The Red Cloud chief., 1911-11-09
BELSHAZZAR'S
FEAST AND FATE
LESSON TnxT-Danisi &
Soias SsAssl lsssss e. ~. u. 1911
SpssAany Arranged iss This Papss

LESSON TNxT-Danisl &
MEMORY vnR0Ne-0. -.
GOLDEN TEXT-''0od shall bring -
|sry work into Judgment. With every 80
|crSt thing. whether Il b good or whsthsP
he be svil"-Eccl i:ll.
TiMEI-The event described belongs 70
lthe last years Of tho exile. b. G. -
when Babylon was taken BY Cyrus ana
The decree Of return. and the first rs-
turn, occurred . year or two later.
| PLACE-Babyion the capital, enlarss0s
beautifed and fortified by Nebuchadnss-
| 0Ar.
Under the great Nebuchadnezzar
Babylon rose In grandeur. power ano
extent, till II became the most mag.
nincent and beautiful city of anti.
guilty. In those days Babylon was the
metropolis Of tho world, the center OF
commerce. art and wisdom. The
wealth OF the world poured into its
Golfers. Babylon was the strongest
fortress In all the world. Belshazzar
was the acting king OF Babylon at tho
time Of this lesson. while his father
Nabonidus was the nominal and legal
king who lived and warred outside OF
the city.
Cyrus had been advancing toward
Babylon. He gained decisive victory
over Nabonidus. on his way to the
capital. and his army entered the city
without fighting. and peace was pro-
claimed. A portion Of the city. prob.
ably the citadel including the royal
palace. held out for some time. being
occupied by tho army OF Belshazxar
as a rallying place. Two or three
weeks later Cyrus made his triumphal
entry into tho city. Seven days later.
the general OF Cyrus stormed that
part of Babylon which had held out
against his army. and on that night
Belshazzar was slain. It was during
this week that Belshaxzer made
magnificent banquet to encourage his
generals and princes in their struggle
with the Medo-Persian foe.
At his feast. therefore. Belshazzar
sought to remind his warriors Of the
old campaigns their forefathers had
fought. He had In his possession the
treasures which these forefathers had
carried from Jerusalem when they
conquered Israel and. as It seemed to
| tueul, IbIdcl - JouOVdus AAAo SOuNoSs
thus was not merely that OF drunk
On debauchee, but partly Of q cool
politician, when amid tho applause OF
q thousand courtiers and army com
manders he ordered the sacred YES
sells of the Temple Of Jerusalem to be
, brought into the hall Of feasting. Such
o scene would MI the hearts Of the
, wine-inflamed warriors and mobiles te
: overnowing with daring. and also
> bring q worthy occasion for the di
, vine Interference to encourage MI
. people ON the eve Of their deliver
!. ance.
? In tho midst Of tho carousal. th'
: king saw the fingers Of mans hant
). writing strange words. letters Of fat
/. and characters OF fear" on tho wal
I In the full blaze Of the candlestick
: perhaps the great golden candlesticl
taken from the temple. There Il
something blood.curdling In the visi
. bility Of but part Of the hand and
it, busy writing.
> Belshazxar. In his terror and horror
!. summoned his wise men TO- declare
Z what the strange apparition and th'
. blazing letters meant, and promises
= great rewards to the one who shoul<
interpret them; but all failed. Eithel
they could not make sense Of the lot
ters, or could not perceive what mean
Ing they had.
:. Then tho queen mother. mother o
r. Belshazxar, came In and spoke Q
h Daniel a. one who had shown grea
k gifts at Interpretation to his grandfs
b ther NebuchadneExar. Il took plac
Il before this boy king was born, and ht
,s naturally. knew nothing about tn
It story. Daniel was sent for. and cam
ID into the festival hall. He heard th
a. kings offer, and spurning II. spok
q brave and true words which migh
ID easily cost him his life. He told th
- story OF Nebuchadnexzars fall frol
n. the height Of pride. and accused hill
AZ Of dishonoring the true God. Then b
of Interpreted the message written o
a. the palace walls: "Thou art weighs
ly In the balances and found wanting"
"a The want of religious restraints an
n motives, exposes ono undefended
a, the powers OF temptation. Belshaxxa
~ would enrich the splendor Of his feai
a BY the sacred goblets and dishes
hs gold that Nebuchadnesxar had take
al from the temple at Jerusalem. The
~ were brought. and made to be instr
N ments for drunken revelry and lus
q, and worship Of idols. thus declarin
that the idols had given them the VI
tory over the God of the Jews.
The social power Of the wine cul
Its connection with feasting. conrad
ship. hospitality. good cheer. 10 one
it. its most dangerous attractions. An
one of tho chief defences against Il
ut power lies In showing that good chez
ok Fellowship. sociability. eating togethe
is may be enjoyed In the highest degr'
in where men "eat and drink and
In communion sweet quar- immortal
tn and Joy" without the fascination
IN the wine cup.