The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1905-09-29
DANIEL IN
BELSHAZZAR
Sunday School Lesson Tor 0ci !. 1905
Specially Prepared for This Paper

LESSON TEXT.-Danel 5:l7-30 Mem
DRY Verses 20 80
GOLDEN TENT THE face OF the Lord
is against them that do eYil.-Psalm 1915
TIME.-B. G. $50. Prof. Beecher PAGES II
IN June orearlier II was In the latter period
of the Exile. Compare verse q with Daniel
81.
PLACE.-Babylon on the Euphrates.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES Isa.
45:1-6 tells Of guidance Of Cyrus Isa -; IA /;
2l:l-9; 4S:l4-l7; i61, 2, 9-l3 tell of the over
throw of Baby lon. Jer. 80 and 81 represent
the destruction of Babylon.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
INTRODUCTORY - We are now
drawing near to the close of the 10
years dating from the beginning OF the
captivities b. G. 606-4) for which period
Jeremiah had foretold that the exile
should continue (Jer, l5:12). The ex-
lies gradually acquired lands and
houses, they lived in separate commun-
tiles, and were apparently allowed to
maintain TO some extent the social Gus
toms and organizations of their native
land Geek ST.; 14:D ."-Ottley Ma
tive qualities soon brought the Jews TO
the front in whatever land they were
thrown. Prof. Il. I. Harper. Jere-
miahs prophecies still peryaded the
moral atmosphere. Ezekiels voice was
heard through the nation. The glorious
visions and prophecies of the later chap
tiers of Isaiah were stirring the hearts
OF the faithful with hope and faith and
courage We now come to the provden-
tial movements which made the return
possible. A new king and new policy,
now took possession of the empire that
held the Jews captive. Cyrus, the
Persian. conquered Babylon The
nominal king of Babylon at this time
was Nabonidus. He was a most scholar
ly man rather than ruler, interested in
his country's institutions and making
most valuable records on clay cylinders.
There is. says Mr.. Pinches, every prob
ability that BelshazZar the son Of Ma
bonidus. was the real ruler" We have
learned about Belshazzar from these
tablets and inscriptions lately discov-
cred in the ruins of Babylon. Cyrus the
conqueror of Babylon, the king of Elan,
Media and Persia, appears on the hOri-
zon at this time advancing toward
Babylon, in his victorious career. with
his wide-extended troops. whose num-
bers like the waters of a river could not
be known" He entered Babylon with
out fighting. which agrees with both
Herodotus and Daniel
BelshazZar's Great Feast.-BelshaZ-
Ear Yss youth flushed with the excite
ment of almost uncontrolled power.
Even while Cyrus was approaching with
his victorious army. the young man,
secure in the unrivaled strength of his
city defenses. made great feast TO a
thousand of the mobiles, probably in
Esagila. the magnificent temple Of
Belus, within the walls of Babylon. II
was a wonder of the world The walls
were rich with images of the Chaldeans
painted in vermilion and exceeding in
dyed attire" on goodly horses, like
those on the frieze of the Acropolis.-
From Farrar.
V. Il. Let thy gifts be TO myself"
Keep them. do what you will with them
Daniel will speak Gods truth without
fear or favor, and the rich presents the
king offered can have no influence what
ever.
VS.. 1922 The most high God gave
Nebuchadnezzar: The true God Is
shown to be over all and above all. And
thou hast not humbled thine
heart" etc. You have not sinned
through ignorance, but have gone on in
G wicked course in spite of. in defiance
Of, Gods lessons of warning
V. 90. But hast lifted up myself"
Exalted thyself as if thou couldst defy
and disobey with impunity the Lord of
Heaven.
V. 20. This is the writing" The
words are of the Aramaic (called Chal-
dee in A. W language, with letters like
the Hebrew. This language was ia
miliar in Babylon at that time
V. % Meme" repeated for the sake
of emphasis); God hath numbered thy
kingdom and finished it," God had put
a definite limit to the number of years
the kingdom should last, and that num-
Der was now complete.
V. %. "Tekel; thou. art weighed in
the balances: as TO his moral charac-
ter and actions, and been found wanting
of light weight like counterfeit coin,
or one that did not come up to the
standard required God had tested him.
and he had failed.
" 2S. "Peres" (the singular of the
word "Upharsin," in " %. the prefix
II" meaning and. 1t is the same as if
"Peres" was written twice. like Meme"
for emphasis).
V. 29. Clothed Daniel with scarlet"
The royal purple Third ruler in the
kingdom: Either, one of three; OK.
more probably, next under Belshazzar,
who was the second. being under his
father. Nabonidus, the king over all.
Thus the Persian conquerors found
Daniel. the Jew. not in obscure retire |
ment, but occupying the position of an
active statesman. and in position to
help his eXiled countrymen.
V. 30. In that night was Belshazzar |
. slain" Swift and sudden came !
the fOrptOld doom