The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-06-08
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Tho Den OF Lions--Dan. 6:i6-2S-Lessor
for June IL, 1899.

Especially Arranged from s. s. Quarterly
GOLDEN TEXT.-.No manner OF hurt was found
upon him, because he believed in his Cod
Dan. Ca
CENTRAL TRUTH.-God delivers His faithful
ones in time OF trouble
TIME.-Between b. c. 5SS and $50, in the two
years OF Dariug' reign.
PLAcE.-Babylon, Just conquered by Cyrus.
kiNcs.-Darius the Mede was king OF Baby
lon, under Cyrus He is probably the same as
Cyaxaros, the father-in-law Of Cyrus He was
sixty-two years old and roigned two years
THE JEWS had been in exile about seventy
years, and the promised return was near. Dan
iel's exaltation and his great faithfulness were
preparation for the return.
DANIEL was more than eighty years old, and
had been In Babylon sixtyeight years, Part OF
this time he was Ut the head OF the government,
but for Some time he seems to have been in
private life with the wise men. Just before our
lesson he had been again placed in high office
through his Interpretation of Belshazzar's
dream
helps OVER HARD PLACEs.-The story OF
the plot should be read in the earlier part of the
chapter The occasion Of it was partly envy
That foreigner, an old man Of an exile race,
Should be exalted over the young natives, and
partly because Daniel strict honesty stood in
the way their schemes for unjust wealth.
The Plot AgIiast Dqaiei.-The reasons for thi
plot were, doubtless, a. first and chiefly that
he stood in the way of their dishonest gains,
Such officers in those times almost always made
their position u means of wealth. They soon
found that Daniel would neither wink at
their misdeeds nor share their dishonesties "
~ Daniel was foreigner and jew, OF a slave
race, exalted over them, and holding the place
they or their friends wanted. go Daniels char
acter was perpetual rcproof They were
| tired Of seeing his good deeds and hearing his
praise; as the Athenian voted for the condem.
| nation Of Aristidcs the Just, simply because he
was weary Of hearing him called the Just "a
Envy because Daniel was preferred before them
on account OF his wisdom and honesty, and
higher honors still were planned for him CD.
1he Decree.-It seems strange that any mon
arch SHOULD sign such an absurd decree. But
| %, according to Pussy QLectures, PIP AIS, 400
tho Persiars looked upon their king as repre-
sentative of God, as indwelt by Him, and US
| such gave him divine honors. (9) Tho decree
| appealed TO the kings vanity and self-conceit,
| and he doubtless imagined no great harm could
| come from IL, and that he would not enforce it.
| 1t was kind Of joke, n piece OF fun. (3) There
| may have been political reasons. Being Mede
! he would conciliate the Persians by conforming
| to their religious ideas, and divine honors
would confirm his rule.
| IT, 1.-The den Of lions" cave, or large place
dug in the rock, open above for giving food, and
with door for entrance at the side. H. tSealed
it with his own signet:" custom originating
| in the fact that few could read. Both parties
| sealed the stone so that neither could interfere
% God hath sent His angel" whether visible
or not is not said. "a Those men which hat
accused Daniel" not the whole 100, but thu
leading accusers. Many Of the others were
| doubtless scattered over the kingdom ant
| would not be there. &C. ~ make decree:" by
| this means the natives were prepared to respcc
| the Jews and help them to return home. Tn,
Jews themselves would be strengthened il
faith. The decree reads Us II Daniel himsel
wrote 1t for the king.
LESSON NOTES.
Daniel got into his trouble not by
wrong doing, but by right doing
This was hard. But Daniel is not tn,
only man in all the world who has got
ten into difficulty in this way. Lonl
before him Joseph was cast into prisol
because he would not sin a great sin
Then after that Elijah had to flee from
before Jezebcl because he would no
bow down to her hidcous idols Thel
we saw last week how the young friend
of Daniel Jared because they would no
forsal1e the law OF the Lord their God
In New Testament times such instance
abound. Paul and Peter and Jane
al suffered simply because they chos
to do the right. They might have ha,
an easy time of it, had they gone in tn
face of that which their conscience toll
them and conformed to the sins of tn
world around them.
In the case il our lesson to-day, w
are told that God intcrfcred to delive
His servants from the mouth of til
lions. Does God always thus interfere
No. Not even in Bible times did II
do this. Elijah was delivered from tn
wrath Of Jezcbcl, bat many other of tn
Lords prophets were slain by the cdg
of the sword. Isaiah was sawn asun
der. Paul WAS bchcadcd. as was also Johl
the Baptist. Peter was crucifed, ant
James bchcadcd, while the believe,
John was cXilcd. If you want to know
how it often Jared with holy men o
old. read the 18th chapter of Hebrews
and you viii see. They had trials o
cruel hooking and scourging, yea, more
over, Of bonds and imprisonment, the,
were stoned, they were sawn asundcr
were tempted, were slain with th
sword; they wandered about in sheep
skins and goatsllins, being destitute
afflicted, tormented." The same treat
ment is mcted out still to those who tr,
to follow the Lord Jesus in some part
of the world. In Africa we still hav
the blood of the martyrs shed; and i
Madagascar they suffer many thing
from their enemies.
| What then? Why, we should hav
the same spirit that animated tn
men of olden time and the martyrs G
modern days, and be rather willing to di
than to do the wrong. Daniel went int
that den not knowing whether God woul
or would not deliver him. If he ha
been sure that the lions would dcvou
him as soon rs he reached the bottom G
the den, he would have gone there a.
the same. To be willing to die for tn
right is one of the very grandest thing
that man can DO. See, men are willing t
die for their country, and shall we b
willing to die for our country and re
fuse to die for our God?
You will never have to encounter
lion, much less den full of them, fo
the sake of duty. But the Bible tell
us that our great adversary, the devi
goes about as roaring lion, seekin
whom he may devour. And truly tn
temptations that ne places in our wa
are far more dangerous than all tn
danger into which Daniel walked. Fc
that danger was only one that pertaine