Page 58 - The Prophet-statesman a Drama of Daniel

CHAPTER XIII

THE GOLDEN IMAGE

In a few short days the camel-caravan headed by Daniel, the prime-minister of

Babylon, left the city and embarked on the journey to Jerusalem. The night before he
left, Daniel foregathered with his three friends for an evening of fellowship. The duties
of their important offices made it imperative for them to remain in Babylon. By the hand
of Daniel’s chief secretary they sent letters and gifts and money to their parents and

relatives in Jerusalem who had suffered no little privation in the intervening years.

“I need not urge you, my dear Hananiah and Mishael and Azariah to continue as
you have always done in the worship of Jehovah, prays and witness to Him as the only

true God. I am sure that the king, thought friendly to us and our God, is still full of pride
and has never come to faith in Him as the only true God, nor yielded in any way to His
will. I feel that there are further outbursts of his unreasoning wrath in store, in which
we may be severely tested. Jehovah grant us to ‘quit ourselves like men and be strong’.”

“We shall endeavor to keep the candlestick of witness burning, Daniel, while you
are gone. Will you continue to pray and call upon our devout people in Jerusalem to
pray that we shall not falter nor fail?” replied Hananiah for the three.

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The caravan had scarce left the city before Nebuchadnezzar summoned to his
presence, Baladan, his superintendent of public construction. It was in a large measure
the genius of Baladan that had brought to completion the “hanging gardens.”

“Baladan, I have another commission for you which will test not only your
constructive genius, but your artistic ability as well,” said the king to that worthy when
he stood before him. “You will now design and erect for me a statue of gold, not of solid

gold, but hollow. It is to be a replica of myself and I have decided that the place for it is
in the midst of the wide and level plain of Dura, north of the city. I wish it to be sixty
cubits high and sixty cubits wide. The image may be made to resemble me in my royal

apparel and like unto the great portrait that hangs inside the entrance to the palace. You
may freely draw on the royal treasury for the gold that will be required for material and
for the funds necessary for the prosecution of the work. I will allow your thirty days in
which to complete it. If it is done promptly and satisfactorily, you will be richly
rewarded. Now, you are dismissed! Make no delay to carry out my orders!”

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