The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-06-01
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOB
JUNE 5.
Lesson Text: THE Fiery Furnace"
Daniel ill.,, ,13-26-Golden Text:
Isaiah Xliii., 2-Com-
mentary.

13. Then Nebuchadnezzsr in his rage and
fury commanded to bring Shsdrach, Me:
shach and Abednego" This Gentle king,
to whom God gave the kingdoms Of thii
world. and to whom also He gave the won
derful vision Of chapter H., has in the prid.
of his heart set up an image which he COM
mands all people to worship. Ten times in
this chapter it is spoken Of as the golden
image or the image which he had set up Il
Is suggestive Of another image to be set up
in the last days by an enemy Of God, which
men must eitaer worship or die tRev. xiii,
15). Daniels friends refused 20 worship the
image which Nebushadnezzar had set up,
and therefore they are summoned to appear
before the king.
IA. "Do not ye serve my gods, nor worship
the golden image which have set up?' This
is the question asked Of these young men by
the man to whom it had been made known
that ''The God of Heaven had given him his
kingdom, power, strength and glory" Chap
terri, 81. Yet his heart is 30 proud that be
refuses to acknowledge the God Of Heaven.
but will if possible compel the servants Of
the true God to bow down to his false gods.
Is 'If ye worship not ye shall be cast the
same hour into the midst Of burning fiery
furnace; and who is that God that shall de-
liver you out Of my handsY' "Man that is
in honor and uuderstandeth not is like the
beasts that perish" IFS. Xix, 20). See this
man whom God has honored, but who
understands not, roaring like the lion from
the pit against the servants of the Most High
God, not knowing that they are under the
care Of greater Lion, even the Lion of the
tribe Of Judah (Rev. ", s..
16. 1--WE are not careful to answer thee in
this matter" Or, as in the R. v, I'VE
have no need to answer" etc. The same
word is translated ''have need" in Ezra vi,
9, and these are the only two places In Scrip.
ture where the word Is used. Young, IN his
concordance gives think necessary" as the
meaning of the word. The path of duty
was so clear to these men that there was no
need to wait for further light, no need Of
delay or argument. They knew God and
would worship Him only.
II. IF it be so, our God whom we serve
is able to deliver us from the burning frey
hand, o king" We may not know if He
will deliver US from this or that special
trial, but we do know that He will be with
us in the trial and that neither man nor
devil can harm u.s. when thou walkest
through the fire, thou shalt not be burned;
neither shall the flame kindle upon thee"
lisa. xiii, q. Perhaps this very promise
was whispered to these men by the Holy
Spirit. The Lord Jesus teaches US that we
are not to fear persecution or imprisonment
or even death, but that our great aim must
H., 10y. We may say with the utmost as
surance, 1.-The Lord shall deliver me from
every evil work and will preserve me unto
His heavenly kingdom" III. Tim. w., 49,.
II. '.But If not, be It known unto thee, o
king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor.
worship the golden image which thou hast
set up" Job said, Though He slay 'pe, yet
will trust In Him, or "Wait for Him" II.
", Job xiii, 49,, for he knew that even
though his mortal body might be destroyed,
yet in his resurrection body he would see
God Job xix, $500. The apostles. sus-
tained by the same blessed assurance, feared
not the face Of man nor the threats Of the
rulers, but would testify Of Jesus and the
resurrection, ready to die for Him il need be
(Acts iv., 10, 20; ", 29D. These friends Of
Daniel were tempted to worship golden
image, but people are now tempted In this
land to worship golden eagles and silver
dollars and whatever will bring power or
popularity, and how many professed SER
wants Of God are without scruple bowling
down to these, God only knows. Where are
the Shadracks, who say without hesitation
to the world, the flesh and the devil, 1--WE
will not serve thee" Let Us remember that
ITO whom we yield ourselves servants to
obey, his servants we are whom We obey"
Rom. vi, 16.
1928 This is the account Of the carrying
out Of the sentence of death against the
faithful three. The furnace Is heated seven
times hotter than usual; the men are bound
in their clothes and cast into the furnace;
the fury of the beast Is satisfied; the devil
has done his worst to the servants Of God,
and q God Of Love, and infinite wisdom, and
all power has suffered 1t so to be. This Is
that which perplexed David and Asaph and
Jeremiah, and is stumbling block to null
titudes to this day. We need to learn that
Evil doers shall be cut Of, but they that wait
upon the Lord shall inherit the EARTH" The
wicked shall be brought into desolation as in
a moment and utterly consumed with ter
rors; they shall be pulled out like sheep for
the slaughter (Ps. xvii. g.; lxxiii., 10; Jer.
xii, 1-3). When God permits the devil to
be glorified and greater blessing brought in
due time to these tried ones. He desires us
even here in this life to be conformed to the
image of His Son, and by all events OF our
daily life to be fitted to reign with Him over
this earth in due time. Thus God maketh
even the wrath of man to praise Him IFS.
lxxvi, 10y.
"a. .'Did not we cast three men bound into
the midst of the firss They answered and
said unto the king, True, o king" His
astonishment could hardly have been greater
had he found himself in the torment where
the rich man found himself Immediately
after death duke xvi, 23. he can hardly
believe his eyes, for he had vainly supposed
that no God could deliver out OF his hands
(verse 15). When men rage against God, He
that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh us.
H., 4: xxxvii., 49,. The counsel Of the un.
godly shall come to nought, but the counse!
Of the Lord shall stand and He will DO all
His pleasure lisa. viii. 9. 10; xiv. 21.
25. HE answered and said, Lo, see four
men loose and walking in the midst OF the
fire, and they have no hurt; and the form o'
the fourth is like the Son of God" Upoh
their bodies the fire had no power, nor was
q hair of their heads singed, because they
trusted in God verses q, 2S). The only ef-
feet Of the fire upon them was to burn their
bonds and set them free to walk with tho
Son OF God. This is the effect that all trials
should have upon us; they should free us
from the bondage and entanglements OF
earth,s allurements and make US more free
TO walk with Jesus. As th ess men came out
Of the furnace on the other side OF death and
Judgment, the sentence having been 1uliy
executed upon them, so every believer IN
Jesus may be said to have suffered the ex.
treme penalty Of the law in the person or
Christ, His substitute, and to be now ON the
other side Of death and judgment as far as
tho penalty of the law Is coucerned. 500
John ", "a; Rom. vi, ell; II Cor. ", To-
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