The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1892-05-11
The Sunday School Lessons.
JESUS AND THE PROPHETS
Our Lesson Notes.
BY THE REV. JAMES p. SMITH, D. d.
May 22d, 1892.
Daniel i: S-21.
DANIEL AND HIS COMPANIONS.

NTOLDEN 1EAI-Ddulel l. O. lJdnlel
purposed in his heart that he would not
defile himself with the portion of the kings
nor with the wine which he drank"
Babylon, the capitol of the Assyr
ian empire, was about five hundred
miles in a direct line east from Jer-
usalem. AT the time of which our
lesson writes, it was a great and
splendid city. 1t formed a square
of nearly fourteen miles on each
side. Herodotus says the walls were
three hundred feet high and eighty
feet broad. A hundred gates of
brass, with bars of iron, were the
entrance to the city. To this great
and powerful city, the very climax
and type of heather power, idolatry
and corruption, Nebuchadnezzar had
carried many Jews into captivity in
the reign of Jehoiakim. 1t was an
ancient custom t 20 choose from
among the captives, young men of
promise, to be educated for offices
about the king. The king of Baby
Ion directed that certain of the
princely or noble young men from
the Hebrew captives should be edu-
Gated in the language and learning
of the Chaldeans. Daniel and his
three friends were chosen as "youths
in whom was no blemish, but we'll
favored and skilful in all wisdom,
and cunning in knowledge, and un-
derstanding science, and such as
had ability to stand in the kings
palace" For three years they were
to be instructed and trained and
during this time the king, as a
token of his favor, and to wean
them from their own people, and
make them Chaldeans and faithful
subjects, appointed their food and
drink, after Chaldean and royal
ways. To Daniel and his friends,
boys about sixteen years of age, this
at once brought great and serious
temptation.
1. Their Temptation, u. 8.-"The
portion of the kings meat, and the
wine which he drank" 1t was with
remarkably clear discrimination,
and a serious moral sense, that Dan
lei saw at once that to comply with
the kings direction in this would
be defilement to a Hebrew boy. 1t
would involve their daily use of
that which, they had been taught by
the laws of Moses, would be iniuri-
Gus food, their forgetting their coun-
try, and turning their backs upon
their Hebrew citizenship, their de-
nying their religion, and their DISC
bedience to God. There would be
given to them flesh of swine, or
hares, or meat uncleansed from
blood; or meat offered to idols; or
it would be dainties and wine that
would corrupt the body and degrade
them to the vices of Babylon. To
consent, they were tempted by APP
petite, by mbition, by fear of the
king, and by desire for popular fa-
vor. To identify them with their
new home and Its surroundings, and
to draw them into conformity with
the religion and customs of Baby.
Ion, their names were changed. "Put
now all these things together: youth
social usage, official rank, profes
sional interests, absence from home
and native land, and the mortifca
ton of captivity, and where in mod.
ern life can you find a case OF
stronger temptation to a self-indul
gent and pleasure seeking career ="
II. The Temptation Resisted, rs. s.
1O.-The power to resist this grea
temptation was partly in their ear
ly training. They had not beer
thrown out into the world and itt
evils, uninstructed and unprepared
From childhood they had beer
taught and trained in the laws anC
religion of their people. They were
forewarned and so forearmed. They
knew the evil when they saw it
An immediate and hearty purpos,
was formed Daniel purposed il
heart that he would not defle him
self" Conscience had been enlight
ened and now spoke with authority
and his will obeyed He determined
that he would not do this grea
wrong And with this strong pur
pose there was a nice and prope
prudence. He devised q way By
which to avoid the wrong. III
made a reasonable request of thu
official, under whose authority h
was, that he should not be com
PEELED so to dpfie himself Their
was decision but also Difference q
authority and courteous petition
III. Their Wise W1u J8. 11-I5.-
Their petition was that for ten day
they might be allowed TO decliu
the kings meat and wine, and b