Passaic City record., 1892-06-04
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
JUNE s.
Lesson Text: 'rThe Fiery Furnace
Daniel ill.,, ,13-25-Golden Text:
Isaiah xiii, 2-Com-
mentary

IL. Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and
fury commanded to bring Shadrach. Me-
shach and Abednego." This Gentle king.
to whom God gave the kingdoms Of this
world. and to whom also He gave the won
derful vision of chapter H., has in the pride
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. 1t
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 (Rev. xiii.
15). Daniels friends refused 70 worship the
image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up,
and therefore they are summoned to appear
before the king
IA. do not ye serve my goes, 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
ter IL, 81. Yet his heart is SO proud that he
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 a burning fiery
furnace; and who is that God that shall de-
liver you out of my handsY' "Man that is
in honor and understandeth not is like the
beasts that perish" (Ps. xix, 20). See this
man whom God has honored, but who
usderstands 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 a greater Lion, even the Lion of the
tribe of Judah REV. ", s..
Ii. I'VE are not careful to answer thee in
this matter" Or, as in the r. ", I'VE
have no need to answer" ETC. The same
word is translated shave 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 tho
anti, - H. AZ - <l..x-
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.
IL. IF it be SO, our God whom we serve
Is able to deliver us from the burning frey
furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine
hand, . king" We may not know il 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 US. when thou walkest
through the fire, thou shalt not be burnea;
neither shall the fame kindle upon thee"
lisa. xiii, p. 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
be faithfulness to Him tMath. K, 2S: Rev.
H., 10l. We may say with the utmost as
surance, '.The Lord shall deliver me from
every evil work and will preserve me unto
His heavenly Kingdom" (I1 Tim. iv., 1S).
IL. s'But il 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 me, yet
win trust in Him. or "Wait for Him" II.
", Job xiii, 15), for he knew that even
though his mortal body might be destroyed,
yet in his resurrection body he would see
God job xix, 25,20. The apostles. sus-
tanned by the same blessed assurance, feared
xS-G~ - AA.~-- - L.
rulers, but would testify Of Jesus and the
resurrection, ready to die for Him if need be
(Acts iv., 10, 20; ", 29). These friends of
Daniel were tempted to worship golden
image, but people are now tempted in this
land to worship golden eagles and silver
popularity, and how many professed SER
wants of God are without scruple bowing
down to these, God only knows. Where are
the Shadracks, who say without hesitation
to the world, the flesh and the devil 1--WE
win mot 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 God of Love, and infinite wisdom, and
all power has suffered it so to be- This is
that which perplexed David and Asaph and
Jeremiah, and is a stumbling block to null
titudes to this day. We need to learn that
Evil doers shall be cut off, but they that wait
upon the Lord shall inherit the earth" The
wicked shall be brought into desolation as in
q moment and utterly consumed with ter
rors; they shall be pulled out like sheep for
the slaughter FPS. xxxvii. 8; lxxiii., -; Jer.
xii, 1-3). When God permits the devil to
touch his dear people it is only that He may
be glorified and greater blessing brought in
due time to these tried ones. He desires us
even here in this life to be coaformed 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 (Ps.
lxxvi., 10Y.
"a. ibid not we cast three men bound into
the midst of the fire? 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 luke xvi, 23). Hecan 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
H.. 4; xxxvii., 13p. The counsel OF the an-
godly shall come to nought. but the connse!
Of the Lord shall stand and He will do all
His pleasure lisa. viii. 8, 10; xiv. 24.
IS. 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 OF
the fosSth is like the Son of God" Upon
a hair of their heads singed. because they
trusted in God verses %, 28) The only ef-
feet of the fire upon them was to burn their
bonds and set them free to walk with the