§98. The Training of the Young Men (Daniel 1:1-19)

When Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came against Jerusalem and captured it, certain of the youths of the nobility were taken and given into the charge of the master of the king's servants that he should teach them the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily portion of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank, and that they should be nourished three years; that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. Now among these were, of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. And the master gave names unto them: unto Daniel he gave the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego.

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the master that he might not defile himself. Now God made Daniel to find favor and compassion in the sight of the master. And he said unto Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the youths which are of your own age? so should ye endanger my head with the king."

Then said Daniel to the steward, whom the master had appointed over them, "Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us vegetables to eat, and water to drink. Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the youths that eat of the king's meat; and as thou seest, deal with thy servants."

So he hearkened unto them in this matter, and proved them ten days. And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer, and they were fatter in flesh, than all the youths which did eat of the king's meat. So the steward took away their meat, and the wine that they should drink, and gave them vegetables. Now as for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. And at the end of the days which the king had appointed for bringing them in, the master brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.

§99. The Golden Image and the Fiery Furnace (Dan. 3:1, 2, 4-30)

A. THE WORSHIP OF THE GOLDEN IMAGE

Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits, and its breadth six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. Then the king sent to gather together all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image.

Then the herald cried aloud, "To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: and whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace."

Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the music, they fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

B. THE THREE JEWS DEFY THE KING

Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and brought accusation against the Jews, and said to Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live for ever. Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the music, shall fall down and worship the golden image: and whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom thou hast appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."

Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar said unto them, "Is it of purpose, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that ye serve not my god, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made, well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that god that shall deliver you out of my hands?"

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."

C. DELIVERANCE FROM THE FIERY FURNACE

Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was wont to be heated. And he commanded certain mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their hose, their tunics, and their mantles, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished and rose up in haste: he spake and said unto his counselors, "Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?"

They answered and said unto the king, "True, O king."

He answered and said, "Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the aspect of the fourth is like a son of the gods."

Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace: he spake and said, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the Most High God, come forth, and come hither."

Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, came forth out of the midst of the fire. And the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, and the king's counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, that the fire had no power upon their bodies, nor was the hair of their head singed, neither were their hose changed, nor had the smell of fire passed on them.

Nebuchadnezzar spake and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and have yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language, which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a ruin: because there is no other god that is able to deliver after this sort."

Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, in the province of Babylon.

§100. Daniel and the Lions (Dan. 6:1-28)

A. THE DECREE OF KING DARIUS

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, which should be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one; that these satraps might give account unto them, and that the king should have no damage. Then this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.

Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these men, "We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God."

Then these presidents and satraps assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, "King Darius, live for ever. All the presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the counselors and the governors, have consulted together, to establish a royal statute, and to make a strong decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not."

Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.

B. DANIEL AT HIS PRAYERS

And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem); and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. Then these men assembled together, and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God.

Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; "Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall make petition unto any god or man within thirty days, save unto thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?"

The king answered and said, "The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not."

Then answered they and said before the king, "That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day."

Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he labored till the going down of the sun to rescue him.

Then these men assembled together unto the king and said unto the king, "Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians, that no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed."

C. DANIEL DELIVERED FROM THE LIONS

Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, "Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee."

And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.

Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of music brought before him: and his sleep fled from him. Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. And when he came near unto the den to Daniel, he cried with a lamentable voice: the king spake and said to Daniel, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?"

Then said Daniel unto the king, "O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt."

Then was the king exceeding glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he had trusted in his God.

And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and break all their bones in pieces, or ever they came at the bottom of the den.

D. THE PROSPERITY OF DANIEL

Then king Darius wrote unto all the peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; "Peace be multiplied unto you. I make a decree, that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end: he delivereth and rescueth, and he worked signs and wonders in heaven and in earth; who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions."

So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

THE MEANING OF THE STORY

367. In the last chapter we studied the bitter persecution of the Jews in the time of Antiochus. God sent them a great deliverer in Judas the Hammerer. He also sent them a helper who told them heroic stories of the olden time to encourage them to believe that God would surely deliver them. These stories were of Daniel and his three friends who were taken to Babylon in the captivity. They were under great temptation to be untrue to their religion. We can see how these stories would help the people to be faithful.

368 (§98). In the old times the food and wine for the king's table would first be offered to the heathen gods, so Daniel felt that he would really be an idolator if he took them. What request did he make? How did the master think it would be discovered that he had not fed them on rich food? What test did Daniel propose? How did it turn out? Of course it was really much more healthy for the young men to live simply. It took some courage to stand out against the officer, but it was a matter of conscience with Daniel and his friends.

369 (§99A). Imagine the great golden image 100 feet high. What was the king's command to the people? What was to be the penalty if they refused to obey? How would a faithful servant of the Lord feel about it?

370 (§99B). We do not know where Daniel was at this time, but what did his three friends do? What did the king say to them? What did they answer him? Notice carefully that they said they were sure God could save them, but whether he did or not they would be faithful. God does not always save people from death. The noble army of martyrs have been faithful unto death. But God has always brought good out of their sufferings.

371 (§99C). Describe the scene when these men were thrown into the furnace? What did the king think he saw? What did he do to the three? What impression did it make on the king? We can understand how the Jews would have told such a wonderful story as this to cheer those who were under great temptation to give up their faith.

372 (§100A). Long after, when Daniel was an old man, another great danger arose. He had meantime been promoted to the highest station. Great men always have many enemies who are jealous of them. All our great Americans have had those who envied them. What foolish thing did Daniel's enemies persuade the king to do? There seems to have been a rule that if the king gave an order it could not be changed.

373 (§100B). What had been Daniel's custom regarding prayer? How did he change it when he heard of the decree? Would he have been wiser to pray secretly? Some of our soldier boys that went to the war were ashamed to kneel down and pray at night, but some of them were not afraid even when their companions jeered them. Do you remember a story like that in Tom Brown at Rugby? How did the king feel when he found that Daniel had refused to obey the decree? Why could not the king pardon him? Notice how bitterly his enemies insisted on the penalty.

374 (§100C). What did the king say to Daniel? How did the king pass the night? What happened in the morning? What was done to his enemies?

375 (§100D). What message did the king send to his people? Daniel's bravery made the king respect his religion. What was the result of all this to Daniel? Suppose Daniel had been killed by the lions, what would you think of him?

WRITTEN REVIEW

Think about Daniel's refusal to do wrong. You have probably known one of your companions who refused to do some wrong when it was hard to refuse. Young people can be heroes in standing up for duty. Write about anybody whom you have known who did this. Or perhaps you will find somebody actually doing such a thing now. Make a good story of it for your notebook.