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would keep our lives from being Spirit- filled. The late Dr. C. I. Scofield had an experience of Victory that is very interest ing. His testimony was this: “Within a week after my conversion, thirty years ago, I passed by the window of a picture store in St. Louis, and I saw hanging there an engraving of a painting o f Daniel in the den o f lions. The prophet, with his hands behind him and the lions circling about him, is looking up and an swering the king’s questions. The one thing of which I was in mortal fear in those days was that I might go back to my sins. I was a drunken lawyer in St. Louis when I was converted, with_no power over an appetite for strong drink, and I was so afraid of a barroom, or a hotel, or a club, that when I saw I was coming to one, I would cross the street. I was in torment day and night. No one had told me any thing about the keeping power o f Jesus Christ. I stood before that picture; and a great hope and faith came into my heart, and I said: W hy, these lions are all about me—my old habits and sins—but the God that shut the lions’ mouths for Daniel can shut them for me.’ I learned that my God was able. He had saved me and He was able to deliver me from the lions. Oh, what a rest it was I” — The Sunday School World. How Daniel Grew Strong D a n ie l 1 -.8-20 Memory Verse: “W e . . . do those things that are pleasing in his sight” (1 John 3 :22 )/ Approach: After the good King Josiah died, his son was made king. Now his son did things which were evil in the sight o f . the Lord; and in- j A V v f i l v , . stead of bringing the strong young men to his own country. Lesson Story: Our story today is about one o f these young men. His name was Daniel. He was not wicked as was the king. Daniel was more like Josiah, the king’s father, for he worshiped: God and wished to obey His laws. Daniel and his three friends were taken, to the palace of the king of this far-away land. They were not put in prison as cap tives often are. Instead, the king told his servant to give them all sorts of rich food and wine. The king wanted to make them attractive so that they could wait on him in his palace and be his servants. The king’s servant brought Daniel and his friends this rich food and wine, but Daniel would not eat the food nor drink the wine. He knew that the simple food and the pure water that he had had back in his own country were the proper things to eat and drink to make him strong. Daniel wished to be healthy, not just because it would please this new king if he looked strong, but because he wanted to take care o f the body which God had given to him. At first, the servant was angry with Daniel and said something like this to him : “ I will lose my position if you grow thin and pale and sickly.” “ Let us try for ten days,” answered Daniel. The servant was persuaded to let them try. He brought them simple food the people back to God as his father had, he, led t h e m away. Th e n G od had to send trouble to the land. The king from another country came with his soldiers and con quered the land and took away many of
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that God alone can give. Having had a mind free from the effects of self-pleasing, he had been open for God’s instruction. Honor followed obedience. Daniel’s spiritual insight was also quick ened (v. 17). In the day when God spoke by visions and dreams, Daniel was the one man above others who was God’s confidant. Physically also, the manner of life o f the Jewish youths marked them as being su perior to others (vs. 18, 19). At the end of the appointed time, Daniel and his_ com panions were given special places in the kingdom; they “stood . . . before the king.’’ Finally, they were more acute and ready with understanding in matters requiring wisdom than were all the king’s magicians and astrologers (v. 20). Thus God honors the one who will honor Him. Points and Problems 1. The word .“meat” which occurs in verses 8, 13, and 16 does not refer to flesh foods alone, but is old English for va rious kinds o f food. The American Re vision translatés by the word “dainties.” 2. The word “pulse” in verses 12 and 16 might better be translated “herbs',” as it probably refers to a vegetable diet in gen eral rather than to one particular kind of food. 3. Why did Daniel refuse the king s dainties and insist upon a diet o f herbs? Some have argued from his position that the eating of meat is wrong, and that we should all become vegetarians. But this cannot be the right answer, for the Jewish law did not forbid the eating of meat. Daniel’s insistence was primarily based on a fear of ceremonial defilement. By eat ing from the king’s dainties, Daniel might have defiled himself in three ways : First, much of the king’s food would undoubted ly contain meat from animals which the Jew was forbidden to eat by the law of Moses, especially the flesh o f -swine. See Leviticus 11 for a. list o f forbidden ani mals. Second, the Jew was strictly for bidden to eat blood, something which the pagans regarded as a great delicacy. Fur thermore, the pagans were sometimes ac customed to kill their animals by strangu lation. In the third place, there was always the danger that food of any kind from the king’s table had been offered to idols, and Daniel did not wish to become involved in the practices of idolatry, even unwittingly. 4. But if we are careful students o f the Word, we shall find that even the cere monial laws of the Old Testament had a relation to practical considerations. We would all have clearer minds if we ate less of the rich and heavy meat foods. And there would be less sleeping in church and schoolroom. There is such a thing as food intoxication, as well as alcohol intoxication. Golden Text Illustration By His death and resurrection, our Lord Jesus Christ has conquered the foes that
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