Daniel Chapter 3

When things get hot!

 

By I Gordon

 

Dan 3:1-6 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it. Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations and men of every language: As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”

 

Daniel chapter 3 is a well known and well loved chapter in the Bible. It contains things we all like... 90 foot idols, furious kings, fiery furnaces hot enough to kill people who are just passing by. That sort of thing. When we left our friends at the end of chapter two everything was going along very nicely. Daniel and his three amigos Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego where exalted to a position of privilege and power in Babylon. But unfortunately things have a habit of changing in this life. And so they did, for King Nebuchadnezzar decided to setup a golden image that was ninety foot high and nine foot wide! And what's worse, everyone is commanded to bow down and worship the image! Oh great!

 

Now while the Bible doesn't say exactly what the image was of, many commentators have suggested that the king would have been inspired by the vision that he had had in chapter 2 and therefore he would have created an image of a man. It is also likely that he created it all in gold in defiance of the vision that he saw in chapter 2 (where only the Head, representing the Babylonian empire, was in gold) as if to say that his Babylonian empire will never perish or be conquered. While this is speculation, knowing the pride of Nebuchadnezzar it's probably on the money. 

 

When the world puts you on the spot!

Dan 2:7-15 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! You have issued a decree, O king, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.” Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

 

So what do you do? You've been led into captivity to a foreign country and suddenly the king, whose favorite saying is that he will 'tear you limb from limb and turn your house into rubble', is commanding that you fall down and worship this golden oversized monstrosity. You know that to do so will break the first two commandments in that you should not have any other 'gods' or idols. Tricky. There are times when Christians have to disobey the law of the land when it goes against what is being commanded by God. There are times, in the words of the apostle Peter, that 'we must obey God and not men' (see Acts 4:18-20, 5:27-29). Believers, like myself, who live in the west are not used to persecution for their faith. We are not used to our freedom to preach the gospel being in question. But persecution because of the name of Jesus is coming to the western nations. The opening question of what do you do when you're put on the spot is only going to become more and more relevant.

 

There is another aspect that I will mention here. Daniel is a prophetic book. I'm sure you know that. But apart from the overtly prophetic portions of scripture in Daniel, there is also some glimpses of the end times through the stories that occurred in the life of Daniel and his friends. This chapter, chapter 3, is definitely one of those times. Here is what we have... a wicked King, with absolute power, setting up an image that must be worshipped otherwise it will cost you your life. The image is 60 cubits by 6 cubits! (Remembering that the number 6 is the number of man). In the last days, this shall happen again as we read in Revelation 13:11-18. The false prophet shall setup an image and give that image power to speak and cause those that will not bow down in worship to be killed. Although, like in the days of Daniel, there will be some that it cannot touch. (more on that later).

 

So back to the story, we've left our three friends with quite a decision to make. The horns of a dilemma you might say. The king, without a hint of a smile on his face has just challenged them with 'if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?' So it seems that the king has already forgotten about the God of Daniel and his friends that he was introduced to in chapter 2. So here is the moment of choice for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

 

True faith in the face of the fire

Dan 3:16-25 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, O king.” He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
 

In answering the king, our three amigos demonstrated incredible faith. True faith. Notice that they didn't just presume that God would deliver them. Nor did they waver in their faith that God is far bigger than the flames and King Nebu. What they did in the midst of this fiery ordeal is what Peter tells us to do:

 

'...don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you... if you are suffering according to God’s will, keep on doing what is right, and trust yourself to the God who made you, for he will never fail you.' (1 Pet 4:12,19)

 

We all get a choice as to whether we will follow the Lord. Several in fact each day. There are all sorts of temptations and trials that the world will throw at us seeking to draw us away from the Lord. Let us stand firm as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did all those years ago. Let us, through the Lord's strength, decide as Joshua did saying 'as for me and my house, we will server the Lord.' (Josh 24:14-15)

 

And what a result! In direct fulfillment of Isaiah 43:2 the flames didn't even touch them! In fact, the only thing burnt by the flames were the ropes that the king had used to bind our three friends! That is God for ya! He can even use a nasty trial to free us from the things that would seek to bind us. And notice why it was that they were able to come through this fiery trial (quite literally!) intact - because one like 'a son of the gods' was with them. That is Jesus, who is with His people through their trials.

 

Now, as a side note, this passage also reminds us of the another set of Jewish males who will not bow down in the end times. But they also will not be harmed. In the last days, 144,000 Jewish males will be set aside by God and will have His seal in their forehead. This will mean that they will not be able to be harmed by the different trials that will come upon the earth. (See Rev 7:1-8). No doubt, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stand as a type of this group that in the last days that will be similarly protected.

 

Dan 3:26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”

 

"But Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego yelled back saying "Na, na, naaa! You come on in where we are!'

Ok, so that's not their real response but it would have been a good one! Here is the real one -

 
Dan 3:26-30 So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
 

Nebu was obviously, and rightfully, blown away! Probably couldn't believe his eyes but one thing he knew for sure is that the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego was unlike any other 'god' he had come across before! And so, our three friends received a job promotion. Form zero to hero you might say. Straight from the depths of the fire and into a new job ruling over the provinces of Babylon! Not bad. The king is obviously very impressed, once again, with the God of Israel. Unfortunately, as we shall see in the next chapter, he still isn't as impressed with the God of Israel as he is with himself! Oh mankind! When will you ever learn?