Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1899-08-11
DANIEL IN THE LIONS DEN.

DANIEL IN THE LIONS DEN.
Cyrus, the world-conqueror of the
day having hitherto depended largely
on the Modes for his military strength,
did not at once take the throne of Bah
putting on it for the moment Darius
the Mede, Cyrus himself being an
Elamite.
The new empire was now divided in
to hundred and twenty satrapies, with
three presidents over their governors,
Daniel being set over all as grand
vizier That an alien of petty race
like the Jews should thus be made
vice-sultan, to whom the proudest dig
nitaries of the empire must yield prece-
dence, kindled the bitterest jealousies,
which eliminated in intrigues and
plots to get one so hated disgraced and
put to death. The scene finally adopt
ed was to trap the old king into max
ing a decree that for thirty days no one
was to TASK a petition from any god
or man, except from Darius himself
The king of Babylon, like Oriental
kings generally, and like the Pharaohs,
claimed descent from the gods, and de-
manded divine hOnorS as thus of their
order, so that the monstrous pride of
the despot readily permitted this SER
vile and blasphemous flattery, and he
issued the decree suggested. To refuse
obedience was to die. Would Daniel
save his life and high dignity by for
swearing his fidelity in the past to Je-
hovah? They felt sure he would think
there were worse things than death,
and foremost of these, apostasy. And
so it was.
There was no longer a temple at Je-
rusalem, but the spot where God had
once sat between the cherubim was
still sacred, and pious Jews prayed to-
| wards it, as Mahommedans still pray
toward Mecca, and modern Jews to-
wards the ark in their synagogues. On
learning the decree, Daniel made no
change in his worship. but opening his
| window as usual, in the sacred direc-
| ton, prayed towards the holy hill Of
| far-off Zion q Kings,S:42, As; Pisa. 81;
| Jonah, 2:4. His Offense, at once re-
| ported to Darius, disclosed the trick
played on the old king to get his favor
lite out OF the way, but fatal rule that
no law once proclaimed could be
changed left him no escape. Daniel
must die.
Like the Assyrian king those OF
Babylon had huge pits in which were
kept the wild bulls or lions for lion
hunt; and into these pits special GRIM
inals were thrown, to be gored or eaten.
This We learn from the tablets. In
Daniels case the pit of lions was chos
en-, and into this the prophet, now at
least eighty years old, was cast, the
stone door of the pit being secured by
| the seal royal.
Sad at heart, Darius spent the hours
till next morning in great trouble, and
then hurried to the pit, and with a
broken voice called down to Daniel, in
case his God had been able to deliver
him from the lions. To his great joy
he found that Jehovah had stood by
his servant (Heb. :33), and that he
was unhurt. Then followed, with ORR
entail completeness the royal vengeance
on those who had overreached him.
Not only they. but their wives and
children, were dragged to the pit, and.
while Daniel was taken out and rein
stated in more than his former honor,
they were flung to the wild beasts, with
no hope of deliyerance, for indeed they
were instantly torn in pieces.-Dr.
Cunningham Geikie in S. S. Times.