The Morris County chronicle., 1905-10-03
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR OCTOBER 8.

Subject; Daniel in the Lions Den, Dan.
vi. 1O-1s-CsoIden Text, Psa. xxxIv., =
--Memory Verses, 21-23-Commentary
on the DAYS Lesson.
I. Daniel praying ". 10). u
10. When Daniel knew, etc. DAM
iel knew that the kings edicts were
irreversible. "Open-toward Jerusa-
lem This was not an act OF super
stition, but a recognition of Gods
promise to Solomon q Kings 8:35-44).
who had in his prayer at the dedica-
ton of the temple entreated God to
hear the prayers of those who might
be in strange lands or in captivity
when they should turn their faces to-
ward their own land and city and the
temple 1t was an aid to the spirit Of
devotion. "Kneeled." Compare u
Kings 1854; Ezra 9:5; Eph. 3:14.
Kneeling is fitting attitude for huns
bic prayer Three times day." See
Psa. 55:17 The three hours of prayer
were the same as the hours Of sacrifice
in the temple AS he did aforetime"
He did not swerve a hairs breadth.
he could have prayed in secret and
been heard, but that course would have
been a public confession of want OF
faith in God and of yielding to the en-
emy. Daniel simply went on his daily
path of life, as if no such order had
been given. There was no time when
he needed to pray more than at this
time.
II. Wicked men plotting Tvs. 11-15).
II. These men" The princes who
had been plotting against Daniel.
Assembled Ran hastily, so as to
come upon Daniel suddenly and detect
him in the act They had heard his
voice and now rushed in upon HIM
II. "Law-which altereth not" 1t
was quite common in ancient times to
worship the king. To alter the law
would be confession of fallibility,
and an abrogation of godhead
13. That Daniel etc. The accus-
ers do not mention the high official sta
ton of Daniel and his intimate official
relations with the king, but merely re-
fer to his foreign birth in order that
they may thereby bring his conduct
under the suspicion of being political
act of rebellion against the royal au-
thority. IA. ''Sore displeased.s Vexed
at thus being overreached; for he saw
that it was enmity toward Daniel and
not anxiety for the maintenance of his
authority which had led to the plot.
.Labored" Endeavoring to find some
way to evade the execution of the SEN
tence. Is. Know, 0 king" Their
tone was. masterful now, for they felt
able to compel the king to work their
will Kings are the slaves of their
fiatterers. THESE wicked men were
determined to get rid of the holy Dam
ieI They hated him.
III. Daniel among the lions Tvs. 16-
49, 16 "They brought Daniel" Ac-
cording to Oriental custom the SEN
tence was carried out on the evening
of the same day in which the accusa-
tion was made. Thy Goodwill de-
liver" The heather believed in the
interposition of the gods in times of
calamity. While Darius did not rec
ognize Daniels God as the true God,
yet he was "a god" and Daniels char
acter was such that the king believed
his God would deliver him. IL.
Sealed it," In the days when very
few could read or write signets were
used instead of writing the name. is.
Passed the night fasting" The soul
of the pleasure-loving king was so
stirred that he had no care for food or
sleep. His grief was greatly increased
by his consciousness that this evil
came from his own weakness and sin.
Nv. Daniel's deliverance Tvs. 1929.
10. Went in haste" A strange spec
tacle for monarch of the world thus
to be attending upon condemned SER
want of God Yet the king had never
appeared to such good advantage
20 "Lamentable voice." Deeply dis
tressed and in an agony of anxiety.
He cried out between hope and fear
Servant of the living God" Darius
borrowed this phrase from Daniel
God extorted from an idolater a con-
fession of the truth lis thy God
able" Full of concern, he trembles to
ask the question, fearing to be an
swered with the roaring of the lions
after more prey 81 20 king, live
forever" The common salutation in
addressing king. Daniel might have
indulged in anger at the king, but did
not. His sole thought was that Gods
glory had been set forth in his deliver
ance. %. Sent His angel" Daniel
had company in the den of lions. There
was no music nor gladness in the pail
ece, but celestial joy in the intercourse
between Daniel and the angel in the
den. Daniel takes care to ascribe his
deliverance to the living God, that He
may not be confounded with the false
gods of the heather. He speaks of the
angel as Gods instrument, not the au-
thor of his deliyerance "Shut the
lions mouths" Angels had held the
lions jaws and paws and made them
peaceable companions and harmless as
doves. This was a new and wonderful
experience for Daniel He delighted
to relate it to the king, whose voice be-
trayed his agony. "Innocency was
found" BY this wonderful deliver
ance Daniel learned how God esti-
mated faithfulness and how He is
pleased to reward it, God had shown
Daniel that his disobedience to a
heather king was not sin. He had
been faithful in what he believed to
be right, and in the test God declared
him innocent by his wonderful deliv-
erance. mo hurt" Daniel had been
misrepresented before the king as hav-
ing evil designs against his authority,
but to the king himself Daniel de-
cares he could not be guilty of such
designs when he was faithful to his
Col
%. Exceeding glad" That the evil
consequences of his folly had been
warded off that his best counselor.
was left to stand at the head Of his
government,
mustacnc more unan . nara A-onE.
Among the immigrants arriving on
the German steamship Hanover was
-