The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-01

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One OF the greatest lessons in the
great Book OF lessons is the one con-
tanned in the Sunday school lesson for
today, the story of BeIshazzar.
Belshazzar. king o. the Chaldeans,
was giving a great feast in Babylon.
He had gathered a thousand of his
/ lords. and it was one of the most mag
nificent occasions in the history of that
great nation. But he was a sinful king
Notwithstanding the great object lesson
he had had in the history of his father,
ACKNOWLEDGMENT The latter, because of
his sins. had been driven from the
throne and compelled to live among
the beasts Of the fed for seven years.
Tt is supposed that ne was insane, for
he testihes that when his reason re
turned to him" he was returned to the
glory Of his kingdom, and he repented
of his wrong-doing, saying, Now /.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS praise and ext0l and
honor the King C. heaven. all whose
works are truth. and his ways judg
ment: and those that walk in pride he
is able to abase."
Notwithstanding the experience and
repentance of his father Belshazzar was
a sinful king. and IN the midst of mis-
81 cat LCctEl tue warning OL his Dutt4StA-
ment came to him-the handwriting on
the wall What it meant is best told in
the words of Daniel, who was summon
ed to interpret it:
90 thou king, the most high God
gave Northumberland thy father a king
dom. and majesty, and glory. and honor.
And for the majesty that he gave
him, all people, nations and languages
4
he would he slew: and whom he would
he kept alive and whom he would he
set up and whom he would he put
down.
But when his heart was lifted up,
and his mind hardened in pride, he was
/ deposed from his kingly throne, and
they took his glory from him: and he
was driven from the sons of men; and
his heart was made like the beasts, and
/ his dwelling was with the wild asses:
/ they fed him with grass like oxen, ana
his body was wet with the dew of
heaven: till he knew that the most high
God ruled in the kingdom OF nee. and
that he aDpointeth over it whomsoever
he viii.
And thou his son. o Belshazzar, hast
not humbled thine heart. though thou
knewest all this; but thou hast lifted up
| thyself against the Lord of heaven; and
they have brought the vessels OF his
house before thee, and thou. and thy
| lords, thy wives. and thy coneubines,
have drunk wine in them; and thou hast
praised thy gods of silver and gold, of
brass. iron, wood and stone. which see
not. nor hear. nor know: and the God
/ in whose hand thy breath is, and whose
are all thy ways, hast thou not glOri-
| fed"
Then comes the condemnation: God
hath numbered thy kingdom and fin
ished it. Thou art weighed in the bal
ances and art found wanting Thy
kingdom is divided. and given TO TIE
I A1edes and Persians.
/ 'In that night" continues the account
was Belshazzar, the king of the Chal-
deans. slain. and Darius the Median
/ took the kingdom"
I Men today are just as sinful in their
way as was Belshazzar. and they are
punished Just as surely. Present day
rulers or officials are defeated or lose
their power, as everyone knows. Kings
/ in the financial world have recently been
/ dethroned. The happiness OF men in
the every day walks of life is interfered
with because of their wrong doing
| Men are responsible to their Creator,
the God in whose hand thy breath is,
and whose are all thy ways Warn
/ ings are not given in these modern
times IN as spectacular a manner as
was that TO Belshazzar. because the
I warnings are on every side if men will
but see them. but the warnings and
the Dunishments come today Just as
surely as in the days of Babylon.