Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-09-05
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson M.-Third Quarter, For
Sept. 9, 1917.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, DAN |, e-2o-Mem-
DRY Verses. 10, 2o-Goldsn Text, Dan.
l. s-commcntary Prepared BY Rev.
D. M. Stearns

DRY Verses, 10, 20-Goiden Text, Dan.
!, s-commcntary Prepared by Rev.
D. N. Stearns
In Daniel and his three friends we
see four Jews, men Of God. In a Diff
cult place. clarifying the God Of Israel.
In Daniel himself we see one Of the
greatest men Of God that ever lived.
with whom the Spirit associates Noah
and Job and whom our Lord Jesus
spoke Of as Daniel the prophet tEzek.
xiv, Il. 20: Matt. xiv. 15). Captives
like these are represented by Jeremiah's
basket Of good fi-s as sent to Babylon
for their good, and the good Of others,
and the glory Of God Tier. XIV. III,
as Joseph was sold into slavery In
Egypt for his good and that God might
be glorified In him. Believers are not
on earth now Tor their own comfort, but
that In us the life OF Jesus may be
made manifest and Christ magnified In
our bodies. whether by life or death
tII Cor. iy. 10. IL: Phil. 1, 20). The
Lord gave Jehoiakim and some of His
people and the holy vessels into the
hand of the king Of Babylon or else
they would not have been there tDan.
/, /, -.
1t was God who gave Daniel favor
and tender love from the prince Of the
eunuchs; also He gave to these four
knowledge and skill in all learning and
wisdom and gave Daniel understanding
in visions and dreams oversees 0. III.
Thus In all the Bible story we see God
holding strongly with those whose
hearts are whole toward Him, God
who worketh for those who wait for
and upon Him III Chron. xvi, Q: lisa.
Xiv, 4, r. v; Ps. xii. 81. 1t will be
so In our daily lives II we are as true
to Him as were Daniel and his friends,
and we may prove and make manifest
that 1t Is God who worketh In US to VIII
and to do Of His good pleasure the
: things that are pleasing In His sight
phil. II. 10, Heb. xiii. 21).
Our lesson story is briefly that the
king of Babylon gave orders TO the
master Of his eunuchs TO select from
the royal Jewish captives some young
men. physically well favored ard Of
good education. that they might be
taught the learning of the Chaldeans
and be with him in his palace. They
were to be web nourished from the
kings table with such food and drink
as be himself used and at the end OF
three years brought before the king
verses $50. Not many young men,
even In our day. would have taken a
stand against such good eats. as the
boys call them. but Daniel knew that
this was food which had been first Of
fered to Idols, as was the custom OF
the heather. and he could not with a
clear conscience partake Of II fActs Nv.
29l, so he asked and obtained favor Of
the prince Of the eunuchs In this mat
ter. for God was with him verses SIG.
Those who find only a so called tenn
perance lesson here are about as wise
as those who think that the teaching
is just this-that vegetable diet Is.
on the whole. the most healthful
do not think that any one can write
more strongly against the beastly sin
Of drunkenness and the evils Of strong
drink than l have done. but to take a
lesson ike this in which 1t Is a ques-
tion Of worshiping God or idols and
tone it down to mere matter Of ordi-
nary self control seems to be as bad
as some other treatment that the Bible
is receiving ut the hands of its friends
t0 today Some folks need 10 be re-
minded of the words Of our Lord Jesus
in Matt. XIV, 10, IL. Hear and under
stand not that which goeth into the
mouth defileth a man, but that which
cometh out of the mouth. this defileth
a man." Along with that keep Cor.
vi. 0. 10. but note all the sins men
toned and thank God for verse II.
Daniel could stand against the wor-
ship of idols, but when their beautiful
names. each Of which had something
OF God or Jehovah in them, were taken
from them and heather names substi-
tuted verses Q, y Daniel submitted.
for that did not affect his worship of
the true God, and long afterward we
know that the Lord Jesus submitted
to be called clutton and a winebib-
Der and a devil and In other ways to
be numbered with transgressors. Some
times we can glcrify Him by submit
ting to wrongs done to us. but when
It comes to worshiping God or the
devil there is only one thing to do. as
we shall see In our next lesson May
we all have Daniels purpose of heart
In cleaving to the Lord and the grace
of continuance so manifest in him