The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-09-07
Lesson xI.-Third Quarter, For
Sept. 10, 1911.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, Dan. i, 8-2o-Mem-
DRY Verses, 8, Golden Text, Rom.
xiv, 21-commentary Prepared by
Rev, D, M, Stearns.

K, 43: Rev. XIX, I'D. Inc l-oiu H''
told the prophets all that He intends
to do, and prophecy is therefore
light in a dark place to show US the
way we are going amos ill., Z; Ii iet.
/. 1920. Our blessed Lord is just
the same as when on the way to EN-
maus, and the same evening in the
midst of the disciples He opened TO
them in all the Scriptures the things
concerning Himself Q.u!1" xiv, 2o-2''
444t;,. and He still loves To so,
In one of His discourses He men,
toned the prophet Daniel, and the
prophet Ezekiel also mentions him by
name Matt. xiv, Is; Eek. xiv, IA.
Ezekiel and Daniel were both among
the captives in Babylon for their good
and the good of others der xiv. 40.
They were the Lords messengers, ana
In them was seen the wisdom ana
power of the true and living God as
contrastcd with the wisdom Of this
world. l find it helpful to my own
soul to watch God working and to re
member tha' He is as ready now to
work for His glory in those who are
wholly His as were Daniel and his
friends.
Notice in verses g 8, II, of our les
son chapter that it was the Lord who
gave the king of Judah into the hands
of the king of Babylon. He also
brought Daniel into favor with the
prince of the ennuchs and gave to him
and his friends knowledge and skill in
all learning and wisdom. "Whatso
ever the Lord pleased that did He"
HE doeth according to His will in the
army of heaven and among the inhab-
itants of the earth" "He worketh
all things after the counsel of His own
| will" Cps. cxxxv, 6; Eph. /, IL.
| These young men were chosen to
stand before the king of Babylon
(verse g. but they never forgot that
they alway. stood before Il much
greater King even the Lord, the King
of Israel (Zeph. iii, 15). Their beautl-
full names signifying God is my judge
Jehovah is gracious, who is as God is,
jehovah my keeper, might be covered
by idolatrous names, but what men
might call them did not affect theil
standing before God.
Even in the matter of eating and
drinking we are to glorify God and
not be conformed to the age in which
we live Il Cor. x, 81; Rom. xii. l, y
so Daniel purposed in his heart that
he would not defile himself with food
offered to idols Verse 8. In this
matter God wrought for them, mo-
only giving them favor with those Sc
over them, but also causing them t.
thrive better on their plain food THAI
did the others who ate the portion o.
the kings meat (verses Q. IA, 15.
1t is not SO much the food we eat
either as to quantity or quality, as TIN
blessing of God upon it. On one DC
cason our Lord taught that mot tina
. which goeth into the mouth detilath
man." and so Paul wrote, Il know
and am persuaded by the Lord Jesu
that there is nothing unclean of itself
AIatt. XIV, II; Rom. xiv, ~. Ordinarl
ly we are to eat what is set before us
asking no questions, but in Daniel
case it was matter of sanctionin
idolatry or standing for the true Goo
and when with us under any circun
stances it becomes a question of Go
| or the devil there is only one thing I
, do. We cannot drink the cup of tn
! Lord and the cup of demons q Coz
X. 2D.
: We are not to imagine that God CAV
them knowledge and skill i'll all learr
S ing and wisdom verse IN apart froI
j study OH their part, whether it wa
e the wisdom of Egypt or the wisdol
!, from above, which is first pure, the
> peaceable. gentle and easy to be el
treated JAS. iii, 10. Some of us ca
" almost imagine with what relief an
+ JOY they would turn from the book
of Egypt to the book Of the law of ii
Lord and how there would be FUTILE
to them. blessed are they that HUI
: ger and thirst after righteousness, II
they shall be filed The natural ma
5, can grasp the wisdom of this worl
J, but the things of God knoweth I
~ man, but the spirit of God. In his u
= derstanding of visions and dreams ais
e he would doubtless profit by the e
d perience of Joseph and the ability 81
D, en- to him and to others.
y With what sublime confidence
+, God he said to the king in connectit
:. with his first dream that if time w
~ granted to him he would show the i
r depreciation and how gloriously CT
:, honored his faith by revealing to hi
v. the secret in vision Of the mig
Chapter II, 1919. See In chapter
%. %, Al, how he honored God, WI
revealed to him the secret. and he
q, because Of this the king honored G,
~ p, also as the God of gods and a Lord
~ kings.
in So God was glorified in DAM
v, "And Daniel continued" Verse ,
ut There is most profitable mediate
J. in those words, and we are remind
le of Acts XVI. %, Having thereto
. obtained help of God, continue UT
r this day" Paul believed Moses n
=. the prophets just as Daniel did. a
W. in Dan. tx, 2. he tells us that he h
been studying the word of the Lord
Jeremiah. the prophet.