T H E K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S ured by our opportunities and our obedience tested by our privilege.— Holden. v. 23. Lifted up thyself. What does Babylon represent? In .its final form it is the great religious world system which will flourish immediately after the church has been called away. This final Babylon is a great ecclesiastical system, the center of which is Rome. Such a system, a universal church full of cor ruption, will be in existence during the time of the end, but it will not last to the end. According to Revelation that final Babylon Will be overthrown by the ten horns before the seven years are accomplished with which the Gentile age closes (Rev. 17:16, 17). A political power overthrew the literal Babylon, and a political power will overthrow the ecclesiastical Babylon.— Gaebelein. This - spirit of self exaltation is the spirit of the age. It is this lifting up of oneself before the God of heaven that leads the race on the one hand, to dethrone Christ from His Deity and make Him mere man, and on the other hand, to exalt man and make him God. The deism of man is becoming more and more popu lar. The Lord is coming one of these days and then the haughty Belshazzars will be brought low.—Neighbor. v. 27. Weighed in the balances. Gold and glitter, splendor and mirth cannot add weight to a soul in the balances of God. Those who are in the balances without Christ will be found wanting in the great day of God’s wrath.— Sel. v. 29. The third ruler. In spite of God’s declaration that the kingdom was already divided and given to the Medes ' and Persians, Belshazzar proceeds calm ly to deck God’s prophet in purple and gold, and solemnly proclaims him third ruler. If God’s word was true Belshaz zar had no kingdom.— Pettingill. Pictorial Questions Who was Daniel? Dan. 1:1-6. Who was Belshazzar? Of what country was he king? What great occasion is de scribed in this lesson? Who were in vited to this feast? LESSON Where were the gold QUESTIONS and silver vessels Used W. H. Pike here, secured? What did they praise and worship as they drank from .these ves sels? In the midst of this revelry what
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happened? Over against what did the writing appear? What was written? Who interpreted the writing? What reward was offered the interpreter? How did the interpretation affect the king? Why was Daniel offered the third place in the kingdom and not the second? Probably because Belshazzar was ruling for his mother, she being first and he second and Daniel offered the third. What ' dreadful thing hap pened on that feast night to Belshazzar? Who ruled the kingdom following Bel shazzar? Practical Questions Does it pay for statesmen to honor the true God? • Is it wise to make thé nation dry? What three sins destroyed this nation? Are those three sins prev alent in our nation? Has God in the last decade judged some nations for their sins? Are God’s judgments be yond the interpretation of the world’s wise men? Are only God’s servants able to discern these rebukes from heavejn? Do intemperance, impurity, and idolatry go together? If they do, should we not. be careful .to guard against each? Why did they call the spirit that Daniel had “ the Spirit of the Holy Gods” ? 5:11. What did Daniel say was back of these sins of Nebuchad nezzar’s life? 5:20. Was the same heart condition true in Belshazzar? 5:22, 23. What are the balances in which Individuals and nations are weighed? John 12:48; Rev. 20:12; 22:18, 19. Whom alone can we have on our side of the balances to meet our de ficiency? Phil. 1:21.
Daniel tells the king of his wrong doing. Dan. 5:1-17, 24, 31. Memory Verse.-—“ Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which, is good.” Rom. 12:9.
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