Vers. 2-18.-Character revealed by ti-ial. Critical moments are tests of character. In this incident the lee.ding features of three distinct classes of character are clearly revealed. l. 'l'IIE OONDUCT OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR REVEALS TH~ EVIL CIIARAOTER OF TYRANNY. 1. It is se{/ish. Though the oharge of a vast empire is entrusted to him, the king exercises his irresponsible power of life and death simply for his owu convenience. 2. It is unreasonable. Nebuchadnezzar not only asks for the intotpretatiou, he demands the recovery of his forgotten dream. Whenever great authority is not ballmoed by o.n equivalent intelligence, the result must be some such issue of most unreasonable commands. 3. It is cruel. For failin~ to meet the king's preposterous demand, the Chaldcaus are to be hewn in pieces. Even those juuior members, such as Daniel and his three companions, who were not consulted, are to suffer the same fate. Thus the i~olation of supreme rank and irresponsible power tends to destroy that sympathy which is dependent on the feeling of fellowship. 4. It is suicidal. In the madness of his disappointment, the king is about to kill the man who subsequently proves to be his best friend. Selfishness is often blind to its highest interest. Cruelty reverts on the head of its author. II. THE CONDUCT OF THE CRALDEANS EXPOSES THE WEAKNESS OF PRETENSIONS TO MAGICAL POWER. If the dream had been given, these men would have offered an interpretation, though probably one of Delphic ambiguity. But when the demand is for the exercise and test of a distinctly supernatural faculty, they fail. We may note, in reference to the pretensions to second sight of such men and their modern successors, that: 1. They fail before the crucial test which plainly requires 11upernatural powers. They are too vague for this. 2. They are of no practical interest. 'l'rivial secrets may appear to be revealed, but mysteries of serious importance remain unsolved. 3. Instead of increasing religious faith, they ducoura:;e it. The Chaldeans say tbat what the king requires can be done only by" the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh," thus implying that these gods make no revelation to men, and have no contact with them. Contrast their godless divination with Daniel's higher power of divination, which he attributes solely to the revealing grace of his God. liL THE co:KDUCT OF DANIEL EXHIBITS THE EXCELLENCY OF DEVOUT WISDOM UNDEB SEVERE TB.liL. 1. It has immediate recourse to prayer. Daniel does not pretend to solve the mystery by the force of hie own wisdom. He at once invokes the help of God. In the method and object of his prayer his action is a model of devout wisdom. Thus (1) he associates his three companions with him in his prayer, and shows his faith in the efficacy of united prayer (see Acts ii. 1; :xii. 5; Jae. v. 14); (2) his prayer is to the point, asking for special help in special need; (3) it is reasonable,-Daniel asks for deliverance from threatened death, bnt only by receiving power to fulfil the king's condition; he does not look for a miraculous escape, but for light in the matter of the king's dream. 2. Devout wisdom finds its greatest strength in the greatest trial. If it bad not been for the king'11 savage threat, Daniel might have been long in developing his gifts and realizing his mission. The danger brings him out of obscurity, and compels him to exercise the Divine faculties which are entrusted to him. If we have the right spirit in us to appreciate the opportunities they affo_rd, we shall often find that the extremities and emergencies of life are, under the providence of God, the very means by which his best gifts and graces are made to fructify._ Their greatest excellency is in their capacity to shine brightest under the hardest trials.
Vers.19-23.-Divine might and Divine wisdom. We have here a model of the hicrbest 0 form of worship-a prayer which is wholly adoration and thanksgiving. The im porte.nce of this is emphasized by the circumstances. Daniel'e life ~s thr_eatened; Lt: l,as just received the Divine assistance by which he can give. the kmg _hie dream and i;ecure his own escape; yet he stays to utter a full expreeslOJ?- of pra1s~ for the greatnt:1>S and goodness of God, with the sentence of death still hangmg over him. For UH, II, 1-49.] 'l'lnl .BOOK OJ!' DANIEL,