They were fully prepared for the worst.
The opening remarks were from Hananiah.
"Well, brothers, another cloud seems to darken our skies, and to hang
threateningly over our heads; but I trust that, as servants of the Host
High, we have by this time learned to gaze upon such things without
terror or alarm. We are now assembled together to take a calm, sober look
at the thing as it really is, and decide on our future course. We are
surely much indebted to the king. For a number of years, we have been the
recipients of his bounty and the objects of his kind regard, for which,
undoubtedly, we all feel grateful. But the question is this: is it our
duty, as the professed worshipers of the God of Israel, to yield
obedience to the demand of an unholy and wicked law, that throws insult
into the face of the God of heaven, and the Jehovah of the universe? In
this case, either obedience or disobedience must be pleasing to God. Is
it the will of Jehovah that we should obey this law, or disobey it? To my
mind, it is clear that, in this case, nothing short of a manly
disobedience can be agreeable to the will of our God.
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