The Red Cloud chief., 1911-09-21
Daniel in the
Lions Den
ndsy Setos, Lessoa for Sept. "a. lsi
Specially Arranged for This Paper

IsOru enC0mpetn rOunu NDOut tnCm tnat
fear him and delivereth thcm"-Psa. 3t:7.
TIME-Probably II. G. 63s. very near
the close Of the seventy years captivity.
soon after Cyrus had conquered Babylon
In Il. c. $50
PLACE-Probabiy In Babylon. as Is
shown by the close connection OF Daniel
and 9.
PERSONS-Daniei was probably 80
years old: as this event was 66 years after
his going to Babylon. In 6oa. and no must
have been at least II years old at that
time.
Cyrus the Persian had just conquered
the Babylonians.
Darius the Mede. viceroy OF Cyrus.
temporary king OF the new province. but
not In the line Of emperor kings.
In our last lesson we stood by the
golden image on the plains near Baby.
lon. We saw the crowds bowling
down before It while the heroic three
stood up alone. Wo saw them cast
into the fiery furnace and wonderfully
delivered. This was just after the do.
struction Of Jerusalem and greatest
deportation OF exiles and treasures to
Babylon. They had reached Babylon.
They were In the fiery furnace OF at
fiction.
At this point tho three Jews. Sha
drach. Meshach and Abed-nego, were
preaching a sermon to tho captives.
heard all over the empire-"Be true
to your God. and your religion at any
cost: yield to no seductions Of idol.
airy. and tod will deliver you from
your burning fiery furnace. as he has
delivered us." 1t was preached ut the
psychological moment.
1t was heard by the Jews in Pales-
tine foui centuries later when they
were prosecuted by Antiochus; but 1t
was needed even more by the exlles In
Babylon; and would be worth an hun.
drGd times more to the Jews In tho
fires OF Antiochus, because 1t was true
In the time OF Nebuchadnezzar. and
was lived out by the deliverance OF
these captives a few years later.
The end Of the exile was drawing
nigh, as foretold by jeremiah. The
seventy years had nearly elapsed. The
king who was to bring their deliver.
ance was on the throne. The captives
scattered all over the empire needed
TO know this and to be prepared. They
had felt the horrors OF the wars and
rumors Of wars, they had seen as II
were the stars falling from the politi.
:al sky, as Babylon and Nebuchad.
nezzar. They needed to know that the
time Of their redemption was drawing
nigh. and to be prepared for It.
Here comes In tho event Of our les
son. Darius. Cyrus. Daniel. known all
,ver the empire, were to present re-
splendent light that would shine into
every corner Of the realm. Multitudes
Of the exiles must have suffered fol
their religion. and they might feel that
God was not their friend and helper
II Daniels experience always resulted
favorably while theirs did not. And
they needed q visible object lesson
II the delivering power Of God to en-
courage their hope and faith for the
ieliverance of their nation from the
den of lions" in which they had been
living for almost seventy years.
Daniel must have been between
eighty and ninety years old at this
line. He had had many trials Of his
character and faithfulness. He wal
IN exile from home and native land
among enemies to his race and to hii
God. His native land was desolate
lis relatives scattered: his people
we're exiles amid many difficulties that
must have tested their faith to the ut
most. But ON the whole Daniel had
,een eminently successful, as he wal
worthy Of success. He had maintained
his high character. His course hat
been one Of almost unbroken prosper
ity. The severe trials to which he hat
been subjected had hitherto resulted
only In raising him to higher honor
and success.
Under Darius. Daniel was recognised
a. q man Of great ability and intee
rity. and one who could be trusted i'm
plicitly. Accordingly. he made hin
one of the three presidents over tn
120 governors Of 90 many province
into which the kingdom was subdi
vided. It was not long before tn
other officers determined that In som
way or other. by fair means or foul
they would get rid Of Daniel.
lucy OIOu6uI Ouuicis ouu CouI uiA
into the den Of lions. This was az
cording to the Oriental custom on tn
evening Of the same day. The stor
! OF the den Of lions is strictly In keeI
ing with Babylonian usages. Assul
banipal says In his annals. "The res
of the people I threw alive into tn
midst Of the bulls and lions. as Ser
nacherib. my grandfather. used to do.
Daniel from the den OF lions said
my God hath sent his angel" H
does not say whether the angel wa
visible or not. Tho winds and tn
lightning are Gods angels accordin
to the psalmist. But It Is probabl
that he was visible to Daniel, a.
manifest token Of the favor and prt
lection of God.
Daniel declares that he had bee
faithful to God and hence God ha
| a a. AL IA r~Li