The Yale expositor., 1905-09-15
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON XII, THIRD QUARTER, INTER.
NATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. II.


We should be indeed grateful for
three lessons from the wonderful book
of Daniel, but more would have been
better. Notice our Lords Endorsement
xiv, 10, and also Daniels associa-
ton with Noah and Job in Eek. xiv,
IA, 90 Sir Isaac Newton said, "He
who denies Daniels prophecies un.
dermiRes Christianity, which is found.
cd on Daniels prophecies concerning
Christ" The time had come, foreseen
by God from all eternity when the
dearly beloved of His soul DER. xii, q
should be given into the hand of her
enemies, and the times Of the gen
tiles begin, the seven times during
which He would punish them for their
sins as He had said Uev. XVI, IS, 81,
"a, 2S). There is every reason to be.
lieve that we are now near the full.
filling of the times Of the gentileS of
which our Lord spoke in Luke xxi
81, and consequently the time Of ever
lasting righteousness for Daniels PEG.
pie (Dan. ix, 24).
Believers are somewhat like Daniel
at Babylon, in the world, but MT of it.
and from him and his compan. Jns we
may learn how we should live IN these
evil days Of this present evil age. IL
whatever part of the Bible we may
we must always note, and those are
God working and the devil working
and they work, as a rule, through
visible agencies such as people and
circumstances, but also by invisible
agencies (Eph. vi, u; Heb. i, II; Dan,
y, u, 80.
The book opens with the record OF
Jehoiakim, the king who cut and
burned the word of God DER. xXXvi,
23), given into the hands of the king
of Babylon by the Lord who doeth &C.
cording to His will both in heaven
and on earth chapters i, ii; iy, 3J).
Among the captives of Judah are
found Daniel and his companions
and they are chosen to be trained and
taught that in due time they may
stand before the king among his
wise men. While being taught the
wisdom Of the Chaldeans they are tc
be nourished with food and wine
from the kings table, but Daniel de-
termined that he and his companions
would not defile themselves with food
which had been offered to idols, they
being worshipers of the only living
and true God and believing that what
is not offered to Him is offered to
demons Uev. xvii, Z; Deut. xxi, II;
/ Cor. X, POI.
All true believers are commanded t.
do all things, even to eating and drink
ing, to the glory of God Il Cor. Y, 81,
ana this one command covers the
whole temperance question for the
Christian. Daniel coveted to please
God above all things, and lie knew
that the worlds dainties would not
help him to know the secret Of the
Lord, which is only with them that
fear Him. There was probably Il
thought in Daniel's mind as TO how he
would be delivered from partaking of
the food from the kings table, but he
no doubt talked with God about it be,
fore he talked with the prince of the
eunuchs, and God gave him the favor
Of the prince Verse 81. when q
mans ways please the Lord, He
maketh even his enemies to be at
peace with him" prov. xxx, 30. See
also Gen. xxx, 81; ii Chron. xvi, o.
Acts vii, 8, 10.
The fear which the prince of the
eunuchs had is a very common one,
but the child of God should have no
fear of aught but grieving God. See
John iv, Is; ii Tim. /, z; Heb. Ii, 10;
Gen. XIV, /.
Daniel felt that he could ask the
blessing of God upon the food on
which he proposed to live, and moth
ing can compare with the blessing of
God which maketh rich and carries
no sorrow with it, or, according to the
II. v, margin, to which toll addeth
nothing. Those who honor God He
will honor q Sam. ii, 80; John xii, 26),
and we may be sure that If we make
His service our delight He'll make our
wants His care. We are not sur
prised, therefore, to find that at the
end Of the ten days the countenances
of Daniel and his companions were
fairer and fatter in flesh than all the
others who ate the portion of the
kings meat. Special health of body
was one of Gods promises to the
faithful in Israel QIx. XIV, &c; Deut
vii, 10; Jer. Xxxiii, o., and In Rom.
viii, II. it is possible that there is
something for us on the same line. 1t
is true that the great atonement covers
the body as well as the soul, but we
cannot have the redemption of the
body till Jesus comes again Qom. wifi,
%; Phil. iii. 20, 21; John iii, y.
Glorious foretastes of the new body
are granted TO us even here. and the
bodies of some who lived in sin be-
come so changed by the grace of God
as hardly to seem the same. Note in
verse IL the knowledge and skill in all
learning and wisdom which God gave
unto them. No doubt they studied
diligently, but He that is perfect In
knowledge was with them dob xxxvi,