The Yale expositor., 1911-09-14
Daniels Companions
in the Fiery Furnace
Sunday School Lesson for Sept. IL, 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper
LESSON TEXT.-Daniel 3.

shall do unto me."-Heb. 1876.
TIME.-The Septuagint account states
that the occasion was ''the organizing cit
les and countries, and all the inhabitants
of the earth from India to Ethiopia" and
places the date in the 18th year of Nebu-
chadnezzar This would put the event in
the last part of b. G. 5S6. Immediately
after the destruction of Jerusalem, on the
kings return to Babylon.
PLACE.-Babylon, the plain of Dura,
somewhere in the vicinity of the city.
PLACE IN THE HISTORY Jerusalem
destroyed The Jews in captivity through
out the Babylonic empire. Daniel in the
service of the empire in some part. Jere-
miah in Jerusalem. King Zedekiah and
Jehoiachim captives at Babylon. Eze-
kiel 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
triumphant campaign against his
enemies in the west and south
against Egypt, Syria and Arabia-and
he celebrated his return by the cree
ton of a colossal image and a grand
religious festival. The golden image
might mark the close of a period Of
conquest and inaugurate a 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 a common center,
of one chief god over all the multitude
idols. AS the Jews were bound togeth.
err by magnificent temple at their
capital, Jerusalem, whittier 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 di.
versities 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
whose falleth not down and worship
eth shall the same hour be cast into
the midst Of a 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 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.
lei in refusing to defile themselves
with the kings meat.
Then ACKNOWLEDGMENT in his rage
and fury said: "Now If We be ready,
to obey, the past will be forgiven. But
IL ye worship not, burning fiery fur
mace! Let the music sound. And who
is that God that shall deliver you out
OF my hands?
The three, with truly magnificent
and unflinching courage, appear to
have answered promptly and without
hesitation, showing that they had care
fully considered the subject and that
with them 1t was 4 matter Of settled
and intelligent principles: "We have
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 eff It be so, we are cast into
the fiery furnace, in spite Of all you
say, our God whom we serve is able
to deliver us"
They were put into the furnace.
A writer thinks they were bound hand
and foot with their own clothes. The
king sat watching the issue Of the
matter, looked through the door into
the furnace, and saw sight at which
he was astonished and terrified. He
was astonished that the three men
were not consumed that they were
loose; that fourth was with them.
The thought flashed upon him that he
has come into conflict with new and
unknown power. He rose up in haste,
expressing the strength Of his aston
ishment and terror The princes
saw these men. The deliverance was
public, unmistakable, and proved by
many witnesses. The king recognized
the power of the Jews God.
The miracle would make such an
impression on the princes and peo-
pie that the king could more easily
treat the Jews kindly. Men who were