Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1917-09-19


Our last lesson ended with a refer
ence to the epistle OF Nebuchadnezzar
chapter iv), in which, after his seven
years insanity, he acknowledged the
True God and humbled himself before
Him. In chapter v we see proud. re-
bellious king, who would not humble
himself before God, and he had to BE-
taken on the earth. We cannot but think
of the sad ending Of the rich man Of
Luke xvi, %; XII, 20. In this book
there Is wonderfully shown up the
great contrast between the wisdom Of
this world and the wisdom that comes
from God only. In the first and sec
ond dreams Of Nebuchadnezzar and In
the matter Of the writing on the wall
at Belshazzar's feast all the learning
and wisdom Of Babylon were utterly
helpless to understand or interpret ell
Their. But the God of Heaven, the
Most High God, whose alone are wis
dom and might, who only can reveal
come to pass hereafter, He could and
did tell Daniel what the king dreamed
and the Interpretation of 1t and the
significance of the words on the wall.
The learning and scholarship Of
these days In which we live are Just as
helpless to interpret the things Of God
as were the wise men OF Babylon, for
the things of God knoweth no man,
but only the Spirit of God chapters
Ii, Nv and v and l Cor. II, I'D. There
Is another matter we should lay to
heart In these last days at the end of
the time of the gentiles. and that is
that "the Lord of hosts hath purposed
It, to stain the pride of all glory and
to bring into contempt all the honor
able of the EARTH" for "the lofty looks
OF man shall be humbled and the
haughtiness of men shall be bowed
down, and the Lord alone shall be ex-
allied in that day" Qsa. xiii, o; II,
IL, I'D. Those who know only the god
Of munitions Dan. XII, 3S, margin)
shall learn that there is a Living and
True God, who needs neither men nor
munitions
The world power having reached its
second stage, according to the visions
given to Nebuchadnezzar and to Daniel,
and the Babylonian having given place
to the Medo-Persian, we find Daniel
still at the head of affairs, but hated
by the other presidents and princes who
had to confess that they could find no
error nor fault in him and would not
be likely to unless I'm some matter con-
nected with his religion. Knowing that
he worshiped and prayed to a God
whom they knew not, they approached
Darius, the king, with bit OF flattery,
asking him TO sign decree that any
one asking a petition of any god or
man except himself should be cast into
the den OF lions oversees 4-9). They
set the time limit at thirty days, but
probably knew that a much shorter
time would be sufficient to catch their
prey. Darius thoughtlessly fell into the
snare and signed the decree. Daniel,
knowing all about II, kept right on
communing with his God In the usual
way and did not think It worth while
to close his windows. OF course he was
soon caught, for his enemies meant
business, and, although the king, when
he found how he had been entrapped,
labored till the going down Of the sun
to deliver Daniel, his love was power
less against the law, which had to take
its course, and soon Daniel is In the
den of lions, and the stone upon the
mouth of the den is sealed with the
IL nfxsC Ctn
that Daniels enemies made merry over
their success in getting him out Of the
way; but, If so, they were an illustra-
ton Of Job Xxx, 8, The triumphing Of
the wicked Is short"