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Friday
The First
Lesson
Daniel 3:8-18
8 Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused
the Jews.
9 They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live
for ever.
10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall
hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery,
and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship
the golden image:
11 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should
be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs
of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego;
these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy
gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men
before the king.
14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship
the golden image which I have set up?
15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of
the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and
all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which
I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the
same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who
is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the
king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in
this matter.
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from
the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine
hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not
serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast
set up.
1st Lesson Questions -
Would I be able to answer so faithfully, as these three men did? RESOLVE.
The Second
Lesson
Acts 21:37 - 22:16
37 And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the
chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak
Greek?
38 Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest
an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand
men that were murderers?
39 But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city
in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer
me to speak unto the people.
40 And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs,
and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was
made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue,
saying,
1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make
now unto you.
2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to
them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)
3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in
Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel,
and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the
fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.
4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering
into prisons both men and women.
5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate
of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren,
and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto
Jerusalem, for to be punished.
6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come
nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven
a great light round about me.
7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me,
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I
am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid;
but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto
me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee
of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being
led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.
12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having
a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,
13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive
thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.
14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that
thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest
hear the voice of his mouth.
15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast
seen and heard.
16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash
away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
2nd Lesson Questions -
Had I been Saul, how would I have felt after all this happened? RESOLVE.