Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-07-22

Inere IS ndruly story IN uCera-
ture more familiar than the story
Of Daniel in the lions den. Every
person who has had any Bible in
struction at all knows it well. 1T is
therefore familiar road we shall
we shall probably notice some things
we never saw there before.
Reference has been made to the
attitude Of the higher critics toward
the Book of Daniel. Along with 9TH
err destructive criticisms they would
have us believe that this incident
never happened, but 1t was merely
the Pigment Of the imagination Of
some Jewish writer years after the
captivity who was writing an ideal
simple folk like ourselves, this is
are any who would like to know
what a real scholar says, they should
read Prof. Robert Dick Wilson s
book. For scholarly attainments he
has no equal today; and he shows
beyond the. shadow Of doubt that ev-
everything the Book of Daniel says is
accurate and historical, the prophet
ic portions being pre-written his
tory. We are leaving the book after
this study, and we want to learn 1t
with the assurance that 1t is Cod
breathed, for otherwise we shall fail
to get from it the strength and in
SEPARATION we need for our daily lives.
Darius, the Mede, was sixty-two
years of age when the Babylonian
empare fell, and he assumed control
over Belshazzar's kingdom. He, no
doubt, learned of Daniels interpreta-
ton of the handwriting, and had
good judgment enough to appreciate
that the power such man had
shown would be invaluable to him in
handling the new province he had
lust acquired. So Daniel is made
one of three presidents over 12O
princes who are set to direct the af-
fairs Of the new and enlarged king
dom. Daniel was over 80 years Of
age now, and might have wished to
avoid the responsibility of so hlgh
a public office, but he was loyal
subject and responded to the call
of his king when it came.
It was no easy place, however, Tor
his age, his race, and his influence
aroused the jealousy Of the two
younger presidents. His INTEGRITY
was also a barrier to them Inc
eastern public official is VIGOROUSLY
dishonest; and Daniels integrity was
an obstacle in the way OF many OF
their schemes to Cypress the people
and feather their own nests. Rlgnt-
eousness is always a rebuke to SIN.
When you hear anyone crltlclslns
a good man or woman, you might
nrofitablv watch the critic = more
than likely his own sin has been
rebuked by the godly life of the one
under criticism.
They must get rid of him, Daniel.
It is a marvellous testimony they
bear to hin-they could find moth
ing against him unless it be in the
matter of his religion, and his rela-
tionship to his God. They concocted
a most remarkable scheme. Why
Darius fell for it is equally remark
able-but possibly this is the ex-
PLANTATION, he did not think it
through, for they did not give him
time. They ASSEMBLED" WORD
used here and in verses IL and 10,
means rushed in tumultously-and
made him believe that the only way
for him to establish his authority
over his newly acquired territory
was to prohibit any one from ask
ing anybody anything except from
himself for a period of one month.
This would exalt him SO that he
would have no further difficulty in
maintaining his authority. On the
face of it, it looked feasible, and
since they said they had "all' come
to that conclusion, he signed the de-
cree without giving it another
thought.
But if he had thought it out, he
would have realized that his most
trusted officer, Daniel, was not pres
emf, and that to enforce such a law
would be utterly impossible. Why,
a child could not ask it's parent for
a piece of bread without breaking
that law, and how could that be
known and prevented?
Habit-FOrce and Value
When Daniel heard Of the decree
he went into his hoU-e and with his
windows opened toward Jerusalem,
he got down on his knees and pray
ed at 9, IL and 8, and gave thanks"
'as he did aforetime." This was
not for the purpose of antagonizing
Darius; nor were the open windows
for the purpose of displaying his re-
ligion. For more than three-quar-
tiers of a century he had been doing
this thing. He had formed the habit
of prayer, and if he had wanted to
break it, he would have found it
very difficult. 1t is rather interest
ing in these feverish days to find a
man who must have had all the bus
mess he could handle in running. a
complicated kingdom like that and
yet who could find time to turn
aside from his business and have I
prayer period three times a day.
But Daniel did not want to stop.
He had too much to thank God for,
and so as his custom was, he knelt
in prayer in his room with his win.
dows open toward the place which
Solomon had spoken Of when he
dedicated the temple, and thanked
God for His marvellous goodness to
him. It came nearly costing him
his life, but that did not matter; it
was right, and he did it because it
was right, and because he trusted
in his God. What would you do if
the price was your life?
Darius was also a creature Of ha-
bit. When the - after was brought
to his attention, he revealed the
habit of his ife-respect for law.
The law had been made, and wheth-
er just one or not it was the
law and must be kept. He was not
angry with Daniel for disobeying it,
but with himself for making it. Of
course, he should have reversed it.,
but that would have been contrary
to the habit of his life, and it never
occurred to him to do it. He labored
hard all day, however. to find some
way to save his friend, but he could
not, and ordered him thrown into
the den of lions. The door was
dolly sealed; neither the king nor
his lords could trust the other, so
both put their seals on the door
Then Darius went home to spend
miserable night.
His hopes were realized, for
Daniels God whom he served "con-
tinually," as Darius had noted, had
dnli1ro,.od 49,.