T H E K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S ors, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. Behold, they shall be as stubble; the lire shall burn them; they shall not de liver themselves from the power of the flame; there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it.” Then came the queen and told the king what the lords and Chaldeans could not tell; “ There is a man” (v. 11). Thank God, He always has a man, (Gen. 41:11-15) but often no one knows where he is. Have you noticed when severe sickness or death comes, people do not go down to the dance hall or the movie show for a helper, but go to some man or woman of God, who has a word of comfort or help from God’s Word. Yes, they all want God in time of trouble. Daniel was found. (3) THE BAR OF GOD, vs. 17-21. “ I will read the writing unto the king” v. 17. Daniel stood in the presence of the king and his courtiers and showed him self a real man of God, “ Let thy gifts be to thyself; gi've thy rewards to an other.” And then in no uncertain language did Daniel unfold to the king the picture of the human heart, as did Peter to Simon the sorcerer' (Acts 8:20) “But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be pur chased with money.” and as did Abraham to the king of Sodom (Gen. 14:23) “That I will not take from a thread even to a shoe latchet, and that I will not take anything that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich.” Daniel took Nebuchadnezzar as an il lustration and showed how God had honored him and how he had lifted up his mind with pride. God hates pride (Prov. 16:5, 18) “Every one that is proud in heart Is an abomination to the Lord; though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Pride hardens the heart and brings judgment from God (2 Ki. 17:14) “Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the Lord their God.” Daniel is enforcing a lesson in spirit ual ethics well worth our heeding. God
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Here is a lesson for teachers and leaders in the church in this day of worldly intoxication. With them it was “ Bat and drink for tomorrow ye may die.” When the saloons were closed the devil had other doors wide open for a riotous road to hell. (2) THE BURNING MESSAGE, vs. 5- 16. “ In the same hour” v. 5. How many times has God spoken to man in the very hour of his boasting triumph. It was so with Nebuchadnez zar. While he was saying, “ Is not this great Babylon that I have built?” a voice from heaven said, “ The kingdom is departing from thee.” (Dan. 4:28- 33). Here at the height of the glorying of king and lords came a hand and wrote upon the wall. The laughing, boasting king’s countenance changed, the joints of his loins were loosed and his knees smote one another. And so it was with Israel (Ezek, 21:7) “And It shall be, when they say nnto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thon shalt answer, For the tidings; because it cometh; and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water; behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord.” The king cried for the astrologers and the soothsayers. Yes, yes, when fear cometh, send for an Eddyite practi tioner; send for a medium; send for a victrola and a jazz band! Who’s afraid? Men are. Why are they afraid? Be cause it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God. The astrologers could not interpret the writing. No! It has always been so. (Gen. 41:8) “And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled: and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all the wise men thereof; and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was aoM that eould interpret them unto Pharaoh.” Hear the challenge, of the Almighty (Isa. 47:13, 14) “Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticat
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