1 “And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was troubled. 2 And his sleep brake from him. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to tell the king his dreams. So 3 they came in and stood before the king. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled 4 to know the dream. Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in the Syrian language, O king, live forever; tell thy servants the 5 dream, and we will shew the interpretation. The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye make not known unto me the dream and the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be 6 made a dunghill. But if ye shew the dream and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor; therefore shew me the dream and the interpretation thereof. 7 They answered the second time and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation. 8 The king answered and said, I know of a certainty that ye would gain time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. 9 But if ye make not known unto me the dream, there is but one law for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed; therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof. 10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: forasmuch as no king, lord, nor ruler, hath asked such a thing of any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. 11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. 12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree went forth; and the wise men were to be slain; and they sought Daniel and his companions to be slain.”
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
What happened to Nebuchadnezzar in the second year of his reign?
How was he affected by this experience?
For whom did the king then call? With what result?
What did the king then say to them?
What did the Chaldeans then ask the king to do?
What did they promise they would then do?
Why did not the king do as they requested?
With what threat did he then urge his demand upon the Chaldeans?
What did he promise them if they would comply with his request?
What did he again urge them to do?
What demand did they in turn repeat?
What did the king declare to be their purpose? Why?
How did the king repeat his former threat? What did he say was their plan of action?
What final demand did he make of the Chaldeans?
In what emphatic statement did they acknowledge their inability to do what the king asked?
Did they regard the demand as a common one?
What did they say about it? Who alone did they declare could reveal what the king asked them to show? What reason did they give as sufficient to prevent such a thing from being done?
What effect did this interview with the Chaldeans have upon the king?
What command did he then issue?
What decree was then made? Why did they seek for Daniel and his companions as a result of this decree?
NOTES.
1. Daniel and his companions had been under training for a definite purpose. The Lord had a message for Babylon, and it was to be given in the court of the king. “As Israel had lost the power to arrest and command the attention of all the nations, that the nations might consider God and His wonderful ways and works with the children of men, God would now use them to enlighten those who had acquired the power to arrest and command the attention of all the nations, and thus cause all nations to consider the wonderful ways and works of God with the children of men.”—Great Empires of Prophecy, pp. 6, 7. By the training which they had received, these young captives had been prepared to stand before the king, that they might impart in his own language the knowledge of the true God and His working among men.
2. God purposes to demonstrate in Babylon that the wisdom of men is foolishness with Him, that true wisdom comes from Him alone, and that it is imparted to man through the indwelling of the divine life as the wisdom. The failure of the Chaldeans to meet the demands of the king made it clear that all their pretensions of being the channel of communication through which could come knowledge which was otherwise unattainable was all a sham. To justify their failure they declared, that only the gods could do what they were asked to do, and even in this there was no hope, from the Babylonish standpoint and experience, because, they declared, their “dwelling is not with flesh.” This is the creed of Babylon. This is the teaching and experience of heathenism.
3. The original promise in which the Gospel was first preached (Gen. 3:15) was the promise of the union of divinity with humanity in the flesh, and this is the essence of Christianity. Daniel and his companions are in Babylon to teach this very truth, and the opportunity has now come in God’s own providence. According to the statement of the Chaldeans themselves, the ability to reveal the dream and its interpretation as demanded by King Nebuchadnezzar, would be equivalent to the demonstration of the fact that God dwells with flesh. That which they put forward as an excuse for their own failure will be the highest testimony to the truth of the experience which they deny to the flesh,—the indwelling of God in the flesh of sinful man. Thus the truth is set forth that “their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.”
“And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took each of them his censer, and put fire therein, and laid incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And there came forth fire from before the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace. And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Draw near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp. So they drew near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said. And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Let not the hair of your heads go loose, neither rend your clothes; that ye die not, and that he be not wroth with all the congregation; but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the Lord hath kindled. And ye shall not go out from the door of the tent of meeting, lest ye die; for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses. And the Lord spake unto Aaron, saying, Drink no wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tent of meeting, that ye die not: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations; and that ye may put difference between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean; and that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.”
Golden Text.—“Let us watch and be sober.” I Thess. 5:6.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) Of what presumptive act were Nadab and Abihu guilty? Verse 1. Note 1. (2) What was the immediate result of this rash deed? Verse 2. Note 2. (3) Of what did Moses remind Aaron? What shows that Aaron was cognizant of the warning? Verse 3. Note 3. (4) Upon whom did Moses then call? What command did he give them? Verse 4. (5) What is said of their action? Verse 5. Note 4. (6) What command did Moses give to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar? How were the people to act in the matter? Verse 6. Note 5. (7) What further prohibition was laid upon Aaron and his sons? Why? Verse 7. Note 6. (8) Who next spoke to Aaron? Verse 8. (9) What did the Lord command? On what penalty? How long was this statute to be in force? Verse 9. (10) What special reason did the Lord give for the prohibition? Verse 10. Note 7. What was one special duty of the priesthood that demanded clearness of perception? Verse 11. Note 8.
NOTES.
1. There was no excuse for using strange or common fire, as the Lord had provided the prescribed holy fire, and it was easy of access. The delusion that using something which the Lord has not commanded will do just as well as that which He has commanded, received a summary rebuke on that occasion, but it is still at work; for example, Sunday observance for Sabbath-keeping, sprinkling for baptism, and human teaching instead of the Word of God. Strange fire is in widespread use by men who are intoxicated by the deceptions of the last days.
2. The “fire from the Lord,” that should have been used in His service by these priests, was the means of their destruction. So the Word of God, which many professed ministers of the Gospel are ignoring in their ministrations to-day, may be the means of their destruction in the day of His wrath. This summary example of judgment is a warning to men in all ages that slackness or presumption in God’s service will meet a sure retribution.
3. Aaron is reminded that his sons were not cut down without warning. The Lord had given ample direction concerning the sanctification of the priests. Before the descent upon Sinai, He had charged Moses to “let the priests also, which come near to the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break forth upon them.” Ex. 19:20.
4. The dead priests were buried in their priestly robes, as even these were polluted beyond further use.
5. Aaron and his other sons were forbidden to make any outward show of mourning. They must not display before the people any indication that they did not fully acquiesce in the judgment of the Lord. They were forbidden to defile themselves in any of the customs concerning the disposal of the dead, excepting it be one of the immediate family (Lev. 21:1-6); but this instance was a special exception to that exception, because of the heinousness of the offense. So relatives not of the priesthood were called to dispose of the dead.
6. “Ye shall not go out,” etc.; that is, they were not to follow out after those who carried out the dead bodies. They were not to attend the funeral. The holy oil, the “oil of gladness” (Ps. 45:7) was upon them, and could not be associated with mourning, especially for those who had so grossly desecrated the holy anointing.
7. There are reasons and reasons for the prohibition of strong drink. It weakens the constitution, confuses the mind, and debases the character. The stronger the drink, the weaker is the one who imbibes it. But the greatest of all reasons to us is, God has forbidden it to the priesthood, and all His children are priests—a “royal priesthood.” 1 Peter 2:9. But the divine prohibition virtually goes farther than the priesthood: “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” Prov. 20:1.
8. The priesthood in Israel were the official teachers of the people; so the Lord’s “royal priesthood” are set to be the teachers of God’s Word to the people of the world. They have on them the “holy oil” of God’s enlightening Spirit (John 14:15-17; 16:13, 14), and the great Teacher’s command is, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matt. 5:16.
For further excellent comment, see “Patriarchs and Prophets, Chapter XXXIII, pages 374-377, and article on page 6, entitled, “Identified with Sin.”
New England CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC
Half a million dollars has been spent on our new building; nearly as much more on its equipment. The result is we have the finest institution in the world devoted to music, and our reputation for thorough teaching makes it second to none for creating individual results in music and elocution.
GEORGE W. CHADWICK, Director.
Year-book on request.
FRANK W. HALE, General Manager, Boston, Mass.
The World-Famous Puritan Pure Water Still
Is a practical scientific invention that furnishes pure water for every one.
Water distilled by the Puritan is free from every trace of impurity. It is purified, aerated, revitalized with sterilized oxygen.
Common distilled water is invariably flat and insipid, because it is not aerated and revitalized with oxygen. Our process overcomes all this.
Price, $8.00 Agents Wanted
F. J. SILSBEE, General Agent
85½ Twentieth Street, Oakland, Cal.
Refreshing Sleep Comes after a bath with Glenn's Sulphur Soap
It heals while it cleanses. Its medicative qualities render the skin free from impurities. Prickly heat, burns, cuts, dandruff, submit quickly to its healing effects.
CAUTION:—Glenn's Sulphur Soap (the only “original”) is incomparable and wonderful in its remedial effects. Take no other.
At all drug stores, or mailed on receipt of 30 cents by THE G. N. GLITTENTON CO., 115 Fulton Street, New York.
Patriarchs and Prophets
The principal Sunday-Schools throughout the world are now studying Old Testament history. From the giving of the manna in the wilderness to the Prophet Samuel’s time is the scope covered this year, and there is not a book to be found equal in interest and real help in the preparation of these lessons to
PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS
The precious gems of truth gleam from every page, and there should be a large number of agents in the field at this opportune time for its sale.
Liberal terms are offered those who can devote only a portion of their time to the work, as well as to those who can do more.
Decide as soon as possible to do something, and write to our general agency nearest you for terms, etc. (See list of general agents in next week’s paper, 15th page.)
We give below a list of the lesson subjects for the first three months, together with pages in “Patriarchs and Prophets” bearing on the same, that will convey a just idea of the quantity of matter treating each subject throughout the series.
LESSON II—July 13, 1902—The Ten Commandments, Duties to God, Ex. 20:1-11
LESSON XI—September 14, 1902—Loving and Obeying God, Deut. 30:11-20
“Patriarchs and Prophets” Chapter 42, pages 462-468
LESSON XII—September 21, 1902—The Death of Moses, Deut. 34:1-12
“Patriarchs and Prophets” Chapter 43, pages 469-480
LESSON XIII—September 28, 1902—Review
Pacific Press Publishing Co., Oakland, Cal.
11 W. 20th St., New York City, N. Y. 18 W. 5th St., Kansas City, Mo.
Review and Herald, Battle Creek, Mich.
CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE.
We have located a few copies of “Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene.” As this book is now out of print these copies will not last long. Price, $1.25 Address Pacific Press Publishing Co., Oakland, Cal.
Old Indian War Pensions
Congress has just passed a law granting pensions to the survivors and to the widows of deceased soldiers of the Oregon, Washington, and California Indian Wars of 1847 to 1856. Full information will be sent by BYINGTON & WILSON, No. 728 Seventeenth St., Washington, D. C., or Branch Office, No. 442 Parrott Building, San Francisco, Cal. Fees limited by law.
CHICAGO IN LESS THAN 3 DAYS
From San Francisco at 10 a. m.
Chicago, Union Pacific & Northwestern Line
DOUBLE Drawing-Room Sleeping Cars, Buffet, Smoking and Library Cars, with Barber. Dining Cars—meals a la carte. Daily Tourist Car Service at 6 p. m., and Personally Conducted Excursions every Wednesday and Friday at 8 a. m. from San Francisco. The best of everything.
R. R. RITCHIE
617 MARKET ST. GEN. AGENT PACIFIC COAST PALACE HOTEL SAN FRANCISCO or S. P. COMPANY'S AGENT
All Is Vanity
“All Is Vanity.”—How often the words of the preacher are verified in the history of this world. It is estimated that the preparations for the coronation of King Edward VII. cost $20,000,000; but they all ended in sad disappointment. The ambassadors, the princes, the royal and noble visitors have all gone home. It is probable that the coronation will take place on August 9, as officially announced, but all the grand displays planned for will be wanting.
*“The worldly hopes men set their hearts upon
Turn ashes”—*
But there is one coronation which will surely take place, the coronation of Christ Jesus. Those who invest heart, and soul, and means in that will not be disappointed. The earthly is vanity; the heavenly is real.
Editorial Notes and Outlook
By Editor
The article on our first page is one of the series on the “Coming of the Lord,” by L. A. Phippeny. It is on an important subject in an important series.
The International Sunday-School Convention, in Denver, showed an increase in this country since 1899 of 134,000 in enrollment of scholars, of 15,000 teachers, of 2,200 schools.
Next week we give the first of two articles entitled “Pictures Older than the Flood,” which will be of interest to those who seek the true solution of the problems of evolution and geology.
Our general readers will notice the large place we have given to editorial and outlook matters. We are sure that the importance of the matters treated generally, justify this. These are stirring times, pregnant with great dangers, and great opportunities, to meet which God has given us great truths.
A slang thrust at any statement of truth always shows two things: (1) A desire to evade the statement, or to ward off its force, and (2) inability to meet it by legitimate means. So a certain contemporary, wanting to break the force of an exposition of scripture in this paper, could only say that it was “gauzy.” We accept the tacit confession that our position was invulnerable as being the limit of the editor’s grace to acknowledge the point.
Science Not Infallible
Science not Infallible.—It is said that Senator Frye told Agassiz that he had caught a speckled trout weighing eight pounds. Agassiz told him speckled trout never attained that weight. For answer Senator Frye caught a nine-pound speckled trout, and sent it to Professor Agassiz, who replied in a telegram, “The science of a life-time kicked to death by a fact.” And just now not a few conclusions of “the science of a life-time” are undergoing death in the same way.
Electricity a Substance.
So the old scientists used to believe; but later students have held that it was only a force, caused by vibration. Now, according to a writer in the London Electrician of March 21, electricity is material, a substance, "identical with ordinary matter, the electric unit, or 'electron,' being nothing but a tiny chip separated from an atom of any elementary substance," as the Literary Digest of June 28 expresses it. The writer in the Electrician expresses it: "The generation of 'electricity' consists in splitting off an electron from the atom. The electron then produces a stress in the ether similar to that due to a 'negatively' charged body. The remainder of the atom acts as a 'positively' charged body, tho we do not know as yet whether the positive charge is due to a special positive electron or not." After much interesting information he continues: "We have at last discovered what we may call the 'electric substance.' We can weigh it, and measure it, and produce it in any quantity. It may yet prove to be the 'protyle' of the philosophers—the fundamental and primordial substance of the universe. The 'electric charge' is now no longer a mere phantasm of the mathematician. It is a solid reality; as solid, at least, as a deal table." Now there may be ground for this. It may be hypothesis, like the present generally-accepted theory of etheric vibration. If true, it may help souls to believe what is actual verity whether this hypothesis be true or not, that spiritual beings are not immaterial but substantial, and that in heaven we "have a better and an enduring substance."
Keeping the Conscience Tender
One of the strongest evidences of a spiritual decline is loss of conscientious scruples. This is not to say that conscientious scruples are always correct. Sometimes they are based on superstition and tradition; but when these give way to clearer light, true conscientiousness is deepened and intensified. When, therefore, conscience grows hard, it ought to be a cause of serious alarm. A man without a conscience is always an impending danger, and all the more so the higher the position of the conscienceless man. He is not only a danger to others, but to himself. With a declining integrity of conscience, one stands just where the devil finds hooks for his various schemes, and prepared soil for the seeds of evil. Better the conscientious scruples of the heathen widow who refuses to eat but her daily handful of rice, and so shortens life, or the devoutly ignorant Catholic who pays homage to a reputed holy bone, than the conscience of a once earnest Protestant which has so undergone decadence, so departed from God, that it fails to recognize sin or be pained by what is wrong, and which it once knew to be wrong. Keep the conscience tender by reading the Word of God, by earnest, faithful, humble prayer, and by devoted practice of good.
It Is Indeed Extravagant.
The Christian Advocate well calls extravagant the following statement credited to a woman of influence:—
To my mind neither the saloons nor the theaters, with all their attendant evils, do as much harm as the deadening monotony of unrelieved toil.
Now there are unexceptional cases of unrelieved toil, especially on the part of mothers and housewives, whose work is never done; but on the part of workingmen, whose day has, within a single generation, been reduced from fourteen hours to, in many cases, eight hours, there is no cause for mourning. A man, or boy for matter of that, is much better off at work than in dissipating. No monotony of unrelieved toil can compare in evil results with the saloon and theater.
Death an Enemy.
What a sad thing it is that Christianity has been so poisoned by the pagan idea that death is a friend! Nay, it goes back of paganism to its true paternalism, the father of lies. It was Satan, the old serpent, who said to man, “Ye shall not surely die.” He is the father of the delusive theory of the “immortality of the soul.” By that falsehood he hides the true life, the life and immortality which comes alone through Jesus Christ. He gives life, everlasting life, that we may win incorruptible characters, worthy of incorruptible—immortal—bodies. How fitting it is, isn't it? How supremely fitting it is that those who selfishly abuse the gift of life should lose it! How reasonable it is that only those who righteously live, imparting blessings to all with whom they come in contact, shall live to all eternity. And this is God’s plan.
The Life Boat Against Drink
The Life Boat, published at 28 Thirty-third Place, Chicago, is doing yeoman work for the slaves of evil habits. The June issue was an Anti-Cigaret Number. Twenty-five thousand were sold, and many more could have been sold. The August issue is especially designed to help those who are slaves to the terrible drink habit. It will contain articles from John G. Woolley, editor of the New Voice; from Colonel Hadley, from Eva Shontz, president of the National Young People’s Christian Union; from Miss Wintringer, editor of the Young Crusader; and from other able, helpful writers. The publishers of the Life Boat desire “everybody to send in the names and addresses of those addicted to drink, and two-cent stamp for each,” and the publishers will mail the August Life Boat to these addresses. They will not say to those needing help, however, that you sent the Life Boat, or requested it sent. Or you can get the Life Boat in quantities up to 100 at two cents a copy, and above a hundred copies at a cent and a half a copy. New subscribers at twenty-five cents a year, each. This number will be a life message to those enslaved by drink, and we earnestly appeal to our readers to help it along. You can not do better temperance work. May God bless the Life Boat.
Insanity Claims.
In referring to the nurse in Massachusetts who confesses to thirty-one murders of patients entrusted to her care and personal friends, the Christian Advocate remarks:—
It would appear that the sole grounds to suppose her insane, are the number of the subtle crimes she has committed, the supposed lack of any motive which might influence a sane person, and the absence of remorse. If there were no delusions, hallucinations, or illusions, this decision is far reaching in its consequences. It will be a frightful precedent, and make human life even more unsafe than it was before. The logical conclusion is, if for any reason one wishes to commit one crime and escape, commit more of them apparently without any motive. There are men so constituted that the appalling character of crimes leads them to believe the person who committed them must of necessity be insane. Divers insanity experts have that personal peculiarity. Their testimony in such cases is worthless; for they make no distinction between crime and insanity. One of them once testified that “in every case of a murder committed by a woman, the legal presumption should be that she was insane.” When asked if he would apply the same thing to men, “By no means,” said he.
It is said that the woman knew she was doing wrong, knew what the consequences of the poison so skillfully administered would be, but could not resist the impulse to kill. On that ground, according to all reports, she was accounted insane. Possessed by a demon, it looks like.
Men and Monkey.
An Eastern society-man has recently given a swell dinner in honor of a pet monkey. It is said that the monkey acted in all things like his betters, or worsers, even to drinking himself drunk, leaping upon the table, throwing wine glasses at the guests, frightening ladies, etc., in the most approved ultra-Bohemian fashion. Such things have a tendency to help one to acquiesce in the similar origin of (some) men.
