the command of the
worlds most powerful sovereign. Who
are the three? None other than three
captives, who owe their positions al
court-aye, and even their very lives
to the sovereign whom they now dare te
disobey. Surely, if David had "three
mighty men of valor," these three were
their match and their overmatch For
notice the peculiarities of their position
and see what great 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
abounded, friends they had none. Spies
were on every side; allies were not tc
be found. In the first lesson in Daniel
it would seem as though Daniel had
been the first to take stand for the
right. If so, these men had well learned
| by this time to follow his example
Now, to stand alone requires more NOR
al courage than to resist when there arr
sympathetic friends around; their ap
plause and fellow-feeling buoy one W
and give courage and strength. They
are what Aaron and Hur were to Nose,
on the mount, and what Christ wanted
the three disciples to be to Him in thu
garden of Gethsemane. No such ad
vantage Of cooperative fellowship die
these three men have outside of theil
own small circle.
[ They stood against world-power
AS well might a man try to sweep bacl
the Atlantic tide with broom, as fo
them to try to resist the mandates O.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. How could they TO-
q moment hope that the monarch thu
defied in the face of his whole realn
could in any way be pacified? Neve
have eastern despots been known TO
their pacific tempers when they hav,
been openly thwarted No! Inevitabl,
and remorseless power was arrayet
against them, and they knew it.
Thus they withstood friend, for, Il
many ways, the king had been to then
a friend. He had treated them vel
thus far, and even exalted them abov,
many Of his own people. While h,
might have killed them years before, h,
ennobled them, enriched them, ant
placed them in positions of power. II
go against the desires Of kind EN-
! ployer is far harder than to refus,
obedience to one who has been harsh
Even ministers, in our day, find it hare
to come down upon parishioners who
have given them watch or silver tea
set Not among the least of the test.
of their loyalty to God, then. was thai
of disregarding the command of q
friendly sovereign. In the face, how
| ever of these difficulties these thru.