Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1922-07-13

thing, whether it be good. or whether Il
be evil.-EccI. 1874.
REFERENCE MATERIAL-Gen. D:1-
q: Exod. 14:21-s1: Eek. 31a-l4; Acts u:
3o-2s.
PRIMARY ,TOPIc-Daniel Tells the
King Of His Wrong-Doing.
JUNIOR TOPIC-Belshazzar's Feast
and Fate
INTERMEDIARY AND SENIOR TOPIC
Judgment Against King Alcohol.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
How to Enforce the Judgment Against
Strong Drink.
l. BeIshazzar's lmpious Feast wv.
1-4).
1. Who attended wv. /, p. Bel
shazzar, his wife and concubines and
thousand of his lords.
2. Behavior thereat wv. 3, ~.
a. They drank wine; they engaged
in revelry. (2) They committed sac
rilege. In their drunken revelry they
drank wine out Of the sacred vessels
which had been taken out of the
temple, Of the house of God, which
was at Jerusalem. When men are I'M.
der the influence of intoxicating
liquors they lose all regard for sacred
things. (3) They worshiped idols.
They prayed to gods Of gold and of sill
yer, of brass, of iron, wood and stone.
II. The Handwriting on the Wall
wv. 5-16).
/. The time of ". 81. 1t occurred
In the same hour in which they were
engaged In their drunken revelry.
2. The effect upon the king ". 81.
He was greatly disturbed; he was
seized with CONSERVATION. "The joints
of his loins were loosed, and his knees
! smote one against another"
8. The kings behavior (vv. 7-16).
! az He called forth astrologers and
soothsayers, offering rewards of gold
| and position ". 7-9). Their utter in
] ability to interpret the writing left
the king even worse perplexed.
! (2) Daniel brought at the suggestion
Of the queen (vv 1910. The queen
here was perhaps the wife of Nebu-
| chadnezzar who remembered Daniels
/ service in interpreting his dream. For
1 that reason he was sent for and prom
Used great reward.
III. Daniel Interprets the Writing
| wv. 1929.
| 1924. He brushes aside his prom
Used gifts (v. ny. He would not have
his speech limited by the kings gifts.
g. The Interpretation of the writing
| wv. 1928. a. "Mene" means mum
bered" ". 26). GOD hath numbered
thy kingdom and finished it." ~ tie
| kel' means weighed" ". 27. "Thou
art weighed in the balances, and art
found wanting" (3) "Peres" means
divided" ". 28). "Thy kingdom is
divided, and given to the Modes and
Persians."
~. The judgment Executed wv.
29-31).
In that night was Belshazzar slain
and Darius the Medean took the king
| dom.
The Chaldean dynasty ended with
Belshazzar. So we may interpret this
| whole scene as pointing to the con-
ditions at the close of the times of
the Gentiles and as adumbrating the
prevailing conditions. Let us note:
/ l. The stupidity of men. They, like
people today, would not learn by ex-
ample. acknowledgements fate should
have deferred Belshazzar from such
frivolity.
2. The magnificent splendor. This
great feast was characterized by
pomp, display, parade. How charac
! teristic of this age!
/ \ 3. Luxury. The famous hanging
gardens of Babylon were a notewor,
thy example. Signs of luxury today
are on every hand.
4. Licentiousness. The king with his
wives and concubines. This is motto
riously prevalent today.
| S. Blasphemous sacrllege. And may
not the sacrilege of today be in ex
profession of religion for pecuniary
gain, social and political preferment
(2) use of the pulpit and of the min
istry for display and notoriety, ever
for the propagation Of false doctrine
(3) uniting with the church, attend
ing the communion, so as to cover W
secret sins; az the use Of the Wore
VI Uoo " SAvc punt " JohCs \oJ uS
i nying that the Bible is Gods Word
making it book Of errors, myths ant
legends; TO- sneering at the Virgin
birth, repudiating Christ's deity an,
setting aside His vicarious atonement
8. Drunken carOusals. The hand
writing is on the wall. God will no
endure this forever; His judgmen
shall fall. Conditions In the wOrl'
indicate that the time Is drawiul
near. Are you ready?