The Topeka state journal., 1922-07-07
International
SundaySchoolLesson
az WILLIAM r, ELLIS.

For July is. Daniel, Interpreting
Nebuchadrezzar's Dream."-Dan. 2.
One Young Mans Opportunity.
A certain bookish boy, shy, sensi-
tive, unathletic. has grown to be a
member of a Princeton crew; and the
other day saw hanging over an oar
in his room in college the rowing
shirts of a Harvard and a Yale oars
man, trophies of recent victory by
the orange and the black.
How comes it that this highest OF
college athletic distinctions is won by
a youngster who early in life seemed
destined to be a mollycoddle? The
answer is from the old story of Daniel,
The lad has quality which always
outranks mere muscle. the moral
principle that keeps fit, and keeps on
keeping fit. sticking to its purposes
when all the conditions are of a con-
trary influence.
The boy I have in mind is heroic in
continuance. So when he went out"
for crew, he did not break training,
and he refused to accept discourage
ment. Even in vacations he was
family. for his mile run thru the
country and a plunge into the cold
waters of the sea. Stronger aspirants
than he grew tired of trying: but
steadfastness is-his central quality.
Therefore he won to place on q vic
torfous crew.
Nothing sensational about that, is
there2-except the result. So with
the handsome Hebrew lad Daniel. In
youth there had been implanted in his
character certain Jewish principles of
temperance and godliness. And in
quiet, steady, unshakable loyalty to
them. he had spurned the most un-
usual Establishments and temptations.
He preferred principle to popularity;
he would do what he had been taught
was right, rather than what "all the
fellows do" In consequence, 10 the
wonderment of the conforming COM
panions whom he had outstripped,
Daniel was ready for this great op-
portunity when it came.
Down at the bedrock of this Lesson
lies the fundamental truth that the
making and in achievement is simple,
clear. patient, dauntless devotion to
the highest principles one possesses.
To be true to the best-that is sue
cess; and it brings other unexpected
successes in its train.
In Story-Book Land.
All the adventures of Daniel and his
friends seem unreal to most persons.
Indeed, some critics have called them
mere allegories; but Bible-students
who have read DR.. Robert Dick Will
sons recent book, with its summary
research, Studies in the Book of
Daniel" are prepared to believe that
the conventional Christian view of the
narrative is correct.
Personally, Persia and Babylonia
are real to me, from my own travels
therein. L have prowled about the
ruins of Nebuchadrezzar's palace at
Babylon, as the Germans have ex-
cavated it; and I have even stood on
the floor of the throne-alcove in the
hanqueting room where, doubtless,
lBelshazzar saw the handwriting on
the wall. Some day when the present
instructions and uncertainties of the
middle East have quieted down, and
the Bagdad railway has been COM
pleted and unified, it will be as possi-
BILE for travellers to go to Babylon
and Susa, the homes of Daniel the
exile, as it now is for them to go to
Rome or Athens. Then the verify
and wonder of the Bible story will be
appreciated.
Nobody who knows life will doubt
the romantic tale of the wonderful
rise of the Hebrew slave Daniel, at the
Babylonian court. Our own western
world furnishes countless examples of
the same spectacular sort of success.
All history abounds in the like. What
of Lloyd George, the Welsh pit-poy,
now prime minister of Great Britain?
Or of the hunted exile Austrian school
teacher, DR.. Masaryk, now president
of Czecho-Slovakia? Djemal Pasha
and Enver Pasha rose from nothing to
Trotzky, revolutionists driven in pow
erty from their native land, have for
nearly five years controlled the
destinies of Russia. and Influenced the
affairs of all nations. Duplicates OF
the Daniel romance are to be found In
all ages: and everywhere today.
When a King Dreams.
Nowadays, one must take a long
breath and think hard to get back
into an understanding of the old king
days represented by Nebuchadrezzar.
The war ended that era forever "Df-
the kings touch" Royalty must
walk circumspectly nowadays, in con-
slant consideration of triumphant
democracy. Even in the Orient there
is at present left no monarch ruling
after the Nebuchadrezzar fashion. No
kings dreams can disturb a nation or
the world. 1t is worth while to con-
template the change that has come to
pass over the whole earth in this re-
spect-
Because of his ability to get along
well with people-an art worth more
| than a college education-Daniel the
Hebrew slave, had won to place in the
new palace of NebuchadreZZar as one
| of the Wise Men of whom monarchs
then kept a staff. Therefore he shared
the impending doom of all the sooth-
sayers when the veterans were unable
to tell the potentate what he had been
dreaming and what the dream meant.
Kings are not sound sleeperss accord
ing to the proverb, and their dreams
are likely to be of the troublesome
/ sort. So Nebuchadrezzar, victim of
insomnia and absolute power was
about to have his arbitrary way with
the incompetent sooth-sayers.
| Daniel got wisdom for the occasion
where alone wisdom in a crisis is to
be got. He cried to God. and God
heard him. THE fear of the Lord is
the beginning of wisdom" A child
like faith, you say? Yes, but a faith
that has been proved by many of the
strongest men in their hours of most