Daniel 3

Daniel Chapter ThreeVerse 1 Daniel is a book of a number of astounding miracles; and these should be understood in light of the absolute necessity of God’s prevention of the absorption of the Judaic remnant (the truly important part of Israel) into the gross paganism of their Babylonian captors. If Nebuchadnezzar, or any other king, had been permitted by God to compel the Jews to bow down before pagan images, it must be considered very doubtful that Israel could have survived a period of seventy years and at the same time have retained their faith in God. Many of the older commentators understood the urgent need of just such interposition upon God’s part as may be seen in this chapter and other portions of Daniel. The miracles here came at a juncture in Israel’s history when the Chosen People were subject to a mighty despot who deemed himself almighty; and, due to the captive state of his people, God could not manifest himself to the autocratic heathen rulers of that era through his people. Therefore, it was necessary that God should have manifested himself through those faithful Jews (Daniel and his companions), who in that situation were God’s representatives of the Theocracy.[1]The situation was exactly parallel to that of captive Israel in Egypt when God performed the most powerful miracles of the Old Testament to deliver the oppressed people. God did exactly the same thing here; and those unbelieving scholars who will not believe the miracles recorded in Daniel are apparently blind to the unqualified necessity for exactly this type of intervention from the Father for that people who were destined, in time, to deliver the Messiah to mankind. Note also how effective the miracles recorded here assuredly were. “Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged the true God as being above all the gods that he worshipped (Daniel 3:28). He admitted that it was right for the Jews to worship no other god but their own. He decreed that God’s law should be obeyed rather than his (Daniel 3:28); and he forbade under penalty of death that if persons of any people, nation, or language should speak against the God of the Jews, the persons doing so should be cut in pieces and their houses made a dunghill! (Daniel 3:29). This decree promulgated throughout the vast empire of Nebuchadnezzar must have tended much to keep the Jews from idolatry during their captivity and afterward."[2]Therefore we receive the great miracle of this marvelous chapter exactly as it is represented in this holy book, a book that Christ himself did not hesitate to quote during his ministry. Furthermore, the timing of this great wonder came at exactly the correct time, at or near the beginning of Israel’s long captivity. That was the time when this miracle was needed, not during the days of the Maccabees. There exists no more unreasonable superstition among critics than the allegation that Daniel was written during the days of Antiochus Epiphanes. It is true of course that Daniel would have been a book of much comfort to the Jews of that period, but no more, indeed not half as much, as the comfort it brought and the inspiration it provided in the days of Daniel. Dummelow called this chapter “a legend,"[3] and it is quite common among liberal critics to classify most of Daniel with such Jewish writings as the Talmud and the Midrash.[4] However, as the same great scholar affirmed: “This chapter is a straightforward account of a miraculous deliverance that is fully on a par with the rest of Holy Writ; and it is even approved by a New Testament reference to it, “quenched the power of fire” (Hebrews 11:34)."[5]This chapter also reflects the faith of the three companions to the effect that, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace” (Daniel 3:17), as a faith that was grounded in the prior writings of the Holy Bible: “When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee, for I am Jehovah thy God, the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 43:2-3). Thus what God did, as recorded here, was nothing more than he had faithfully promised that he would do. In fact, Andrews, stated that, “This marvelous rescue is held up as a Divine deliverance, and as an illustration of the fulfillment of Isa 43:2."[6]An outline of this chapter is as follows: the erection of the great image (Daniel 3:1), the dedication of the image (Daniel 3:2-7), the Chaldean’s charge against the Jews (Daniel 3:8-12), the manner of Nebuchadnezzar’s reception of those charges (Daniel 3:13-15), the Hebrew children stand firm (Daniel 3:16-18), the terrible penalty executed (Daniel 3:19-23), God preserved them in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:24-27), and the final result of this miracle of deliverance (Daniel 3:28-30). Daniel 3:1“Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was three score cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.“THE IMAGE ERECTEDIf one may take somewhat of a speculative glance at the probable psychology that controlled Nebuchadnezzar at this point, it is easy to see what this pagan egotist meant by this image. The previous chapter tells us of his dream of the great image which, according to Daniel’s interpretation, represented Nebuchadnezzar as being “the head of gold!” This was not enough for this ruthless despot; he wanted to be the whole cheese! Therefore, he made a great image all of gold. Of course, when he commanded everyone to worship it, he might have identified it as an image of one or more pagan deities. That would have made it easier for the chief officers of the kingdom to comply with his request; but our own view is that the image here was clearly one of Nebuchadnezzar himself. Some scholars, of course, say that it was an image of “one of Nebuchadnezzar’s favorite deities.”, We strongly prefer the older view that this image was of Nebuchadnezzar himself. Why? (1) There is the probable thinking on Nebuchadnezzar’s part that this statute all of gold was a better symbol of his importance than the one of the dream that Daniel interpreted, in which he was only the head of gold. (2) Also, as Arthur Jeffery put it, “The tyrant ever seeks to make men bow down before something he has made … The egocentric man has idols before which he insists that other men bow. These usurp the place of God."[8] (3) Also, as Young observed, “It was customary for the Assyrian kings to erect statues of themselves."[9] There is nothing in the text which clearly settles the question. “An image of gold …” The sheer size of this colossus, 90 feet by 9 feet seems to indicate that it was not of solid gold, but that it was made of some other material and overlaid with the precious metal. “On the plain of Dura …” It is not certainly known where this was. Dummelow thought it was at the “mounds of Dura some 12 miles south-southeast of Babylon."[10]Andrews believed that, “The best suggestion is that it was connected with a small river, Dura, that entered the Euphrates some six miles south of Babylon."[11] The great likelihood is that it was somewhere not too far from Babylon. Verse 2 “Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Then the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then the herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image which Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up; and whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.“THE OF THE IMAGEOf very great interest in this passage is the prominence of instrumental music in the ceremonies of pagan religious rites. It has ever been thus, and there can be no doubt whatever that this longtime association of instrumental music with paganism was one of the prime reasons why Jesus Christ did not include it in the New Testament worship which Our Lord established. This association of instruments of music with pagan religion continued unto the times of the apostles, when, for example, the Temple of Aphrodite Pan Demos, located atop the Acro Corinthus, encouraged the patronage of their one thousand sacred prostitutes by a cacophonous blast of instrumental music five times a day, signaling that, the prostitutes had changed their clothes and that another feast on the sacrifices had been made ready. In our own times, with the continued degeneration of the whole science of instrumental music into the vulgar rhythms and noisy cacophony of the current era, such later styles of instrumental music are impossible of reconciliation with any conception whatever of holy worship. Another feature of this passage is the repeated list of the satraps, deputies, governors, etc. who were called to the dedication of the image. There are eight of the officers mentioned here, and “half of the names given here are Persian."[12] “It is argued that these words were used anachronously; but this does not follow, since Daniel published his book in the Persian period."[13] It would be an absurdity to suppose that some forger during the Greek period would have inserted all of these old Babylonian words. As Leupold stated, “These Persian names make it impossible to assume that this was written during the times of the Exile."[14] It is a characteristic of the Biblical style that the lists of the musical instruments are repeated in Daniel 3:5; Daniel 3:7; Daniel 3:15, and that the list of officers is repeated in Daniel 3:2-3; Daniel 3:27. In their diligent efforts to discover some evidence that Daniel was composed in the Greek period, some of the critics note that some of the musical instruments mentioned here had Greek names. So what? There were Greeks in Nebuchadnezzar’s service; and there is ample evidence that Greek culture had penetrated the Babylonian culture. Those musical instruments with Greek names, “simply carried their Greek names with them, as in the case of similar cultural exchanges today, as in the instances of piano, viola, guitar, zither, etc."[15] There is additional comment on this in the Introduction. In Daniel 3:5, the word “worship” is sometimes rendered “do homage to”; and from this, it has been alleged that this image was being dedicated to some god or goddess; but, as Leupold noted, “It is not required that such words should be so construed."[16] We believe that the image was the conceited expression of Nebuchadnezzar’s boundless egotism. The harsh penalty announced as punishment for any who refused to honor the king’s edict was announced in Daniel 3:6; and in Daniel 3:7, it is revealed that all of the invited government officers indeed did as they had been commanded, that is, all except the three Hebrew companions! Apparently, this command to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s image did not extend to all of the Jews, or to all of the people, but only to those who held positions of trust under Nebuchadnezzar’s government. Verse 8 “Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and brought accusations against the Jews. They answered and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king, O king, live forever. Thou, O king, has made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psalter, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image; and whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom thou has appointed 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.“THE ’ CHARGE AGAINST THE JEWS"Brought accusations …” (Daniel 3:8). Some translate this, “maliciously brought accusations”; and it would appear to be an accurate reflection of what happened. The Hebrew here has an idiom that reads literally, “ate their pieces."[17] It also may be read, “ate their flesh.” Many of the “old guard” in Babylon hated those foreign newcomers who had been so signally honored by the king; and, moved by jealousy, they no doubt believed that they had achieved their purpose of getting rid of them by these accusations, which, of course, were true. “Jealousy is a despicable vice with envy and selfishness for its roots.

Under pretense of loyalty to the king, they were chiefly anxious to rid themselves of formidable rivals."[18]It is a mystery as to why Daniel was not in this group accused. Many guesses as to why his name does not appear here have been offered, but the total silence of the Scriptures on that point leaves the matter undisclosed. As Thomson observed, “This omission is an indirect proof of the antiquity and genuineness of the book."[19] Certainly, it is difficult to imagine that same pseudonymous author in the period of Antiochus would have omitted Daniel’s name in recording this miracle. Verse 13 “Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought the men before the king. And Nebuchadnezzar answered and said unto them, Is it of purpose, O Shadraeh, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that ye serve not my god, nor worship the golden image that I have set up? 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 set up: 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?"‘S OF THE CHARGESTo this writer it appears to be significant that both in this passage and in Daniel 3:12, the matter of “serving” Nebuchadnezzar’s gods is distinguished from worshipping the image which he had set up. From this it would appear that the golden image was not dedicated to any of his gods, but to Nebuchadnezzar himself. Despite his rage and fury, Nebuchadnezzar refused to act against the Jews without an investigation. He perhaps was aware of the vicious jealousy that prompted the charges. Therefore the king gave the Hebrews another chance to clear themselves of the charges. It is important to note that Nebuchadnezzar in his taunting of the disobedient trio specifically challenged the authority and the power of their God. That, no doubt, contributed to the dramatic manner in which God accepted the challenge and dramatically rescued his children and delivered them from the king’s wrath “with a high hand.” “Who is that god, etc. … (Daniel 3:15)? These arrogant words remind us of what Sennacherib’s Rabshakeh said to Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:19 ff); and that, of course, was another occasion when God miraculously intervened. There would appear to be somewhat of a pattern here. When any pagan ruler tauntingly challenged Jehovah’s power and dared to defy the Lord, it resulted in disaster for the audacious challenger. Certainly, in this case, the Chaldean accusers were foiled completely; and the Jewish religion was made to be legitimate throughout the whole period of their captivity! Verse 16 “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee in this matter. 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 thy hand, O king. 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.“THE HEBREW YOUNG MEN STAND FIRMFor raw courage in the face of the most dreadful danger, history has nothing that surpasses this defiant reply. In effect, they said, “Yes, our God is able to deliver us, but even if he does not deliver us, we will not disobey our God. We will not serve your gods nor worship your golden image.” It has been said that, “True religion is the determined purpose to do right, and not to do wrong, whatever may be the consequences in either case."[20]Verse 19 “Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was wont to be heated. And he commanded certain mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their breeches, their tunics, and their mantles, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the burning fiery furnace.“THE PENALTY The expression “seven times hotter” appears to be an idiom which actually means, “Make it as hot as possible."[21]The exact meaning of the words describing the articles of clothing in which the condemned men were bound before being cast into the furnace is not known. “The meaning was lost at some period prior to the making of the Septuagint (LXX) in 250 B.C."[22] Such a fact, of course, requires the deduction that, “Daniel was written at a time long prior to that date."[23] This is proof that Daniel was not written in the period of Antiochus. Many guesses have been advanced as to what the various articles of clothing here mentioned actually meant; but the most probable guess which we have encountered is that of Kennedy who said, “It is probable that the articles of clothing here mentioned were articles of official attire, and that they had come to the assembly in court dress."[24] If that was the case, it would have provided another incentive for binding them in their clothes, thus projecting the destruction of the official insignia of their high office. “Customarily the condemned would be stripped of clothing."[25]As translated in this version (ASV), the clothing consisted of breeches, tunics, and mantles. Andrews rendered the words, “mantles, trousers, and hats."[26] There are a number of other guesses. The only thing certain is that all three of these ancient words belong to the court of Babylonian and Persian kings, and that they pertain to the vocabulary of Daniel himself, not to that of some pseudonymous forger in the days of the Maccabees.[27]The urgency and fury of the king served to highlight the wonder about to be enacted. He did not even allow time for the customary stripping of condemned men. “The miracle was enhanced by the fact that all of those clothes constituted just so much more combustible material."[28]Verse 24 “Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and he rose up in hast: he spake and said to the counselors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O King. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the aspect of the fourth is like a son of the gods. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace: he spake and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the Most High God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came forth out of the midst of the fire. And the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, and the king’s counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, that the fire had no power upon their bodies, nor was the hair of their head singed, neither were their breeches changed, nor had the smell of fire passed upon them.“GOD THEM IN THE FIERY FURNACEThis was indeed a miracle fulfilling exactly the Divine promise of Isa 43:2. It ranks on a parity with the great plagues by which God accomplished the delivery of Israel from bondage in Egypt. miracle is not merely an astounding wonder. It is a supernatural occurrence designed as a witness of God’s redemptive purpose for mankind. Such wonders occurred only when they were necessary; and a time when such a sign from heaven was any more necessary than at this juncture of Israel’s history would be hard to imagine. Miracles attest the truth of the Word of God and confirm the fact of God’s sovereignty in his creation. This mighty, supernatural deliverance of the three “was designed to show the sovereignty of the true God over the nation that had taken Israel captive."[29] It also had the utility of legitimizing the Jewish religion throughout the period, of their captivity. Otherwise, Israel itself (along with the promise of the Messiah) might have perished. The great thing in the passage, over and beyond the amazing deliverance itself, is the appearance of that Fourth Person in the fire walking with the three. Who was he? Nebuchadnezzar’s explanation was that “The Most High God had sent his angel, who delivered his servants who trusted in him” (Daniel 3:28). We are shocked that commentators prefer Nebuchadnezzar’s opinion in such a matter and make it the basis of denying that here indeed is a genuine Christophany of the Old Testament. “Here we have to do with a pre-incarnate manifestation of the Son of God."[30] We also wish to protest the rendition in our version of Nebuchadnezzar’s remark concerning that Fourth Person, namely, that, “He is one like to a son of the gods” (Daniel 3:25). This is an egregious error. This passage should be rendered, “The fourth is like the Son of God,” exactly as it is in the KJV. Why? “The language here is simply: “Like to a son of God ([‘Elohiym])."[31] The translators get their perverted “son of the gods,” by mistranslating [‘Elohiym], the famous Old Testament plural title of Almighty God as used throughout the Old Testament. If [~‘Elohiym] here means “gods” in the sense of pagan gods, then the pagan gods may be said to have created the world! We protest this perversion of God’s Word. Of course, the critics spill lots of ink trying to make their perversion stand up. They say that, “Of course, Nebuchadnezzar could not have known the True God. How do they know what Nebuchadnezzar did or did not know? This very passage reveals that Nebuchadnezzar referred to the Hebrew three as “Servants of the Most High God” (Daniel 3:26); and “Everywhere this word is used in the Holy Bible, it is an appellation of the True God, and of no one else."[32] In that light, how should we evaluate a statement by Barnes that we should not allow the translation of the words “son of God” as they most certainly stand in the text, on the grounds that, “It is clear that no such conception entered into the mind of the king of Babylon."[33] It is admitted that Nebuchadnezzar probably did not know the full meaning of the words he used there; but so what? Caiaphas did not know the meaning of his prophecy of the death of Christ (John 11:49); but God put true words into the mouth of that unbeliever, just like he did here in the case of Nebuchadnezzar. Here is an instance of the vast superiority of the old King James Version above everything since then. The Septuagint (LXX) also rendered this place, “One like to the Son of God.” That is what the words mean. This tampering with Daniel is only an instance of a whole science adopted by the critical fraternity, the sole purpose of which is to edit out of the Word of God every prophetic reference to the Son of God in the entire Bible. Verse 28 “Nebuchadnezzar spake and said, Blessed be the god of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and have yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language, which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill; because there is no other god that is able to deliver after this sort. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in the province of Babylon.“THE RESULTS OF THE MIRACLEWhat a blessing this decree of Nebuchadnezzar must have been to the Jews throughout their captivity! Right here is the secret of why they were able to return; and the absence of such a wonder upon behalf of the Northern Israel who went captive into Assyria is exactly why they were never able to go back to Jerusalem. Thus this great miracle was a vital link in the long chain of God’s dealings with the apostate human race, and also a very necessary one, in the achievement of God’s purpose of redemption. The Septuagint (LXX) adds the following to this last verse: “and advanced them, and gave them authority to rule over all the Jews who were in his kingdom."[34] This additional information does not appear in our text; but there would appear to be no grounds for not believing the truth of it. Adam Clarke accepted these words as valid; because, as he said, “It was more likely that the Jews would have been set over other Jews than over the Chaldeans."[35] Commentary On Daniel Three by Eric HallCommentary Daniel 3In this chapter, we discover what it means to take a stand for the Lord and to refuse to compromise with the gods of this world. We also meet three men who are truly ‘ profiles in courage.’ One of the central themes of this book is the absolute sovereignty of God and his love for his people. The apocalytic sections of Daniel portray these attributes of God with signs and symbols. In this chapter (as well as in chapters 5 and 6) we have historical demonstrations of these attributes. Like Revelation, the book of Daniel is a book of assurance. God is telling his people that despite what they might think, they have not been forgotten. We must see the book in this context if we are to understand it properly. Verse 1 1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. The king makes a giant golden image and sets it up before the people. Notice that it did not take long for Nebuchadnezzar to forget his newly found religious insights. Of course, like all polytheists, he probably felt that the Jews would be capable of having multiple loyalties. The polytheistic perspective is very strange to us. But we need to see that the monotheistic view was just as strange to them. The idea of “ one true God” was not something they understood. The similarity between this image and the one in Nebuchadnezzar’ s dream seems to be more than a coincidence. Recall that Daniel said that Nebuchadnezzar was the head of gold in his dream. (He wasn’ t satisfied with being just the head, he wanted to be the whole image!) Out of all that Daniel told him, Nebuchadnezzar seems to have only remembered the statement “ You are the head of gold.” (We also have our favorite verses…) Perhaps the king was saying to Daniel’ s God, “ OK. Here is the image. Now where is your big stone?” (Daniel’ s prediction that Nebuchadnezzar’ s kingdom would be replaced had probably not set to well with him.) Nebuchadnezzar’ s plan was a very common one: He intended to boost his own political power through the use of religion. We see this happen today when politicians espouse religious views when running for office that are quickly forgotten once that office is obtained. A characteristic of idolatry is that the idol serves the worshipper to achieve the worshipper’ s aims. How large was the image? It was 60 cubits tall and 6 cubits wide. At 18 inches per cubit, that means the image was 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide. The height is about the same as the date-palms that still grow in the plains of Iraq (90 feet), and it was almost as slender. It was more of an obelisk than a statue. Archaeologists have found ruins about six miles southeast of the city of Babylon that may be the foundation of this image. Why 60 by 6? The Babylonian number system was sexagesimal (base 6) instead of decimal (base 10) like ours (and Egypt’ s in that day). Some see this Babylonian influence elsewhere in scripture, such as in Ezekiel: Ezekiel 40:5 And behold, there was a wall all around the outside of the temple area, and the length of the measuring reed in the man’s hand was six long cubits, each being a cubit and a handbreadth in length; so he measured the thickness of the wall, one reed; and the height, one reed. It is interesting that the sexagesimal system has survived in our division of time and in our division of the circle into degrees. From our study of Revelation, we know that 6 has a symbolic meaning. The number 7 denotes perfection and completion and the number 6 denotes something that is hopelessly short of perfection. In Revelation, the beast of Rome (a new Babylon) was given the number 666. Rome, like Babylon, thought it was great and powerful, but it was hopelessly short of perfection. The numbers here are not symbolic. They are actual measurements. But the symbolism applies nevertheless. Liberal critics see the size of the image as a problem, claiming that the disproportionate proportions would have made the image look preposterous. Too tall? The colossus at Rhodes was taller. (70 cubits compared to 60 cubits) Perhaps the image was on top of a large pedestal. They also complain that there would not have been enough gold in all of Babylon to make such a large image, but where does it say that the image was solid gold? Like smaller statues that have survived, this one was no doubt gold plated. Compare the following description from Isaiah: Isaiah 40:19 The idol! a workman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold, and casts for it silver chains. What was the religious significance of this image? The construction of this large image is yet another facet of this book that points to an early date. Archaeological discoveries have shown that Nebuchadnezzar’ s building projects extended to some of the ancient Sumerian cities such as Ur of the Chaldees. Most feel that Dura was a suburb of Babylon. In these areas, Nebuchadnezzar was a religious reformer. Excavations have shown that when Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt religious temples, he removed the special rooms where the priests conducted their secret ceremonies and replaced them with areas where all could come and view the procedures. Nebuchadnezzar’ s reforms thus centered around permitting the public to participate in the religious ceremonies that had formerly been secret. This seems to be what occurred in here in Daniel 3. Sir Leonard Wooley said the following: What was there new in the king’ s act? Not the setting up of a statue, because each king in turn had done the same; the novelty was the command for general worship by the public: for a ritual performed by priests the king is substituting a form of congregational worship which all his subjects are obliged to attend. How did the author of Daniel know about this new phase of worship that began under Nebuchadnezzar if Daniel were written 400 years later? Verse 2-3 2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to assemble the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, were assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. From Nebuchadnezzar’ s viewpoint, it was inconceivable that any reasonable person could refuse this simple demonstration of loyalty to the king. The titles used in this section point to a well organized bureaucracy. Satrap: Persian term for “ realm protector.” Prefect: lieutenant governors. Governors: lord of an administrative district. Malachi 1:8 says that the province of Judea was administered by a “ governor.” Advisers or Counselors: Persian term for “ counsel-giver.” This term is unique to Daniel in all known Aramaic literature. Treasurers: Persian term for “ treasure bearer” Judges: Persian term for “ law bearer” Magistrate: Persian term for “ over chief.” The terms for ‘ judges’ and ‘ magistrates’ occur so far only in Daniel and in Aramaic documents of the 6th and 5th century. Provincial officials: general term for government officials. Note that five of these terms are Persian. This is seen by some as a problem since this episode from early in Nebuchadnezzar’ s reign predates the Persian conquest by nearly 70 years. However, we have already been told that Daniel lived to see the Persian conquest. Thus, it seems most likely that Daniel wrote the book during the Persian rule and substituted the then current Persian titles for the older Aramaic terms. The use of these words points to an early date for the book of Daniel. By the second century B.C. some of these Persian loan terms had become obsolete and could no longer be correctly translated by the Alexandrian Jews. The satirical effect of this section is clear. As one commentator wrote: Here are all the great ones of the empire falling flat on their faces before a lifeless obelisk at the sound of a musical medley, controlled by the baton of King Nebuchadnezzar. Verse 4-7 4 And the herald proclaimed aloud, “ You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; 6 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” 7 Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. This command applied to all people of every nation and language. It was apparently Nebuchadnezzar’ s intention to unite his kingdom under one religion. When the music started every person was to fall down and worship the image. ‘Horn’ is the only musical term found here that is also found elsewhere in the Old Testament. ‘ Pipe’ may come from the Hebrew word meaning to hiss or whistle. ‘ Lyre’ is a loan word from the Greek ‘ kithara’ . The term ‘ Trigon’ comes from the Greek word used in the Septuagint meaning a triangular harp. ‘Harp’ is the Greek ‘ psalterion’ and also refers to a stringed instrument. The term translated ‘ Bagpipe’ by the Revised Standard Version may not be an instrument at all, but may simply mean ‘ in unison.’ Some think it refers to a percussion instrument. Can these words be used to date the book as some suggest? One commentator has said: In view of the tentative state of present knowledge of these words it is precarious to base any theory of the date of the book on the evidence of these instruments. Those who did not fall down would be cast into the fiery furnace. The furnaces in Babylon were used to fire the bricks that were used to build the city. As we mentioned before, each brick bore the name and image of Nebuchadnezzar, and many can be seen today in the British museum. These may have been fired in the very furnace spoken of here. The fuel was charcoal, and it burned at a very high temperature. Many large brick kilns have been excavated outside Babylon. The furnace would have been enclosed, since the technology of raising heat by forcing a draught requires it. Here is how one commentator has described the furnace: It resembles a railway tunnel blocked at one end but with an entrance at the other. Uprights at frequent intervals support the dome and serve as ventilation shafts also. Charcoal provides the heat, and it is estimated that the temperature would have been 900 to 1000 °C. Death by burning at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar is not unique to this story. Jeremiah also speaks of it. Jeremiah 29:22 Because of them this curse shall be used by all the exiles from Judah in Babylon: “The Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire.” This has always been the world’ s message to God’ s people: Comply or face the consequences! The world still has its fiery furnaces, and it still loves to frighten God’ s people with them. A literal translation of verse 7 is that ‘ as soon as they were hearing they were falling down.’ Nebuchadnezzar got them to fall down on command, but he could not make them worship. Worship cannot be done on command. It must come from within a person. Verse 8-12 8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “ O king, live for ever! 10 You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image; 11 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no heed to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.” The term ‘ Chaldeans’ in verse 8 is an ethnic use of the term, despite the poor NIV translation (astrologers). They were the ‘ master race’ and it is clear they resented the ‘ certain Jews’ who had been given power over them. They quote the king’ s edict word for word and then inform him that these three have paid no heed to him or his decree. Except for the work of these informers, Nebuchadnezzar would never have known about the defiance of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The world is full of people who love to create trouble and then sit back and watch the fun. God has a simple message for such troublemakers: Proverbs 6:16-19 There are six things which the Lord hates, seven which are an abomination to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, 19 a false witness who breathes out lies, and a man who sows discord among brothers. Does God mind if we run around and stir up trouble, when we sit around devising wicked plans, and when we run to do evil? Not only does he mind, he hates it. The phrase ‘ maliciously accused’ in verse 8 is a translation of the idiom ‘ eat the pieces of flesh torn off from someone’ s body.’ Remember what Paul said: Galatians 5:15 But if you bite and devour one another take heed that you are not consumed by one another. What was the motive of these troublemakers? First, as we have suggested, they probably enjoyed watching trouble they had created. Like an arsonist they set fires and then watched them burn from a distance. Second, they were jealous. These foreigners had been set up over them by King Nebuchadnezzar and they had no doubt been looking for a way to get rid of them. Recall that Abraham had come from Ur of the Chaldees. This may have contributed to the racial animosity. Again, we are reminded that human nature has not changed one bit since the fall. Verse 13-15 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. Then they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “ Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image which I have made, well and good; but if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace; and who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?” Nebuchadnezzar’ s response was exactly what these troublemakers wanted. He was in a furious rage. These Chaldeans had pulled his strings and he had dutifully danced to their tune. We need to be on our guard when some troublemaker tries to pull our strings. Justice would not, however, allow these men to be condemned on hearsay evidence alone, so the king gave them an opportunity to recant. Remember that all of this was occurring in front of the international array of delegates that Nebuchadnezzar had assembled to see his statue. This may explain the king’ s ‘ furious rage.’ The king was incredulous. How could these men do this to him after all he had done for them? In fact, it was probably harder for them because the king had done a lot for them. Goethe: Most men can oppose their enemies but it takes a special person to oppose his friends. (Another good reason not to get too friendly with the world.) Notice the arrogance in verse 15. ‘ Who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?’ The king seems to have forgotten what he said about the God of Daniel in 2:47.Daniel 2:47 The king said to Daniel, “ Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” We have a parallel with Pharaoh’ s statement to Moses in Exodus 5:2 (Who is Jehovah that I should obey him?) McGuiggan: “ You recall that Moses signed him up for a ten-lesson correspondence course!” Verse 16-18 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “ O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you 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 your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.” Well, it looks like these three had a really big decision to make. Not at all! The decision had been made long ago. They knew that God had said “ Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image” and they had decided long ago to do what God commanded no matter what. The Aramaic word order in verse 16 places the emphasis on the word ‘ we.’ That is, God himself would provide the king the answer to his question. Here we have an incredible statement of faith: Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace. This is a difficult passage to translate. Two possibilities: If you cast us in the furnace, then our God is able to deliver us… If it fits in with the purpose of God to deliver us then he will do just that… Either way, these men had no doubt about God’ s ability to rescue them. And an incredible statement of courage: ‘ But if not…’ Some people are willing to serve God so long as God always does what they want him to do. (Who is serving whom???) These three were going to serve God no matter what he did. Job: “ Though he slay me, yet will I trust him.” These young men knew the true meaning of the Shema that they had quoted all their life: Deuteronomy 6:4-5 “ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; 5 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might..” Paul also knew this when in Acts 20:24 he said: Acts 20:24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may accomplish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. What did these three stand to lose by their refusal to bow down before the image? They would lose their royal favor with the king. They would lose their high government positions. They would lose their new found fortunes. They would lose their lives. From a worldly perspective, they were the worst sort of fools. Yet, they were not operating on a worldly level. They had their priorities right. How would we have responded? How do we respond in similar situations? Wouldn’ t it be easy to rationalize this away? No one will see us in this big crowd. Everyone else is bowing down. There are only three of us and we are a long way from home. What does God expect us to do? We know that the idol really isn’ t a god. We could just cross our fingers when we bow down. We can do so much more for God if we remain alive and keep all of our money… Beware when you hear someone say “ I could do so much more for God if….” Most of us can do a lot more for God without any change at all in our present circumstances. We just need to get busy. Why was everyone so upset with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Because they refused to compromise and bow down, and the world hates those who refuse to join the crowd. People who wallow in sin typically aren’ t satisfied unless they can drag others down into the mire with them. The world wants us to go along with it fashions and its customs. It wants to make us just like everyone else. (And if we are just like everyone else, then I guess the world must have been successful.) Romans 12:2 in the Phillips translation reads “ Don’ t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold.” (Be not conformed to this world.) The world gets very angry with people who don’ t go along with its plans. In fact, the world has its own furnaces. Furnace of scorn and laughter. Furnace of criticism. Furnace of isolation. Furnace of intimidation. But if we are on God’ s side then doesn’ t that mean we won’ t be persecuted and have to face such trials? 2 Timothy 3:12 Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. John 15:20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you. Remember what God told Jeremiah when he was being persecuted. (Cheer up! It’ s going to get worse!) Jeremiah 12:5 If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses? And if in a safe land you fall down, how will you do in the jungle of the Jordan? And we also read: Isaiah 48:10 Behold, I have refined you, but not like silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. Malachi 3:3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. How did God feel about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Of the thousands who were present at the dedication of this idol, how many do we know by name? Other than the king, just these three. In fact, their names are mentioned 13 times in this chapter! God seems to have been proud of them. Were they seeking the praise of God or the praise of men? If they sought the praise of men they would have bowed down. Instead they sought the praise of God and refused to bow down. Remember what Paul said: Galatians 1:10 Am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still pleasing men, I should not be a servant of Christ. Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we have a choice. Who are we going to follow? Man or God? Notice again the respect that these men continued to show to the king. This is the same sort of respect that Peter and Paul told us we must show to earthly rulers, who have all been given their power by God. They verbally acknowledge Nebuchadnezzar as king, while committing their ultimate allegiance to the King of kings. Where was Daniel During This Episode?

1. He may have been absent from Babylon at the time, perhaps on government business in some other part of the kingdom. This is perhaps the most popular theory, but there is no evidence to support it. Daniel was governor of the capital of Babylon, so it seems unlikely that he would be away for any length of time.
2. He may have been too ill to attend the public ceremony. Compare Daniel 8:27. Daniel 8:27 And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days; then I rose and went about the king’s business; but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it.
3. As chief of the ‘ wise men’ Daniel may not have been required to bow down. His loyalty to the king may have been beyond question. Presumably, Nebuchadnezzar himself did not bow down. He may have extended this privilege to others as well.
4. Daniel’ s reputation may have been such that even the Chaldeans did not dare to attack him in front of the king. Daniel 2:48 says that Nebuchadnezzar made Daniel ruler (civil governor) over the whole province of Babylon. Thus, Daniel was very powerful and the informers may have been unwilling to risk informing on him. (The lion den episode occurred much later in his life and with a different king and a different governing power.) Thus, perhaps Daniel was there and refused to bow down but the king was not told about it. Our lesson if this was the case: We shouldn’ t invite trouble on ourselves.
5. All of the action in this chapter takes place outside of the city of Babylon. Some have suggested that Daniel may have been asked to stay behind in the city to take care of business in the king’ s absence. This is a simple theory that seems to fit in well with the available evidence. Daniel’ s omission is additional proof of the book’ s authenticity. “ Had the story been the invention that many have suggested; had it originated in the days of the Maccabees to nerve the faithful against Gentile oppression, it is unlikely that the chief hero would have been omitted. Reality transcends fiction, and the very ‘ incompleteness’ of this account testifies to its fidelity.” “ There is no psychological reason for an idealizing romancer to leave Daniel out of this exciting episode. The only way to account for this omission is that in point of fact he was not personally in attendance at this important function.” Aside: The truthfulness of the Bible is self-evident. For example, the resurrection accounts in the gospels all have women being the first to discover the empty tomb. If the apostles had made up the story as some claim, they would never have made women their prime witnesses. Their testimony was considered worthless by the Jews. In fact, many later uninspired 2nd century accounts of the resurrection have men being the first to discover the empty tomb. One thing we know for sure, if Daniel had been with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they stood before the king then there would have been four people tossed into the furnace instead of only three. Verse 19-23 19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was wont to be heated. 20 And he ordered certain mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their mantles, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were cast into the burning fiery furnace. 22 Because the king’ s order was strict and the furnace very hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. It is worth noting that even though God delivered them, he still allowed them to endure the ordeal of being thrown into the fire. Why? Because it brought more glory to God to have Nebuchadnezzar and his men see those they tried to kill walking around unharmed in the flames. We should thank God for every opportunity he gives us for his glory to be seen at work in us. We should pray that we be given opportunities to stand up and announce that we are on his side. Question: Were these three men happy or unhappy that they had been brought before Nebuchadnezzar on this charge? I believe that they were thrilled to be able to say this to the king. The events here remind us of God’ s promise in Isaiah 43:2. Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. The phrase ‘ heated seven times more’ is a common idiom and should not be understood literally. It simply means to make it as hot as possible, which is what they did. The list of clothing in verse 21 has long been a source of trouble to translators. The Septuagint tried to make sense of the terms but reduced three words to two in the process. The liberals would have us believe that the writer of Daniel lived within 50 years of the Septuagint, yet in that time these words for court clothing had been completely forgotten by the translators. Nebuchadnezzar’ s absurd commands were intended to leave no room for escape. The already deadly furnace was made even hotter. (It killed those who threw the men in!) The men were fully dressed, even with their hats on, so the flames would envelop them. They were tied up and thrown like logs in the fire. Verse 24-25 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He said to his counselors, “ Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered the king, “ True, O king.” 25 He answered, “ But I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” Nebuchadnezzar was dumfounded! Instead of seeing three burning bodies, he saw four people walking around in the flames! “ I see four men loose.” Men bind, but God loosens. Even today it is only through fire that we find freedom from our bonds. Remember John 12:24-25. John 12:24-25 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. “ How we long for holiness without pain; sanctification without a cross, and growth without tears.” Who was the fourth person? The king described him as looking like ‘ a son of the gods.’ The King James Version has “ He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” It seems odd that the pagan Nebuchadnezzar would be able to recognize Jesus in the furnace (and perhaps even stranger that Jesus would personally be there). It seems much more likely that upon seeing an angel he would think the angel looked like ‘ a son of the gods.’ Some commentators believe that this fourth person was a Christophany (a preincarnate appearance of Christ). They could be correct, but the evidence will not let us know for sure. (We know that Jesus was with them in any event! – just perhaps not bodily.) Verse 26-27 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace and said, “ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come forth, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’ s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men; the hair of their heads was not singed, their mantles were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. Still giving commands, the king commands that the three come out of the furnace. (Apparently, Nebuchadnezzar was not too anxious for the fourth person to come out!) All of the king’ s illustrious visitors gather with the king and look at the men. Not only are they unharmed but their is no smell of smoke or fire about them. Only their bonds were gone. By the way, this was a miracle. Our liberal friends go to great lengths to remove the miraculous from the Bible, but of course they cannot. Their attempts are in vain. Without the miraculous, Jesus would not have been raised and as Paul said, our faith would then be in vain. (This is the logical consequence of naturalism.) The Bible begins with a miracle (In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.) and they recur again and again. Remember 2 Peter 3:3-4. 2 Peter 3:3-4 First of all you must understand this, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own passions 4 and saying, “ Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things have continued as they were from the beginning of creation.” The ‘ last days’ that Peter spoke of ended long ago, but the scoffers remain. Verse 28-30 28 Nebuchadnezzar said, “ Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set at nought the king’ s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins; for there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. What else could the king do but acknowledge his defeat? His challenge in verse 15 (What god will be able to rescue him?) has been resoundingly answered by the one true God. As in chapter 2, the king again acknowledges the power of God. But as we will see in chapter 4 this second change of heart doesn’ t last very long either. The king makes another decree. His first decree had not turned out very well. The king pronounces death on anyone who said anything against God, “ for there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.” Notice that the king does not renounce his polytheism, but simply says that God is the greatest god among many. Paul had this event in mind when he wrote Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11:33-34 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. (The author of Hebrews apparently believed in the authenticity of the book of Daniel.) Finally, the king promotes these three, which no doubt really thrilled their accusers. I am reminded of one of my favorite verses. After Jacob died, Joseph’ s brothers were afraid that he might at last seek his revenge. But Joseph told them: Genesis 50:19-20 But Joseph said to them, “ Fear not, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

“THE BOOK OF DANIEL”

Faith In The Face Of Fire (Daniel 3:1-30)

1. In Daniel 1, we were introduced to three companions of Daniel: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego… a. Like Daniel, they were young men taken from Judah into captivity and trained to serve before the king - Daniel 1:6-7b. Like Daniel, they were blessed by God and impressed the king after their period of training - Daniel 1:17-20
2. Daniel 3 reveals more about the character of these three young men… a. In recounting an incident that has fascinated many, both young and old b. Like Daniel 1, it illustrates the power of a strong faith in those who are young

[This inspiring story, which I like to call “Faith In The Face Of Fire”, begins by describing…]

I. THEIR TRIAL A. THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO IT…1. Nebuchadnezzar’s image, and his command to worship it - Daniel 3:1-73. The king’s threat of the fiery furnace - Daniel 3:13-15 B. THE NATURE OF THEIR TRIAL…1. To save their situation a. They had been promoted over the affairs of Babylon - Daniel 3:12b. They would lose their position as well as their lives 2. To sacrifice their conscience a. All they needed to do was to conform outwardly b. Of course, that would have meant disobedience to God - Exodus 20:4-5 C. WE MAY FACE SIMILAR TRIALS TODAY…1. To save our situation, such as: a. Our popularity at school, by doing things our peers or teacher do not see wrong b. Our position at work, by doing that which our boss or company requires which may be illegal, unethical or immoral 2. To sacrifice our conscience a. It would be easy to conform outwardly, to “go along with the crowd” b. But our conscience would condemn us, and so would God

[Likely we all have been tempted in some way like this. How did we react? How should we have reacted? How did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego react? Let’s consider…]

II. THEIR A. THEY FAITH…1. In the power of God - Daniel 3:16-17a. That God was able to deliver them from the fiery furnace b. If it was His will 2. In the will of God - Daniel 3:18a. If it was God’s will not to deliver it, so be it! b. They would still not worship other gods, nor the gold image!

B. THEY TO SERVE GOD NO MATTER WHAT…1. Like Job in the midst of his affliction - Job 1:20-21; Job 13:152. Like Habakkuk who would praise God even in suffering - Habakkuk 3:17-193. Like the apostles who rejoiced to suffer in His name - Acts 5:27-294. Like Polycarp who offered this prayer as he was being burned at the stake:

“O Lord God Almighty, the Father of Thy beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, through whom we have received the knowledge of Thee, the God of angels and powers and of all creation and of the whole race of the righteous, who live in Thy presence;

“I bless Thee for that Thou hast granted me this day and hour, that I might receive a portion amongst the number of martyrs in the cup of Thy Christ unto resurrection of eternal life, both of soul and of body, in the incorruptibility of the Holy Spirit.

“May I be received among these in Thy presence this day, as a rich and acceptable sacrifice, as Thou didst prepare and reveal it beforehand, and hast accomplished it, Thou that art the faithful and true God.

“For this cause, yea and for all things, I praise Thee, I bless Thee, I glorify Thee, through the eternal and heavenly High Priest, Jesus Christ, Thy beloved Son, through whom with Him and the Holy Spirit be glory both now and for the ages to come. Amen.’

• From The Martyrdom Of Polycarp [Such examples are truly “Faith In The Face Of Fire”! This is what it means to have faith, trust, and commitment to the Lord. What about our own personal trials at school or work? Have we been true to God, no matter the cost? Finally, consider…]

III. THEIR TRIUMPH A. THE REST OF THE CHAPTER REVEALS…1. How they were saved in the fiery furnace - Daniel 3:19-252. How Nebuchadnezzar was led to bless the true God - Daniel 3:26-30 B. WHAT THEIR TRIALS BROUGHT THEM…1. A new sense of freedom!a. They entered bound, but were soon seen “loose, walking”

• Daniel 3:23-25b. The very thing presumed to destroy them, enabled them to walk freely! c. So our own trials can be used to set us truly free! - James 1:2-4; Romans 5:3-52. A new source of fellowship!a. Note: There was a fourth person in the fire! - Daniel 3:25b. The identity of this fourth person is not certain

1. Some think it was an angel
2. Others believe it was a Christophany (a preincarnate appearance of Christ) c. Whichever, it suggested a closer communion and fellowship with God! d. So our trials can bring us closer to God
3. As explained by the author of Hebrews - Hebrews 12:5-112) As promised by Jesus Himself - Revelation 3:12; Revelation 3:21; Revelation 7:13-173. A new opportunity for service!a. They were promoted to even higher positions! - Daniel 3:30b. Just as Joseph, who in his trials went:
4. From slave to steward
5. From prisoner to Pharaoh’s second hand man! c. So our faithfulness in trials will lead to greater things!

• Matthew 25:21; Revelation 2:25-27

1. What a wonderful example of faith in these three young men! a. Committed to serving God, no matter the consequence b. Believing that God can bring deliverance, willing to accept death if He doesn’t c. Demonstrating that faith in the face of fire can lead to greater things

2. Let’s not overlook perhaps the most important outcome of this incident: glory to God!a. Note the praise rendered by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon

• Daniel 3:28-29b. So our faith (and works) should be to the praise of God - Matthew 5:16

3. What kind of faith do we have? Is it like a…. a. Spare tire, used only in the case of an emergency? b. Wheelbarrow, easily upset and must be pushed? c. Bus, ridden only when it goes our way?

May our faith be like that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, committed to serving the Lord and demonstrating “Faith In The Face Of Fire”! “THE BOOK OF DANIEL”

Chapter Three Nebuchadnezzar builds a large image of gold, demanding all to worship it (Daniel 3:1-7). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego refuse, and are thrown into a fiery furnace. Yet they are saved by God (Daniel 3:8-25), prompting King Nebuchadnezzar to praise their God as the Most High (Daniel 3:26-30).

POINTS TO PONDER

• Faith in the face of fire

• The fourth person in the fiery furnace (angel or Christ?)

REVIEW

1. What are the main points of this chapter?- Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image - Daniel 3:1-7- Daniel’s friends and the fiery furnace - Daniel 3:8-25- Nebuchadnezzar praises God - Daniel 3:26-30

2. What did Nebuchadnezzar set up in the plain of Dura? (Daniel 3:1)- A golden image, 60 cubits (90 feet) by 6 cubits (9 feet)

3. What punishment did he threaten if people did not worship it? (Daniel 3:6)- To be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace

4. Who was accused of not worshiping the gold image? (Daniel 3:12)- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego (Daniel’s friends)

5. When threatened to be cast in the fiery furnace, what did they respond? (Daniel 3:17-18)- The God whom they serve will deliver them from the king’s hand

• But if not, even so they would not serve his gods or worship the gold image

6. As the three men were being cast into the fiery furnace, what happened? (Daniel 3:20-22)- The fire killed the mighty men as they threw them into the furnace

7. What did Nebuchadnezzar see as he looked into the fiery furnace? (Daniel 3:24-25)- Four men loose, walking and unhurt, the fourth “like a son of the gods”

8. Who might have been that fourth man in the furnace? (Daniel 3:25; Daniel 3:28)- An angel, or a Christophany (a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ)

9. When the three men came out of the furnace, what was their condition? (Daniel 3:27)- Their hair was not singed, garments were not affected, no smell of fire on them

10. What conclusion did the king draw? What did he do for the three men? (Daniel 3:29-30)- There is no other God who can deliver like this

• Promoted them in the province of Babylon

Daniel 3:1

Daniel 3:1. We knowr the events of this chapter came after those in the preceding one for verse 12 mentions the promotion of the three companions of Daniel, which is recorded in the close of that chapter. King Nebuchadnezzar was an idolater and continued to be one as long as he lived, as far as our information goes. However, he was made to know and acknowledge the superiority of the God of heaven more than once, although he never became a worshiper of Him in the complete sense. It seems that God wished to use him as an instrument by which to demonstrate to the world that there is one only true God, and that men are blessed in proportion as they serve Him. That was done in the preceding 2 chapters, it will be done in the present one, and will be done again in later chapters.

Image is from TSELEM which Strong defines, “An idolatrous figure.” This statement in the lexicon is all the Information we have as to the form or appearance of this image outside of what the text says of its size and some of its dimensions. We may get some useful suggestions, though, from historians and ancient writers, both heathen and believers in God. Such writers as Herodotus, Augustine and Dean Prideaux suggest that the 60 cubits includes the base and pedestal of the image; also that the breadth means the distance from front to back of the Image, and not that from side to side, and that would describe a more likely proportion. The image was set up at a place called plain of Dura, a place not far from Babylon.

Daniel 3:2

Daniel 3:2. The persons referred to were (he officers of various ranks in the service of Nebuchadnezzar, and their specific work does not need to be inquired into here. It was to be expected that such individuals would be present on such an important occasion as the dedication of the huge idol.

Daniel 3:3

Daniel 3:3. The men summoned came to the dedication of the image except the three companions of Daniel. Nothing is said about their absence, but even had they been present there would not have been anything to call for a complaint against them, for no one was asked to perform any act of worship that would have been recognized by the idolaters. It says these officers stood before the image and that would not have amounted to an act of worship in the eyes either of the king or the officers. When the worship was to be done it would require the citizens to fall down. However, the three Hebrews could not conscientiously give even their presence at the dedication of something they would not endorse.

Daniel 3:4

Daniel 3:4. Smith’ s Bible Dictionary says the following of herald: “One who makes public proclamation. The only notice of this officer in the Old Testament occurs in Daniel 3; Daniel 4.” The Babylonian Empire embraced virtually all the people, nations, and languages, hence the herald addressed these units of the government.

Daniel 3:5

Daniel 3:5. Hear . . . cornet … all kinds of music. The Babylonian Empire was a vaBt domain composed of many kinds of people. They could not he expected to leave their homes and all go to Babylon to appear before the image, but were to do this worshiping wherever they might be. They would not all be acquainted with each instrument named, but all would be expected to know some of them and to recognize instrumental music by some one or more of these instruments. Worship Is from CAOAD and Strong defines it, “A primitive root.; to prostrate oneself (in homage).” Hence the kind of worship demanded did not call for any removal of the people from their places, neither did it stipulate any formal schedule in the service; it required only that the people prostrate themselves when they heard the music.

Daniel 3:6

Daniel 3:6. It is a principle that is recognized universally that a law that has no penalty is useless. Hence the decree of Nebuchadnezzar gave the penalty of being cast Into a fiery furnace. Jeremiah 29:22 tells of two men whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire, so we see this was not to be something new for the Hebrews to be cast therein. Also, verse 19 of our chapter show’s the furnace was wont to be used.

Daniel 3:7

Daniel 3:7. In obedience to the decree, when the people heard the sound of this music, they prostrated themselves in respect for the image which the king had set up. There is no evidence that either the people or the king were aware that any objection would be made by anyone to the kind of action called for, since there would be no outward feature of it that would prevent any man from believing in some other god.

Daniel 3:8

Daniel 3:8. But the three Hebrews would not prostrate themselves, for to do so would have violated Exodus 20:5 which not only forbade them to serve false gods, but also prohibited them from bowing domi to them. This conduct was not overlooked by certain Chaldeans who doubtless were the officers mentioned in Chapter 2: 48 called “governors.” They came near the king to make accusations against the Jews.

Daniel 3:9

Daniel 3:9. Line for ever was a phrase used In old times to denote a feeling of good ’ will. It was sometimes said in a spirit of flattery when the speaker did not really want the one to live endlessly. As an instance, in 1 Kings 1:31 the mother of Solomon used the expression to the frail king David just after he had made her the promise that her son should reign after him. Had David lived for ever, Solomon never could have been king, hence we know she was using the term as a compliment. The Chaldeans used it as a bid for the favorable attention of the king.

Daniel 3:10

Daniel 3:10. They reminded the king Of the decree he made that required all people to fall prostrate to the image upon hearing the musical instruments.

Daniel 3:11

Daniel 3:11. They reminded him also of the penalty he had attached to the decree. This was all in a pretense of concern for the dignity of the king’ s decree, but that was not the real point of tlieir interest as we shall see.

Daniel 3:12

Daniel 3:12. There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon. 1 have quoted this part of the verse just as it is in the text because it reveals the actual motive of these Chaldeans in reporting the case Df disobedience to the king. They made no accusation against Daniel although we are sure he also refused to worship the Image. And they certainly knew about it, for the four Hebrews were very close friends and spent much of their time together. (See the comments at chapter 2; 17, 18.) But the three named here were the ones who had been placed in a position of honor over even the other governors (chapter 2: 4S, 49), and that filled these subordinate governors with envy. But they used their pretended interest in the dignity of the decree to Instigate a persecution of the envied Hebrews. Hence they reported to the king that the men of the Jews named had refused to worship the image.

Daniel 3:13

Daniel 3:13. It is probable that Nebuchadnezzar was actually surprised at the report of disobedience on the part of these Hebrews. He had not realized that his decree would be objectionable to them. But the bare possibility that the report was true caused him to fly into a rage and proceed to investigate for himself.

Daniel 3:14

Daniel 3:14. In spite of his intense feeling Nebuchadnezzar was disposed to question the correctness of the report, or, if it was found to be true, to give the accused parties another chance. Hence he put the question directly to them and specified the charge that he had heard against them.

Daniel 3:15

Daniel 3:15, Before receiving their reply the king repeated the degree they were accused of disobeying, and informed them of their chance still to avoid the penalty attached to the decree. Who is that pod that shall deliver you? I have not capitalized the word pod because this heathen king used the word in the same sense as applied to the. gods of the heathen world. It was a challenge to them to test their respective gods.

Daniel 3:16

Daniel 3:16. Careful is the key word in this verse, hut it is rendered somewhat indefinitely. It Is from chas iiacm and Strong defines it, “To be necessary,” and Young’ s definition is, “To be or think necessary,” We thus can see that it was not a flippant expression of the three men as if the situation did not merit any serious consideration, It means they did not consider that their fate depended on any speech of defense they could make, and they proceeded to tell the king why they thought so.

Daniel 3:17

Daniel 3:17. If it be so means the same as the phrase “ if God will.” These men did not know what would be the Lord’s will in the case. They had the same thought as Paul expressed in 2 Corinthians 1:9-10. He did not know whether God was ready to permit his faithful apostle to be put to death yet, or would prolong his life for further service, but whichever it was he was resigned to his lot. And the Hebrews did not know whether their God was ready to give them miraculous deliverance although they believed He was able to do so. They also believed that if it were His will to deliver them, it would be done without any speech of defense from them.

Daniel 3:18

Daniel 3:18. They then gave to the king their ultimatum, that regardless of the will of their God (as t.o miraculous deliverance), they would not serve the gods of Nebucuadnezzar nor worship the golden image.

Daniel 3:19

Daniel 3:19. Upon learning that the report. was true, the rage of Nebuchadnezzar returned with increased fury. Visage means face and changed means distorted. The king was so enraged that his face was twisted Out of its normal shape as he looked at the three Hebrews who were brave enough to defy his decree. Wont means accustomed and it shows that the furnace had been in use for some time. (See comments at verse 6.) Sewn is derived from a word that Strong defines, “ A primitive root; properly to be complete.” If a furnace had been accustomed to being heated enough that it would roast a man to death (Jeremiah 29:22), then it would be impossible for a human being to make it literally seven times that hot. The statement therefore means they were to make it as hot as possible.

The king allowed his anger to blind him to the inconsistency of his order. He evidently wished to slay these men, yet also intended that they should be tortured first. A furnace “seven times” as hot as usual would cut off their lives all the sooner and lienee cause less torture.

Daniel 3:20

Daniel 3:20. There was no occasion for Nebuchadnezzar to employ the most mighty men for this execution, lor the Hebrews bad given no indication iliac they would resist. But the king was being driven on by a blinding fury and was inclined to exhibit the worst possible spirit of vengeance.

Daniel 3:21

Daniel 3:21. Hosen is from which Strong defines, “ A gown (as if hammered out wide).’’ Many versions render the word “ mantle” or cloak. It was a loosefitting garment worn over the regular articles of clothing for a man, even including The hat in the present case. All of these articles were tied fast around the men and then they were cast into the burning fiery furnace.

Daniel 3:22

Daniel 3:22, Exceeding hot is a good definition of “seven times” in verse 19, It was not only the intensity of the heat that slew the executioners, but the extent of the fire, flame is from a wrord which Strong defines, “ flame (as split into tongues),” I do not know by what means the furnace was heated, but whatever was the fuel generally used, It was increased because of the king’ s urgent order. The result was that the flame shot out from the furnace or its heat reached to a radius that included the soldiers and slew them.

Daniel 3:23

Daniel 3:23. Fell down bound denotes that whatever was done on behalf of the three men was after they were on. tbe inside of the furnace; no act of trickery was performed by some friend on the outside to free them from their shackles.

Daniel 3:24

Daniel 3:24. Nebuchadnezzar must have been near when the men were cast into the furnace, for it was immediately following the act that the text says then the king was astonished at what he saw la the furnace. As if he did not believe the testimony of his eyes, he asked ‘whether they did not cast three men hound into the furnace, and his servants gave him an affirmative answer.

Daniel 3:25

Daniel 3:25. There are three words of special importance in this verse as regards the miraculous character of the situation, and they are four, loose and walking. There was one more man in sight than were cast into the furnace. They were loose whereas they had been bound by strong men. The fire might have dissolved the fetters that bound them, but the men were walking around in the furnace which showed they were alive and unhurt. Like the son of god.

Again I have changed the capitalization because the principles that would make such marking proper were unknown to this heathen king. In verse 28 he is commenting on the circumstance and calls this same person an angel. What the king meant was that tbe extra person was different in appearance from that of ordinary men, hence he must have been related to the gods.

Daniel 3:26

Daniel 3:26. We are sure that God took a part in the whole proceeding else the king could not have come near enough to the furnace to speak to the men without being injured by the heat. The men inside were not harmed, yet they were prisoners of Nebuchadnezzar and would not be guilty of “breaking jail” until authorized to come forth by him. The king said nothing to the “fourth man,” but spoke only to the three Hebrews; the angel evidently had disappeared. Besides, Nebuchadnezzar would not have felt at liberty or considered it necessary to give instructions to him.

Daniel 3:27

Daniel 3:27. Such an event as this would naturally attract the attention of the leading men in the empire, and they were present when Shadrach and his companions came forth. Nor , . . hair , , . singed indicates tbe complete control that was had over the fire. To a believer in the infinite God this miracle is no greater than any other. There are no great and small miracles as far as ability is concerned, for there is nothing too hard for Him (Jeremiah 32:17; Jeremiah 32:27). The same God who created fire is the author of all its laws, and it would be no greater task to control those laws than to create them.

These men were members of a nation that had to be sent into captivity, and in that sense they had to suffer along with their fellow citizens. But they were personally righteous and hence were entitled to the special favors that God had promised to such servants. It is important that the reader now consult the note given at 2 Kings 22:17 in volume 2 of this Commentary.

Daniel 3:28

Daniel 3:28. We have no evidence that Nebuchadnezzar ever ceased to be an idolater, but be was led to believe that the one god whom the Hebrews worshiped was superior to others. And he understood that the deliverance of the three Hebrews was in reward for their refusal to worship any god but their own.

Daniel 3:29

Daniel 3:29. We note that Nebuchadnezzar made no decree that required any person to worship the god of Shadrach and his fellows, only that it would he unlawful to say anything against him. The reason he assigned for the decree was that no other god can deliver after this sort, not that he deserved to be given exclusive worship.

Daniel 3:30

Daniel 3:30. To promote is from a word that merely means “ to advance,” whether in matters of temporal success and prosperity or otherwise. All that we can understand from it is that the king bestowed some additional favors upon them besides the position of trust they already had.