Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1905-09-28
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR OCTOBER I;
Subject: Daniel and Belshassar. Dan. W
3O-Golden Text. Psa. xxxiv., 16-
Memory Verses, 20, so - Commentary
Oh the Days Lesson.


17.3O-Golden Text. Psa. xx1'v.' l6-
OH the Days Lesson.
I. The handwriting on the wall
Belshazzar, only sixteen or seventeen
years old, was the ruling king in the
city of Babylon. Secure within his
defenses, he felt confident of safety,
and therefore engaged in revclry ut a
feast which he made to a thousand of
his lords. In his drunken folly and
wickedness he called for the golden
and silver vessels which had been
taken from the temple ut Jerusalem,
that he might drink from them rs
token that his gods had given victory
over the God of the Jews. During
this prOfane revelry a hand appeared
and wrote upon the wall. This filed
the king with fears, and he declared
that the wise man who should inter
pret the meaning should be clothed
with scarlet and have chain of gold,
and be third ruler in the Kingdom.
When all had failed, the queen, moth
err of Belshazzar, came In and per-
suaded her son to send for Daniel, to
whom, when he came. the king repeat
ed his promise made to the wise men.
III. Daniel reproving the king Tvs.
1924. II. "Let thy gifts by to thy
self" Daniel as a prophet of God
cares nothing for any reward this
king can give, nor does he fear him.
IS. "Thc most high God" Whom
Daniel proclaimed as the only God. and
whose power ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS had rec
Ognized in the deliverance of the He.
brews out of the furnace. "Thy faith
err" Grandfather. Majesty" In the
eyes of his subjects. GLORY" From
his victories. Honor" From the EN-
largement and decoration of the city.
~. "Whom he would lie slew" In
Observation-Disclosures he condemned
or acquitted at pleasure. and in dis
pensing rewards he granted or denied
prcforments. 90 Heart was lifted
up" In pride and arrogance. wilfnl
and obstinate. "Deposed." This oc-
cured not by the rebellion of his peo-
pie, but by the direct visitation OF
God. He became insane.
u. "He was driven" The madness
that fell upon him induced him to for
sake society and to run to the woods
and deserts, where he lived like a wild
beast. % "Thou-hast not humbled.'
Thou hast sinned, not through ignor-
ance, but through deliberate contempt
of God. regardless of all warning. %.
Against the Lord" AS If thou hadst
been equal or even superior to Him In
wisdom and power. "NeSseis OF his
house." From the temple OF Bel,
where they have been treasured up
since the conqueror had carried them
from Jerusalem. The thirty chargers
and thirty vases of gold which had
been made fer The temple Of Solomon.
and had continued there till the cap
tivity Of JehOiachin, and the thousand
chargers and the four hundred basins
of silver by which Iedekiah had sup
piled their place. and which were car
ried away in the final deportation
They prOfaned these vessels to show
their contempt for Jehovah. 1t was
an open insult to the Almighty. "a.
"Hand sent from Him." From God.
III. Daniel interpreting the writing
Tvs. 25-2S,. %. "The writing" The
words We're Aramaic. with letters like
the Hebrew. Why could not the wise
men read them? Perhaps they could
read the words, but were not able or
did not dare. to explain their meaning.
70. Meme" This word is repeated to
give emphasis. 1t comes from word
meaning to number, to count The
days of the empire were counted out in
full. The soldiers Of the conqueror
were awaiting outside and would de-
strOy it before morning. -. "Tekel.'
Which means weighed (hence a shekel
which was originally certain weight.
1t resembles word which signifies
Eight" light of weight, like coun.
terfeit coin. The application Is that
Belshazznr had been weighed as to his
moral character and actions, and had
been found wanting. Of light weight
He had not come up to the standard
required. God had tested him and he
had failed
%. "Percs." This is the singular,
while upharsin is the plura. Of the
same word with gu" which means
"and," prefixed. 1t is given in verse
% in the plural for emphasis. just as
"mene" is doubled. 1t means divided,
slams, and suggests them. rs divid.
ed" Not divided into two parts but
broken into pieces, destroyed. "Medes.'
Media was large country lying east
of the Caspian Sea.
". Daniel rewarded ". 20. -.
"With scarlet" etc. These carried
with them rank and power. "Third
ruler" Next to Belshazzar, who was
second. Nabonidus. the king. was first.
V. The king slain ". 30) 80. ''In that
night" 1t must be understood that the
River Euphrates flowed through the
midst of Babylon. Cyrus for some
time had been planning to draw away
the water Of the river and enter the
city through the bed of the river
When all was prepared he waited for
the great feast. When it came all the
leaders were reveling in the palace.
Elsewhere the population was occupied
with feasting and dancing tJer. 81:
39). Drunken riot and mad excitement
held possession of the town; the siege
was forgotten; ordinary precautions, as
the closing of the river gates USa. 40:
~. were neglected. The undefended
gateways were seized; war shout
was raised: the alarm was spread.
The drunken jewellers could make no
resistance. The king. paralyZed with
fear at the handwriting which had
warned him Of his peril, could do moth
ing to check the progress Of the assail-
ants, who carried all before them
everywhere. Bursting into the palace
a band of Persians made their way
into the presence Of the king and slew