66 THE LAW ON IMAGE WORSHIP.

 

 

golden calf. When Moses came down from the mount
and saw what they had done, he was filled with indig- -
nation. He tore down the calf they had made and
ground it to powder. He put the powdered gold into the
water and made the people drink it.

By God's command, Moses slew three thousand of
the idolaters that day. This shows the great displeasure
of God toward those who disobey him. Let us look for
a moment at some of God's children who dared to keep
this commandment of God, even at the peril of their
lives.

Perhaps you have read the story of the three He-
brew children who were thrown into the fiery furnace.
This was done because they would not worship an image
which Nebuchadnezzar, the king, had set up. This
wonderful image was nearly one hundred feet high, and
was made of gold.

The wicked king was going to make everybody fall
down and worship it. But these three Hebrew children,
friends of Daniel, would not bow down, but stood straight
up, when all the rest fell before the image. The king
had declared that if any disobeyed his onde they should
be cast into the fiery furnace. So the soldiers bound °
these three men and threw them into the fire; but the
fire did not touch them. Jesus came to walk with them
and they came out unharmed. Jesus is near those who:
. keep his commandments.