The Nevada County picayune., 1911-09-15
Daniels Companions in the Fiery Furnace Sunday School Lesson for Sept. I7. 1911
 Specially Arranged for This Paper
LESSON TEXT.-Daniel 8.

I O.
 MEMORY VERSES. II, 1S
 GOLDEN TEXT.-"The Lord is n.. helper and I will not fear what rans shall do unto me"-Heb. 13:6
 TIME.-The Septuagint account stot.. that the occasion was the organizing ot. les and countries, and all the inhabitsn.- of the earth from India to Ethiopia " ans places the date in the 18th year of Nebn chadnezzar This would put the event |, the last part of B. c. 5S6, immediateiv after the destruction of Jerusalem on tb kings return to Babylon.
 PLACE.-Babylon, the plain of Duro somewhere In the vicinity of the city
 PLACE IN THE Y.-JerusaIar, destroyed The Jews in captivity througb out the Babylonic empire. Daniel in tbs service of the empire in some part. Jere- miah in Jerusalem. King Zedeklah and JehoIachlm captives at Babylon Eze- klel at Chebar in Babylonia.
 So far as we can learn, Nebuchad. nezzar's great assemblage of people from all over his empire had for it's object the consolidation of his whole kingdom. He had just returned from a triumphant campaign against his enemies in the west and south against Egypt, Syria and Arabia-and he celebrated his return by the cree. tion of a colossal image and a grand religious festival The golden image might mark the close of a period of conquest and inaugurate period of peace. The victories of peace were to absorb the remaining half of his reign.
 The empire was composed of various countries and races, diverse from one another in disposition, char. acter and interests. They were united by no natural affinity, but by conquest. The whole empire might easily fall to pieces.
 Nebuchadnezzar would bind these di. verse elements by the power of re- ligious worship, at common center, of one chief god over all the multitude idols. As the Jews were bound togeth- CT by magnificent temple at their capital. Jerusalem, whither all went up to worship, so Nebuchadnezzar would place at his capital huge and costly image, the glory and attraction Of the empire. His making Babylon a magnificent city would aid this work. Great Notifications, towers, walls, temples, gates of bronze, hang ing gardens, palaces, public buildings of blue, red, yellow and white. the Tower of the Seven Spheres, the Won. der of Mankind palace-all these would attract people to the capital, as Mohammedans are drawn to Mecca.
 The multitudes were gathered on the plain around the golden image gilt tering and radiant In the sun. Besides the officers in their richly colored at tire, there was a motley gathering of tribes from every direction. All al. versailles of speech and dress and man. ners were there.
 Heradls cried aloud their proc. lamation in all languages, that when the bands struck their martial music all the people must fall down and worship the golden image; And whOso falleth not down and worship eth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of burning fiery furnace
 The bands played, and the whole multitude bowed their faces to the ground. Then a strange thing took place; three men stood up alone and were conspicuous all over the plain. like a city set upon a hill, by their unbowed forms and their splendid robes of office. These three were, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego the three young men who joined with Dan' iel in refusing to defile themselves with the kings meat
 Then NebuchadnezZar in his rage and fury said: "Now If ye be ready. to obey, the past will be forgiven. But If ye worship not, burning fiery fur nace. Let the music sound. And who is that God that shall deliver you out Of my hands?
 The three, with truly magnificent and untlinehing courage, appear to have answered promptly and without hesitation, showing that they bad care. fully considered the subject and Una. with them 1t was matter of settled and intelligent principles: "We nave no need to answer thee," to explain how God could deliver them. or why they must obey him. There was no time, nor would the king under stand. If it be so. we are cast into the fiery furnace, In spite of all you say, our God whom we serve is apie to deliver us"
 They were put into the furnace. A writer thinks they were bound hano and foot with their own clothes. me king sat watching the issue or tne matter, looked through the door into the furnace, and saw a sight at whlch he was astonished and terrified. he was astonished that the three men were not consumed; that they were loose; that a fourth was with them' The thought flashed upon him that hs has come into conflict with new anu unknown power. He rose up in has'e' expressing the strength of his aStoh-