The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-12-14

prison garments and eating bread with
him all the days of his life. This
miIdness to a rebel whom Nebuchad-
nczzar had left in durance for so long
was regarded as Il wrongful departure
from Babylonian customs, and Evil.
Merodach was put 10 death ON a
charge of ruling in a lawless fashion.
There's another Biblical book | should
like each member to study--and that
is Daniel. The first chapters give a
continuous and important narrative OF
Babylonian history We are accustom-
ed to look upon this book as prophet.
cal, but the element OF history decided
ly predominates. We are introduced
TO the court Of the great king, Nebu-
chadnezzar, and shown his grandeur,
his pride, his cruelty his self f-glorifica-
tons, and his punishment. We find
the Jews without national life mere
herd Of slaves, downtrodden and OPP
prcsscd-with the exception of Daniel,
Shadrach. Meshach and Abednago. We
learn Of their civil life-ther princes,
governors, captains, Judges, treasur-
provinces We see the monarch s
body.guard and can enumerate the
Babylonian musical instruments, and
learn Of their magic, sorcery, and great
lcarnings.
This book Of Daniel is the only re-
source we have for studying the char
acter OF NebuchadneZzar. The other
records give only scanty material.
What o. striking portrait we are able
to produce! There is an example Of
his cruelty in casting the three high
est officers Of his kingdom into the
fiery furnace; his pride and boastful-
ness in saying he built the whole Of
the wonderful city OF Babylon, and in
asking what God could free the Israel
ties from his power; his violent TEN
per in commanding that all the wise
men Of Babylon be destroyed because
they could not interpret his dream;
his righteousness in the fact that he did
not convert the spoils Of Jerusalem TO
his own use, but carried them to the
treasure house Of his god.
Profanc history touches not upon
the relcnting4 Of this king, who in his
mad rawlings considered himself a beast
of the field, but he issued a proclama-
ton. in all humblencss, that the Is
raelltes' God was to be honored through
out the land. And that is where we
ill I'm our portrait with little minor
touches from things read between the
lincs-of King NebuchadneZzar's BRAY.
cry and his energy. He leads his arm.
les in person, presses his enterprises
vigorously. and is not easily dlscourag-
ed or rebuffed--as the thirteen years
siege of Tyre, in which every head
was made bald and every shoulder
was peeled is sufficient testimony.
one historian has styled his rs valiant
as Hercules at any rate, he found
Baby lon a pcrishng city OF unbaked
clay: he left ii one OF durable burnt
bricl, that, but for human violence, .
was capable Of enduring to the pres
ent day
Skipping the years Of luxury and ,
pomp let as come 10 the close-whcn .
Babylon stood in all her glory Of pal .
aces and hanging gardens We find
BelShalZar, called "a son OF Nebuchad-
lelzaI. leading the rebels against Cy.
rus We know Of course that the son
)f BclshaZzar is a grandson-or as they
'NpreSS It Ia the East, son Of the
lous' Of Ncbuch1dne22ar. lust as Jesus
# Nazareth was spoken Of as son of
David. | shall hasten through this
or | know that as soon as Bclsha2-
.ar's name is mentioned, YOU immo.
liatcly called TO mind hi, Ccasting and
rvclry with the thousand OF his lords,
While the wine flowed like mighty riv-
rs from the sacred vessels upon the
'oyal table. You sec the gates Of the
ity made secure and an the besiegcd
inhabitants maxim" merry until the
,aud appeared writing upon the wall.
(ouc Of tho learned men Of the court
ould interpret this writing, but the
Iu"cp-mothcr recalling Daniels ser
ice to NchuchadncZ2ar had him sum
nonod, and the mcrrymakcrs learned
hat they had been weighed and found
yantiug' and that their country would
pc taken hy the Medes and Pcrsians.
Read i'm Jeremiah Of the downfall Of
his - years old empire and the future
# Bahylon-"tho glory of kingdoms"
hat became an astonishmcnt among
he nations and whore the dccompos-
ne materials Of her structures doom.
4 the earth on which they persisted to
n everlasting sterility.
1
Use Ardmorcito WANT ADS.