The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-09-21
sunday SCHOOL.
Lesson XlII.-Third Quarter, For
Sept. "a, 1911.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.


by Rev. D. M. Stearns.
These historical lessons from the
book of Daniel are most fascinating
and most practically helpful, mas
much as the God Of Daniel and his
friends is none other than our Lord
Jesus Christ, who is the same yester-
day, today and forever and always |
ready to hold strongly with all whose
hearts are wholly for Him, not keep
ing us from trials, but manifesting |
His presence with us in the trial and
bringing us through to His glory.
Men and women who believe God
were never more needed than now.
Oh. for a testimony such as was
given concerning Daniel. r7,;l by his
enemies! We shall not tind any occa-
sion against him, except we find 1t
concerning the law of his God (verses
4, 81. Knowing something of his hab
it of prayer, they asked the king to
sign decree that no one should ASK
a Petition Of any god or man save
Darius for thirty days under penalty
of being cast to the lions.
Although Daniel knew the decree
had been signed, he kept on as afore-
time, kneeling upon his knees in
prayer three times a day, with his
windows open toward Jerusalem, re-
Numbering l Kings viii. 47-49. His
enemies did not need to watch long in
order to catch him in their net, and
the king was promptly informed that
that Daniel Of the captivity of Judah
regardeth not thee, o king, nor the
decree that thou hast signed Verse
! 49,. If the king had not before seen
| the design of his presidents and
princes against Daniel he saw it now
and was sore displeased, not with
Daniel, but with himself that he had
not seen through this plot before sign
ing the decree.
He labored in vain to deliver his
prime minister, whom he evidently
esteemed and loved, but even the law
of God, which is holy and just and
good, cannot save any one, much less
this law of the Modes and Persians,
which was only a great iniquity. Our
4 dehverance from the condemnation of
the holy law of God is accomplished
only by a sinless person taking the
place of the guilty and suffering in
cur stead Oh Cor. V, 81; Rom. iii.
1924; X, a.
We do not read that Darius so loved
Daniel that he gave himself for him
and went to the den of lions in his
stead, but we do read just that vir-
tually of Jesus Christ q Pet. ii, "a;
Gal. ii, 20, l. c.). Daniel was cast to
the lions probably not very gently. a
stone laid upon the mouth Of the den
and sealed with the signet of the
king and his lords Imagine the re-
joicing on the part of his enemies be
cause they We're now rid of him, and
: no doubt they ridicuied the God OF
Daniel who could not deliver him
t from the lions nor from their power
!, After night of sleeplessness and
S fasting very early in the morning the
i king is found at the den of lions call
Ing aloud to Daniel if perchance he
, may still be alive. Surely Darius
> must have learned something of the
power of Daniels God to be able t.
v imagine such thing possible and tt
# encourage him as he did on his way
to the den. With what joy and graf
ituda the king must have heard thu
voice of Daniel and the words, M.
God hath sent His angel and hail
shut the lions mouths that they hay'
| not hurt me- (2O.
} So Daniel was taken up out of th
d den, and no manner of hurt was foun'
4. upon him because he believed in hi
lie God (20.
,. Thus shall it be in the morning 0
= the first resurrection. No matte
" what the saints have suffered here il
their mortal bodies. the Resurrection
% body will be perfect, for we shall b
J like Him Il John iii, y. The accuser
at Of Daniel were then cast into the de
IN of lions. with their wives and chi
dren, and there was no deliveranc
NJ for them.
% AS to the righteous and the wicked
we read in Ps. Xix, A. that til
in the morning. Study the mornin
deliverances of Scripture, but not
that there will be no morning for til
g enemies of God Qsa. viii, 20. r. Y.
ne In verses % to q see how by a worlt
I'd wide decree the living God. the Go
of of Daniel, was magnified. How tel
II, ing are the words in verse %, $50 TIL
er Daniel prospered," and according
the last sentence in his book we sha
find him in his appointed place in IL
kingdom-that kingdom under tt
whole heaven which is to be given
oe the people of the saints of the Mo-
~. High, when all dominions shall ser,
% and obey Him dan. vii, 20. TIL;
he will be after or in connection with Il
overthrow of all the kingdoms of til
world, as set forth in Dan. ii and v
. The great self exalting. God defyii
4 nntichrist shall come to his end, al
u none shall help him dan. xi, 1888. 40
de Then shall 1.-THE stone without h
man aid break in pieces the wor
powers and fill the earth with kin
dom of peace and righteousness. al
10 the enemies of the Lord shall peri.
as truly as did Daniels enemies iDa
ii. "a. 1914; vii, GA; II Thess. i, tit
n The Messiah has been cut off witho
receiving His kingdom, but at the el
of the SEVENTEEN week everlastil
). Righteousness shall be the portion
Daniels people Dan. tx, 24-27; lisa.
j. n; xXxii, LII: Jer xiii, ), g..