The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1911-09-09
SUNDAY SCHOOL,.
Lesson M.-Third Quarter, For
! Sept. 10, 1911.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, Dan. l, s.2o-Msm-
cry Verses, 8, s-GoIdsn Text, Rom.
xiv, 21-commsntary Prepared by
Rev. D. M. Stesrns. L.

prophets Witness" and .the testimony
Of Jesus is the spirit Of prophecy" tActs
Z, IS; Rev. xix, 10y. The Lord has
told the prophets all that He intends
to do, and prophecy is therefore a
Hight in dark place to show US the
way we are going (Amos Iii, Z; II Pet.
L 1921. 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 duke xiv, 25-27.
l4-48), and He still loves to do so.
In one Of His discourses He men.
toned the prophet Daniel, and the
prophet Ezekiel also mentions him by
name (Matt. xiv, 10; Ezek. xiv, 40.
Ezekiel and Daniel were both among
the captives In Babylon for their good
and the good Of others Ger. xiv, 40.
They were the Lords messengers, and
In them was seen the wisdom ana
power Of the true and living God as
contrasted with the wisdom Of this
world. I ind it helpful to my own
soul to watch God working and to re-
member that 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 2, 8, II, Of our les
son chapter that 1t 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
oil 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
oil things after the counsel Of His own
wiz Cps. cxxxv, 6; Eph. 1, III.
These young men were chosen to
stand before the king of Babylon
(verse 81, but they never forgot that
they always stood before a much
greater King, even the Lord, the King
Of Israel (Zeph. iii, 49,. Their beauti-
ful 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 their
standing before God
Even In the matter Of eating and
drinking we are to glorify God and
not be concerned to the age in which
we live q Cor. K, 81; Rom. xii, 1. p,
90 Daniel purposed in his heart that
he would not defile himself with food
offered to idols (verse 81. In this
matter God wrought for them, not
only giving them favor with those set
over them, but also causing them to
thrive better on their plain food than
did the others who ate the portion OF
the kings meat oversees 8, IA, 15).
It Ia not 50 much the food we eat,
either as to quantity or quality. as the
blessing Of God upon 1t. On one oc-
casion our Lord taught that mot that
which goeth into the mouth defileth a
man." and so Paul wrote, IL know
and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus
that there is nothing unclean Of itself
CMatt. Nv, II; Rom. xiv, 40. Ordinari'
" we are to eat what Is set before u.s.
asking no questions, but in Daniels
case It was q matter OF sanct1on1ng
idolatry or standing for the true Coo
and when with US under any circum
stances It becomes a question Of Goo
or the devil there Is only one thing tt
do. We cannot drink the cup OF the
Lord and the cup Of demons Cor
Z, 2D.
We are not to imagine that God gave
them knowledge and skill in all learn
ing and wisdom (verse ID apart from
study on their part, whether 1t wa
the wisdom of Egypt or the wisdom
from above, which is first pure, thei
peaceable, gentle and easy to be en-
treated (Jas. iii, ~. Some OF us cal
almost imagine with what relief ant
10Y they would turn from the book
OF Egypt to the book Of the law OF tn,
Lord and how there would be fulfilled
to them, blessed are they that hun
esr and thirst after righteousness, TO
they shall be filed" The natural maj
can grasp the wisdom Of this world
but the things Of God knowetn n
man, but the spirit Of God. In his un
dsrstanding Of visions and dreams ais
he would doubtless profit by the 81
perience Of Joseph and the ability CIV
On to him and to others.
With what sublime confidence u
God he said to the king in connection
with his first dream that If time wa
granted to him he would show the II
depreciation and how gloriously Go
honored his faith by revealing to hin
the secret in vision Of the nigh
(chapter ii, 1910. See In chapter 1
20 20, Al, how he honored God, VIII
revealed to him the secret, and ho'
because Of this the king honored Go
also as the God Of gods and q Lord Q
kings.
% God was glorifed in DAME
"And Daniel continued" (verse q
There is a most profitable meditatio
In those words, and we are reminde
Of Acts xvi, %, Having therefor
Obtained help Of God, continue unit
this day" Paul believed Moses an
A. ~-~~~hn<~ t,xak M nsnial dtd mr.