The Yale expositor., 1905-09-29
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON /, FOURTH QUARTER. INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, OCT. I.

Text Of the Lesson, Dan. v, 1870.
Memory Verses, 30, 3O-GoIden Text,
Pa xxxiv, 10-COmmentary Prcpar-
ed by Rev. ID. vi. Stearns.
copyright. 1905 by American Press Association. ]
DIR. Weston says that we have in the
Scriptures the account Of the conflict
between Christ and Satan for man and
mans Inheritance, the earth. 1t is true
also that everywhere in the book we
see God working or the devil. In this
book OF Daniel we see God working In
and through Daniel and his compan-
ions and also by holy angels. On the
side of the devil we see such as Bel
shazzar anG his companions and evil
angels who hindered Gabriel when on
his way to Daniel. / do not wonder
that the wisdom OF this world would
like to get rid of this special book, for
in three instances it sets forth the in
ability of learned men to understand
the things of God. In chapter ii they
could not tell the dream, in chapter iv
they could not interpret dream, and
III llllo ltHSOh lhCg 1Ohlh lNtih
nor interpret four words plainly writ
ten on the wall.
Before Daniel interpreted the words
he had little sermon for this wicked
king the last he would ever hear, for
in that night he was slain Verse 30
and went TO his own place Uui;e xvi,
90, 23). The name Most HiGI God"
&, IL, 4 xyg,-
Is, 10, In connection with this other
title, 1.-The possessOr of heaven and
earth" As such God ruleth in the
kingdom of men and giveth it to whom
soever he will dan. iv, II, %, 50, 34l.
Daniel reminded Belshazzar that this
Most High God had given his father all
the power and dominion that he pos
sessed, but that because Of his great
pride, boasting that he had built Baby
Ion by his own power and might Qv,
30), God had by very severe measures
humbled him and taught him to know
the true God.
Belshazzar knew all this. but instead
of proftlng by his fathers experience
and humblinS himself before God he
lifted up himself against the Lord Of
Heaven and contemptuously blasphem-
ed God. He did not believe that "a
mans pride shall bring him low" prov.
xxx, 23), perhaps did not know 1t, nor
that God resisteth the proud, but Civ
eth grace unto the humble JAS. Nv, g.
How apt we all are to fail to glorify
Him in whose hand our breath is and
whose are all our ways, In whom we
live and move and have our being who
directeth our steps Verse %; Acts xvii,
2S; Jer. X, %; Prov. xvi. ~. The word
to Israel is a good word for us: 'ThOu
shalt remember all the way which the
Lord thy God led thee. = Beware
that thou forget not the Lord thy God"
Oeut viii, 2, IL. We are here to hon
or and exalt Christ. but never self nor
humanity.
The person who wrote these words
upon the wall was not visible nor even
the hand that wrote. but just part Of
the hand-the fingers Oversees 3, 2D. 1t
was not the messenger. but the words,
that God wanted seen. 1t is not the
preacher, but the word Of God. that
does the work OF God. The writing up
on the tables Of testimony given to
Moses was done by the finger of God
(Ex. XXI, Is; xxi, 1G; Deut. TX, 10),
and the same finger wrote on the
ground when He was here as God
manifest in the flesh (John viii, g..
The time Of the duration ofalltheking-
doms of this world is fixed by God. and
the time that the Babylonian kingdom
should rule was made known to Jere-
miah before Judah was carried captive
Jer. xvii, 40. 1t is only when the
kingdoms of this world shall have be-
come the kingdom of our Lord and Of
His Christ that the world shall see
kingdom without end Rev. xi, 1j). The
Lord weighs our actions, our paths,
our spirits q Sam. ii, 3; lisa. XVI, Z;
Prov. xvi, y, and estimates all things
at their true value In His sight. The
widows two mites were of more value,
according to His valuation, than all the
gifts of the rich that day. 1t Is pos
sible that the seemingly good works Of
His redeemed people may be only as
hay, wood and stubble In His sight,
fit only to be burned up q Cor ILL., IA,
15). When it is God who worketh In
us, both to will and to do Of His good
pleasure Phil. ii, 49,. then the works
will stand; all else must perish.
The visions of the second and tho
seventh chapters, the one given to
man of this world and the other to
Daniel. n man of God, are identical and
set forth clearly the succession Of these
kingdoms. In chapter ii Babylon is the
head OF gold and Medo-Persia the
breast and arms of silver In chapter
vii the same two are represented by
the lion with eagles wings and the
bear with the three ribs In its mouth
In chapter viii the second of these two
Is represented by a ram with two
horns, hlrmlcss, domestic animal.
suggesting the friendllncss of the Modes
end Persians TO Danicrs people. Note
from chapters vii, 1: viii, 1. that these
two chapters precede the one of our
lesson in the order Of time Note also
that TO n man of the world like the