John Kitto Evening Bible Devotions: June 13

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John Kitto Evening Bible Devotions: June 13


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The Examination

Dan_1:19-20

It is stated, that when the time for the training and probation of the young Hebrews had passed, “the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.” From this an old commentator Note: Willet: Hexapla in Danielem. London, 1610. deduces the doctrine, “that learning is necessary in kings;” assuming that Nebuchadnezzar examined them himself, from his own resources, and that, consequently, he was a man of learning. He says: “Nebuchadnezzar being a great warrior and conqueror, yet was himself so well seene in the knowledge of the Chaldeans, who were held to be the most learned in the world, that he was able to sift and examine these 4 men, whom he found in wisdome to goe beyond all his wisemen and soothsayers in Babylon. Such learned princes, among the people of God, were David, Solomon, Hezekiah, Josias; among the heathen, Alexander the Great, Scipio Africanus, Julius Caesar, with others; and among the Christian emperors, Constantine the Great, who decided the controversies and questions among the Christian bishops. And this famous kingdome of England hath had most learned princes: Henerie the 8, Edward the 6, Queen Elizabeth of late blessed memorie, and our now soveraigne king James, who is able to conferre with any man in his faculty, as here Nebuchadnezzar doth with Daniel and the other three.”

Now, without any disrespect to Nebuchadnezzar’s learning, we apprehend that the commentator has mistaken the character of the transaction. The probability is, that a high court of learning was held, at which the king presided, and at which the nobles and sages of the land “assisted.” The presence of the latter is, indeed, implied in the fact, that the king found the four Hebrew youths “ten times better” than his magicians and astrologers. How could he know that, but by actual opportunities of comparison, which such a meeting afforded? The sages probably proposed difficult questions, which the youths readily answered; and were in turn allowed to put questions, which the sages could not answer. We suppose, also, that the youths were expected or allowed to propose and defend certain theses against each other. In our own examinations of students, the object is chiefly to ascertain what they have learned. Oriental examination applied less to this, than to ascertain how far that which had been learned had improved and quickened the capacity, so as to create a certain alertness of judgment and readiness of resource in enabling them to answer, off-hand, difficult and puzzling questions, having little direct connection with their studies, but which it was assumed that the general bent of their education ought to enable them to solve.

In the first of the Apocryphal books of Esdras, Note: This book is of unknown date, but is largely quoted by Josephus, and therefore existed before his time. The story we cite may be a fiction, but it is, at all events, founded on a knowledge of Eastern customs in this respect, and may therefore, be quoted for illustration as one might quote an historian or traveller. there is a curious story about a contest of theses between three Hebrew youths, in the palace of Darius king of Persia.

The king had held a great feast to his princes and governors, and also to his household. Stimulated by the occasion, and emulous of honor, the three youths, who were of the king’s body-guard, proposed among themselves that each should write a sentence, and deposit it sealed under the king’s pillow, and that he whose sentence should be declared, “by the king and the three princes of Persia,” to be the wisest, should receive from the royal hand “great gifts and great things, in token of victory.” The coolness with which they proceed to assign the reward without consulting the king, who was to bestow it, is very entertaining. The writer was “to be clothed in purple, to drink in gold, and to sleep upon gold, and a chariot with bridles of gold, and a head-tire of fine linen, and a chain about his neck; and shall sit next to Darius because of his wisdom, and shall be called Darius his cousin.”

When the papers were found, the king made even more of the matter than the ambitious youths expected.—He summoned a high court of audience, and, being seated on his throne, called for the young men to vindicate their theses.

One had written, “Wine is the strongest;” and in supporting it he argued chiefly from the fact, that it brought down the strength of man, “causing all men to err that drank it.” It is a graphic picture of the various modes and changes of mind which wine produces.

The second had written, “The king is the strongest”—probably calculating that the courtliness of his proposition would make up for deficiency of argument. There is nothing very remarkable in what he said, except as to the truth of the picture given of a despotic government. “And yet he is but one man,” whom all thus obey, even to destruction and to death.

The third had somewhat unfairly fortified himself by two propositions: “Women are strongest; but above all things, Truth beareth away the victory.” He spoke largely on both themes, and with a degree of boldness and freedom which may astonish those who are unacquainted with the oral license allowed in Eastern courts. As to women he first proved very satisfactorily, that if men rule everything else, women rule men, and are therefore virtually the stronger. Besides, all men’s labors have home, and the woman reigning there, for their final object. For her he labors, fights, robs, spoils, and even sins—“yea, many there be that have run out of their wits for women, and become servants for their sakes. Many also have perished, have erred, and sinned for women.” He then ventured upon a hazardous illustration: There, before them, was the greatest of all the kings, whose strength had been so much extolled—he before whom the nations crouched in fear. Yet he, the orator, had seen a woman make a mere plaything of this mighty monarch. He had seen him sitting with his secondary wife, Apame, “daughter of the admirable Bartacus,” on his right hand; and she had actually taken the crown off his head and put it on her own, and had even dared to smite his dreadful person with her left hand. And all the while the king “gaped and gazed upon her with open mouth: if she laughed upon him, he laughed also; but if she took any displeasure at him, the king was fain to flatter, that she might be reconciled to him again.”

How the king might relish this illustration of the strength of woman from his own weakness, the speaker did not allow him time to consider; for he at once struck up a higher and bolder strain in praise of Truth. “Wine is wicked,” he said; “the king is wicked; women are wicked; all the children of men are wicked. There is no truth in them, and in their unrighteousness they shall perish; but as for Truth, it endureth, and is always strong; it liveth and conquereth for evermore.” And he closed with, “Blessed be the God of truth!”

He ceased: and, moved by the eloquent truths he had uttered, every tongue in that high audience found a voice, and cried, “Great is Truth, and mighty above all things!”