The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-06-01
THE FIERY FURNACE.
LESSON K, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JUNE 5.


and fury commanded TO bring Shadrach.
Meshach and Abednego" This Gentle
king, 20 whom God gave the kingdoms of
this world, and to whom also He gave the
wonderful vision of chapter ii. has in the
pride OF his heart set up an image which
he commands 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 either worship or
die (Rev. xiii. l5). Daniels friends refused
to worship the image which Nebuchadnez-
Ear had set up, and therefore they are sum-
moned to appear before the king.
IL DO not We serve my gods, nor wor-
ship the golden image which | have set
upy 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" (cnapter ii, 80. 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.
10 IF ye worship not, We shall be cast
the same hour into the midst of a burning
fiery furnace, and who is that God that
shall deliver you out of my hauds;" Man
that is in honor and und erstandeth not is
like the beasts that perish" Cps. 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 Cod, not knowing that they are
under the care OF a greater Lion, even the
Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev V, 81.
l6 I'VE are not careful to answer thee
in this mattSr." Or, as in the r. ", I'VE
have no need to answer" etc The same
word is translated have need" in Ezra
vi, 8, and these are the only two places in
Scripture 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 70 wait for further light, no
need of delay or argument. They knew
God and would worship Him only.
L. IF it be so, our God whom we serve
Is able 10 deliver us from the burning fiery
furnace, and He will deliver us out of
thine hand. o king" We may not know
If He will deliver US from this or that spe-
cial 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
burned; neither shall the flame kindle
very promise was whispered TO these men
by the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus
teaches us that we are not TO fear perSecu-
tion or imprisonment or even death, but
that our great aim must be faithfulness to
him (Math. * %; Rev. ii, l0O. We may
say with the utmost assurance, "The Lord
shall deliver me from every evil work and
will preserve me unto His heavenly king
dom" 1I Tim. iv, 49,
Is 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 me, yet
will | trust in Him." or "Wait for Him"
Or. v, job xiii, l5), for he knew that even
though his mortal body might be de-
stroyed, yet in his resurrection body he
would see God dob xix, 25-20. The
apostles, sustained by the same blessed as
surance, feared not the face of man nor
the threats Ok the rulers, but would testify
of Jesus and the resurrection, ready to die
for him if need be Acts iv, 10, 20; V, 50.
These friends Of Daniel were tempted to
worship a golden image, but people are
now tempted in this land to worship gol-
den eagles and silver dollars and whatever
will bring power or popularity, and how
many professed servants of God are with
out scruple bowling down to these, God
only knows. Where are the Shadracks,
who say without hesitation to the world,
the flesh and the devil, I'VE will not serve
thee" Let us remember that ITO whom
we yield ourselves servants to obey, his ser
wants we are whom we obey" (ROm. vi, 10y.
1928 This Is the account of the carrying
out of the sentence of death against the
faithful three. The furnace is heated seven
10, IL
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 multitudes TO this day. We need
TO learn that Evil doors shall be cut off,
but they that wait upon the Lord shall liz
herit the earth" The wicked shall be
brought into desolation as in a moment
and utterly consumed with terrors; they
shall be pulled out like sheep for the
slaughter (Ps xxxvii, 81 lxxiii, 10; 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 conformed to thu
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, l0).
"a. Did not we cast three men bound
into the midst Of the firel They answered
and said unto the king, True, o king"
His establishment could hardly have been
greater had be found himself in the tor
ment 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 stitch in the
heavens shall laugh Ops ii, 4; xxxvii, 49,.
The counsel of the ungodly shall come to
nought, but the counsel of the Lord shall
stand and He will do all His pleasure Qsa
viii, 9, 10; xiv, ~.
p. He answered and said, 10, see four
men loose walking in the midst of the fire,
and they have no hurt; and the form of
the fourth is like the Son of God" Upon
their bodies the fire mad no power, nor was
a hair of their heads singed, because they
trusted in God oversees %, 2S). The only
effect of the fire upon them was to burn
their bonds and set them free to walk with
the Son OF God. This is the effect that all
trials should have upon US; they should
tree US from the bondage and entangle-
ments Of earth's allurements and make US
more free to walk with Jesus. AS these
men came out of the furnace ON the other
side of death and Judgment, the sentence
having been fully executed upon them, so
every believer IN Jesus may be said TO have
suffered the extreme penalty Of the law in