Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-09-15

Daniels three friends were better
known by their heather names than
by the real names. Shadrach. Meshach
and Abednego will always be ASSOCIATE
ed in the minds of men with pluck and
backbone. 1t is rather the irony of
fate that they should be known by
their heather names, when they resist
ed so boldly every effort that was
made to make idolaters Of them.
1t was some 10 years after their
captivity when Nebuchadnezzar had
completely conquered Judah and had
just closed his Syrian campaign. that
these men were put to the test Of their
loyalty to God. which they so coura-
geously and gloriously met
Predujice and Persecution
Nebuchadnezzar had become the mas
ter of the world; no nation had been
able to stand against him. and at the
close of his Syrian and Judean cam
paign he determined TO memorable his
successes in what he believed to be a
fitting way. He had some ground to
his people, for in the Syr-
ian campaign one of the cities had re-
sisted for Is years before the siege
had finally been lifted, and the city
surrendered. Jerusalem, which was
well nigh impregnables had been taken
homage to this man, whose seat was in
Babylon. He, therefore, had erected in
the plane of Dura, near Babylon. an
image in gold, thought by some to be
a statue of Bel, and by others to have
been a statue of Nebuchadnezzar him
self The statue was 80 feet high, and
feet from the front to back, and
made of gold. 1t must have been
magnifcent sight as in dazzling splen-
dor 1t reflected the beams of midday
sun.
when the statue was finished de-
cres was issued, that every one in the
kingdom should bow down and wor-
ship this Image. Probably the King
reason for this decree was political as
largely as memorial BY making all
Of his subjects worship the same I'M
ope he could cement them, he thought,
into one united whole. He desired not
not only to control the bodies OF ms
people and the nations whom he hao
conquered, but their worship also.
This was not a hard thing for the
pahv1onIaAs to do, for where they had
90 MANY gods, the addition OF one oth-
sr would not interfere with their wor-
shin whatever. Each nation was sup
nosed to have it's own god, and the Jew
erIy stood for the worship of one Coo
other nations were polytheists; the
lew alone was mhonotheistic.
have no doubt that a good many OF
the captured Jews complied witD the
decree There were three, however, VINO
Ala not. these were Daniels frlenos-
Neither did Daniel bow down ana Wor-
shin that image. The most piauslOcle
exclamation of this is that Danlei as
nrime minister was in. another part Oh
the kingdom attending to state business.
The order to bow down made those wno
did not more conspicuous anu mo-
easily detected. This gave tne SAL ~ -
and other dignitaries an opportunity 70
that shedroch. Meshech and Abed-
49,, mad disobeyed the king. These men
VA heer Jealous of these captive jews
a,,sr since they had been placed In q
.,r,si4ior NJ prominence and authority
ever them. Here was an opportunity 70
vent their splein against them. lhes
Ios+ M time in informing the king OF
The disobedience and ingratitude OIL ms
hIeh off,cers. and in so doing, revealed
the animous and luminosity wnlch t nes
had been nourishing toward tnese c oun
sailors. lust here was where the pe.se
c,,tion. started, and notice that preJuoice
was the underlying spirit. ~,cr
Pluck AND PERSISTENCE.
,Jsh,,cba dnezzar was furious; the IDEA
49, zen who he had befriended as he
80 tbAsa three should treat him Win
s,,ch hase ingratitude, should dlsooey
bIs direct orders, made him furious.
However. as he had such frienoiy iee,-
ir- for Shadrach, Meshach, ana ADSo-
nero he gave them another chance. OF
dinarflv a tyrant would have oroereo
their destruction at once, but MS iaVo.
toward them made him wait until ne nau