June 6, 1948 COURAGE TO PUT GOD FIRST Dan. 3:4-7, 13-18; 6:10
Helps for the Children.
A Brave Man Who Worshiped God Daniel 6 Memory Verse: “My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth” (Psa. 121:2). Daniel was a captive in a strange land. Because of his clean, godly life, the king had given him an important position in the land. Jealous leaders tried to find fault with Daniel, but only in his religious life could they criticize him. They had the king sign a paper that no one could ask anything of any god or any man except the king for thirty days without being cast into the den of lions. When Daniel heard the news, he continued to pray to his God three times a day just as he had always done. Daniel’s enemies found him pray ing and told the king. Because King Darius loved Daniel, he tried to save him; but there was no way to change the law that had been made. As Daniel was being thrown into the lion’s den, the king said, “ Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.” After a stone was placed in front of the den, the king sealed it so that no one might free Daniel. Worry about Daniel kept King Darius from sleeping that night. Early the next morning, the king went quickly into the den of lions. In a loud voice he called to Daniel, ask ing if God had been able to deliver him from the lions. Daniel replied, “ My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me.” The happy king had Daniel taken from the lions’ den at once. He then cast into the den those men who had caused Daniel to be put there. King Darius sent out a notice that everybody in his kingdom should worship Daniel’s God because of the mighty miracle that He had performed. Even in so-called Christian America, as well as in other countries today, Christians are being punished by their families or ridiculed by their friends for reading God’s Word, praying, and tell ing others about their Saviour. Cour age in putting the Lord Jesus Christ first will be a powerful testimony to others that our “help cometh from the Lord,” and will cause others to worship Him.
These brave Hebrews were warned: “Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?” (v. 15). This is a satanic insinuation. The Evil One is al ways seeking to minimize the saving power of God and His gospel. The words with which Daniel and his friends an swered are noble. This was a time when it was right not to be “careful” (v. 16). They were “ careful for nothing” and pos sessed with a peace that passed under standing (Phil. 4:6,7). They were will ing to trust their God to care for them and to see them through any difficulty. The God they served was able to cool the fires of any furnace. They refused to have anything to do with any other god. A Commendable Habit Dan. 6:10 The bent of Daniel’s soul is indicated by his attitude revealed when he was told that he would “ be cast into the den of lions” (6:7). “As he did aforetime”, ignoring the threat of the king against anyone who would pray to any god ex cept Nebuchadnezzar himself, he bowed his knees three times a day toward Jeru salem. Daniel had a devotional habit. Such a man will always have power with God and with man. More Daniels are needed in the church today.
Pointers on the Lesson It was a time when it took courage to put God first. Nebuchadnezzar, in proud defiance of revelation and reason, had presumed to make an image of gold and had commanded all of his subjects to prostrate themselves before it in wor ship. The king had been shown through Daniel’s interpretation of his dream that Babylon was the “head of gold” in the realm of world rulership. By making an idol whose entire body was of gold, he claimed that Babylon was not merely the head, but the entire image. In effect, he suggested that not only did world do minion begin with Babylon, but that it would continue to exist with Babylon. His action defied divine prophecy. More over, Nebuchadnezzar’s setting up of this idol gave the lie to his words to Daniel, “ Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets” (Daniel 2:47). Now he proceeds to set before the people another god. God hates such pretense. It was in such a critical period as this that Daniel and his friends had the courage to stand true to their convictions. The Command to False Worship Dan. 3:4-7 At a definite moment after the golden image had been set up in the plain of Dura, the signal was given for every one to fall down before it in adoration. It was a time of great hilarity; all kinds of musical instruments were used on the occasion. The vast majority of those present were obedient to the command. From a reading of verse 7, one might suppose that the response was unani mous, but it was not. As we look about us today, ofttimes it seems that every one is a follower of the world, the flesh and the devil. But it is not so. In the time of the great tribulation, there will arise another false god who will per form such wonders that it will appear as though the whole world had gone after him (Rev. 13). But God always has His faithful remnant who would rather die than to deny His name. Disobedience to the Command Dan. 3:13-18 In most instances God wants His sub jects to be in obedience to the laws of the land (I Pet. 2:13-17; Rom. 13:1-4). There are cases, however, when it is ex pected of believers that they will not obey. When laws are clearly at variance with the revealed will of God, in the words of the apostles, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). In this week’s lesson, we have an illustra tion of this. The royal command was to worship a false god. The followers of Jehovah could not conscientiously do this, so Daniel and his companions de termined that, come what may, they would not do it. Page Twenty-four
Pointers on the Lesson H omer A . K ent , T h .M. Helps for the Children A llison A rrowood
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