But Neb still believed he was a self-made king of kings. He didn’t get it! Now we come to chapter three, and see he had erected a ninety foot tall golden image of himself for all his subjects to worship (Dan 3:4-5). He considered himself more than a king; he was a self-made god, to boot (cf. Dan 3:8)!
Neb is pretty much hung on himself. His ego was as tall as his kingdom was large. After the furnace fiasco Neb once again acknowledged, in his own words, There is no other God who can deliver like this (Dan 3:29). He still didn’t get it. What we will discover in chapter four through his own testimony that his pride was picking up momentum, and some thirty years later after the furnace he had another dream, but this time it was about Neb alone, no other kings or kingdoms.
It was a tree prophecy from God. Neb saw a huge tree in the midst of the earth in his dream; he was that tree (Dan 4:22). He was advised by Daniel to Break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity (Dan 4:27; cf. Prov 8:13). He didn’t get it.
Months later as he was walking about his palatial surroundings, he spoke, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty (Dan 4:30)? He didn’t get it that Heaven rules (Dan 4:26).
Before he could finish his self-aggrandizing assessment of Babylon, His kingdom was taken away from him (Dan 4:31) for the next seven years (Dan 4:23) until he recovered from his insanity. He finally got it; Heaven rules and pride is rebellion. In his own words, Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down (Dan 4:37). He was converted (Dan 4:1-3)! Better late than never, he was nearing the end of his rule.
Neb had learned the hard way that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men and appoints over it whomever He chooses (Dan 5:21). Pride does not recognize the sovereignty of God; pride always precedes the fall (Prov 16:18; 29:23; Isa 13:19; 1 Jn 2:16). This isn’t just for a king. We need to clearly understand that pride bucks God’s rule; there is no future in it for a king or for us.
Keep in mind as we go through chapter three; Nebuchadnezzar’s pride is red lining; he is pushing the pedal to the metal. His image of himself has ballooned enormously, and his ego has soared to stratospheric heights. You plug that kind of ego into an absolute sovereignty outlet, and you have one dangerous and powerful posturing of an image. In fact image is a dominant theme in both Daniel chapters 2 and 3.
This noun for statue or image [Heb 6755, selem] is translated image 5 times in Dan 2: (31 [x2], 32, 34, 35) and 10 times in Dan 3: (1-3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 15, 18); in 3:19 it is translated expression. With the 16 occurrences of this word in Daniel chapters 2 and 3, image is a dominant theme.
For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart (1 Sam 16:7b; cf. Jer 17:10).
I. The Dedication, Dan 3:1-7
II. The Accusation, Dan 3:8-12
III. The Investigation, Dan 3:13-18
IV. The Execution, Dan 3:19-23
V. The Intervention, Dan 3:24-25
VI. The Examination, Dan 3:26-28
VII. The Promotion, Dan 3:29-30
I. The Dedication, Dan 3:1-7
| Vss | Comments |
| Dan 3:1 | There is no indication on how much time elapsed between chapters two and three. Interestingly, Neb had a troubling dream about a huge multi-metal man, and now he has constructed an image of gold which incidentally was the representative metal of him in his dream in chapter two. There isn’t any information on what the exact shape of the image. But if I was a betting man, there is a good chance based on chapter two’s dream that this is an image of Neb rather than an obelisk (like the George Washington Monument) in the plain of Dura. Powerful eastern kings had a penchant to deify themselves. This image was nine stories in height and nine feet wide. |
| Dan 3:28 | And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word [you might as well say it was another decree, compare Dan 3:10] to gather the satraps [a protector of the realm, Guzik], the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image Here is Neb’s thinking, “I got an idea! Let’s make a statue of me taller than anything around town, and I will order all the leaders of my kingdom to come and see it and have them fall down and worship my image. This will be a message of intimidation to the leaders of my kingdom. Those who rebel against my authority will be sent to the weenie roast.” For Neb image was everything. And big statues do make a big impression. He wanted all to see that he was larger than life. He was the man. I remember back in the early nineties of a Ramses exhibit in Memphis, Tennessee. They had a granite statue of Ramses that was over 27’ tall and weighed over 30 tons from Egypt. I just stood there for about 15 minutes gawking at this statue of antiquity. I was projecting myself back to the day when Pharaoh Ramses ruled Egypt, and imagining what kind of impression that statue would have made on me as an Egyptian citizen. The statue was intimidating because of the image it was projecting. Colossal statues served as an effective reminder to the people of a pharaoh’s or of a king’s authority, politically and religiously, as well as making a statement about his ego. |
| Dan 3:3 | Gathered together for the dedication of the image … and they stood before the image What a surprise! All the guests show up, except Daniel who was satrap of Babylon. |
| Dan 3:4 | To you it is commanded [that’s the Neb we know] This is not optional worship. |
| Dan 3:5 | that at the time you hear [the orchestra] You shall fall down and worship the gold image This is the order of service of the dedication. Quite simple really. When you hear the music, prostrate yourself before the image. Now comes the altar call…. |
| Dan 3:6 | And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace They probably had been murmuring among themselves, “I understand about the golden image for the dedication service, but what’s up with the furnace?” Wonder no more, oh, loyal leaders of the realm. Neb is sending a message of clarification and an expectation of his administration; failure to obey my orders in any matters instantly results in death. If you have any questions, please go to the help desk located down in the furnace. Failure to worship the image was tantamount to treason. Neb was tightening his grip on his kingdom by blending politics with religion through his golden image. Guzik gave an example of this in Nazi Germany, An example of this was displayed in 1936 when Herr Baldur von Schirach, head of the youth program in Nazi Germany, said: ‘If we act as true Germans we act according to the laws of God. Whoever serves Adolf Hitler, the fuehrer, serves Germany, and whoever serves Germany serves God.’ (http://www.studylight.org/com/guz) |
| Dan 3:7 | All…fell down well, not all. |
II. The Accusation, Dan 3:8-12
| Dan 3:8 | Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews (Dan 3:12). Somebody is always accusing the Jews of something. |
| Dan 3:9 | They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! (a common regal salutation, cf. Dan 2:4). |
| Dan 3:10 | The accusers of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah recite Neb’s decree, the king’s order. |
| Dan 3:11 | and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace Neb, the order of the dedication service was by your decree. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah stood out, literally, like a sore thumb. The Scriptures do not disclose the whereabouts of Daniel during this dedication. Could he have fallen ill? Was he on assignment for the king in another part of the kingdom? Given Daniel’s spiritual integrity, had he been at the dedication ceremony, undoubtedly, there would have been five in the fire. This was not Daniel’s time of testing; he will later on in his life spend an evening with a pride of lions during the Medo-Persian rule. |
| Dan 3:12 | There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon. All of the leaders of the provinces of the Babylonian kingdom are present. The Babylon province is the seat of power in the kingdom, and the province of provinces. The Babylon province was the pattern for all provinces in the kingdom to follow. Is this a possible hint of a double standard? You can detect the resentment of these Jewish captives being placed in powerful positions in Babylon. “We conquered them not so they could rule over us!” may have been the mindset of their jealous accusers. Satan put them up to it; for he is the accuser of the brethren (cf. Rev 12:10). The charges brought against them were three: 1. Disrespectful – have not paid due regard to you. Unlike these Jews, we bowed down and worshipped your image O, king! The accusers of God’s people are always looking for opportunity to push their agenda. They always attempt to make God’s people out to be the bad guys (cf. the current Haitian and Baptist controversy). The Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach), and Azariah (Abed-Nego) were probably great citizens of Babylon and loyal servants to the king. The devil has a way of convincing those in authority that godliness is a liability to any kingdom. The Christians are often accused of failing to observe the rule of law. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah are acutely aware that idolatrous practices in the kingdom of Judah are what caused God’s people to be deported in 722 B.C. and 605 B.C. Further deportations took place in 597 B.C. and 586 B.C. The southern kingdom of Israel had gone a whoring after other gods and would not listen to God’s prophets and repent. So this matter of the golden image of Nebuchadnezzar’s was an extremely sensitive issue with them. These boys were not guilty of idolatry in Jerusalem and got carted off anyway; they are certainly not going to violate God’s law prohibiting the worshipping of idols in Babylon. An investigation into this matter is immediately underway. |
III. Investigation, Dan 3:13-18
| Dan 3:13 | Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury [cf. Dan 2:12], gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. The investigation begins. |
| Dan 3:14 | Is it true He liked these guys (cf. Dan 2:49) and wanted to make sure this wasn’t some trumped up accusation based on some petty jealousy. I give Neb credit for that at least. |
| Dan 3:15 | He is offering them a second chance in the event there was any kind of misunderstanding. Fall down This means to prostrate oneself, paying homage to Nebuchadnezzar which the image represented. Good [added by the translators for clarity] If they worship I will dismiss the accusations and everything is as it should be. Cast immediately With sovereign rule there is no trial by a jury of your peers. Neb held the power of life and death. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands This statement makes terrible sense in light of his ego and the construction of his golden image to himself. Such a foolish attitude is literally, however, going to drive him crazy (cf. Dan 4:25). This really is a public slap in the face of Hananiah’s, Meshach’s, and Azariah’s God of heaven but also of all those who worship other gods. Neb was a god unto himself. He was conveniently a polytheist, a secularist, and a humanist. His belief was based on whatever served his purpose. Guzik offers some excuses for bowing down to Neb’s demands (I’ll list a few): 1. There is nothing to gain by dying. (the rationalist) |
| Dan 3:16 | We have no need to answer you in this matter. This is a classic example of what we mentioned in the last lesson KWJWD (Know What Jesus Would Do). Yes! It is not up to discussion or debate. The matter is settled; there is no vacillation. There is no let us pray about this. |
| Dan 3:17 | This is a direct answer to Neb’s foolish statement, And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands? |
| Dan 3:18 | But if not, This is priceless. It is one of those statements of faith you read about but rarely hear about. It brings to mind what Jesus asked in the garden of Gethsemane if it was possible (realizing that the Father was able to grant it) to remove this cup (bearing the sins of man on the cross) from Him, Yet not what I will (Mk 14:36, ESV). His response was similar to the trio, But if not, God’s will be done. Humanly speaking, there is no greater negative than death, which is losing all. So the three inform Neb that even if God won’t deliver us from this, they will keep the faith (cf. Job 13:15). You want to go into the deeper things of God? Folks, it doesn’t get any deeper in Christianity than but if not, laying it all on the line for God. There is no greater love for God than this (cf. Mt 10:39; Jn 15:13). Let it be known to you, O king Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah want to clear the air and make a precise, predictable, and public statement of their faith. We work for you, O king, but learn two things in your inquiry about your servants: 1. that we do not serve your gods [never had]The investigation supports the accusers’ claims; they have committed a capital crime. The speedy trial concludes; the sentencing ensues, death by fire. |
IV. The Execution, Dan 3:19-23
| Dan 3:19 | Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, Here is where ego collides with godliness. It always does. When Neb gets furious somebody dies (cf. Dan 2:12)! But it won’t be the three Hebrew men but the mighty men of valor who touched God’s anointed to throw them into the fire (Dan 3:22)! And the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. Expression [Heb 6755, selem]. This same noun is translated image 5 times in Dan 2 (31 [x2], 32, 34, 35) and 11 times in Dan 3 (1-3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 15, 18). With the 16 occurrences of this word in Daniel chapters 2 and 3, image is a dominant theme. You can see the devil coming out in his attitude toward them; execution was certain. He must make an example of them of those who rebel against his authority. If Neb allowed this to go unchallenged in the province that sets the tone for all provinces, the ripple effect throughout the kingdom would be disastrous politically. Insurrection could occur. This would defeat the whole purpose behind the gold image. It is interesting to observe that as long as God’s people carry out the secular expectations of the world everything is fine, but as soon as there are spiritual concerns, the countenance of the world changes. You are fired, literally! He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times [hot as it was possible or hotter than blue blazes] more than it was usually heated. |
| Dan 3:20 | And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army proven and loyal, not politicians. Guzik reminds us that early Christians were not thrown to the lions because they worshipped Jesus, but because they would not worship the emperor (Guzik, Ibid). |
| Dan 3:21 | Cast [to cast down, to throw, Zodi] into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. The furnace was probably a pit of some kind. |
| Dan 3:22 | Urgent … hot The flames were so intense that the clothes of the mighty men of valor who threw the Hebrew men into the fire erupted into flames and were killed. They died because the situation was hasty and hot. |
| Dan 3:23 | Fell down bound They finally fell down while everyone was standing and watching. The message from Neb was no one would be spared from disobeying the king’s orders. God was going to intervene in the affair. |
V. The Intervention, Dan 3:24-25
| Dan 3:24 | Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished Neb was in amazement. |
| Dan 3:25 | I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire The only thing touched by the fire was their bonds (cf. Dan 3:27). And they are not hurt Like the lyrics from a gospel song said, They wouldn’t bend; they wouldn’t bow; they wouldn’t burn. And the form of the fourth is like the Son of God We know this to be the preincarnate Christ, but Neb didn’t know that, he probably meant like a son of the gods (NKJV margin). It was Jesus regardless of Neb’s understanding. Neb is going to get a closer view of what is going on in the furnace. |
VI. The Examination, Dan 3:26-28
| Dan 3:26 | Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke Servants of the Most High God. The Most High occurs 13 times in the KJV. 7 times it pertains to Neb, and 2 times it refers to Belshazzar. The other four occurrences are found in Daniel chapter 7. Nebuchadnezzar admission is not submission. He has embraced the Most High intellectually (cf. Dan 3:28-29), but not experientially. He remains a polytheist, a secularist, and a humanist depending upon the weather. Based on what Neb has seen and experienced so far, the God of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is the highest of the pantheon of gods. He hasn’t arrived to monotheism until Dan 4:1-3, 37 near the end of his reign. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. Wouldn’t it have been interesting if they had refused to come out of the fire and said to Neb, No, O king, why don’t you come in here and join us! Notice that this situation didn’t puff them up or make them feel superior to others. They just experienced a miracle and what did they do? They obeyed Nebuchadnezzar (come out, and come here) and came out of the fire. Their obedience to Nebuchadnezzar was always based upon not compromising their spiritual integrity. They accomplished this with spiritual sensitivity and sensibility. Their rebellion was not a self-righteous rebellion, but a rebellion of a clean heart. Again they knew when to draw a line in the sand and take a stand for what was right. In both drawings their lives were at stake. |
| Dan 3:27 | They saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them This would make a visual impact on the leadership of the kingdom of the Babylonians on the superiority of the God of SMA, for in Neb’s words, There is no other God who can deliver like this (Dan 3:29). Neb attempted to impose his will on Hananiah, Meshach, and Azariah. Here we see God’s intervention that He truly rules in the affairs of man. No one or nothing can circumvent His will. Remember when Arioch was seeking to kill Daniel, Hananiah, Meshach, and Azariah in Dan chapter 2 because a decree went out from Neb to kill all the wise men? Same thing happened there; the world could not touch them without God’s permission. Permission was not granted to Satan. |
| Dan 3:28 | Delivered is not an issue with the trio (cf. but if not, Dan 3:18) His servants who trusted in Him…yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God Those who trust in the Most High God yield their bodies in obedience to God (cf. 1 Cor 6:20). In the KJV the verb for yielded is translated 18 times give (in various forms) and 1 time as prolonged (Dan 7:12, KJV). So it occurs 20 times in the Aramaic section of Daniel (Dan 2:4b-7:28). Those who trust in God give their bodies that they should not serve nor worship any other god but the Most High God (cf. Rom 12:1). Selah. If you haven’t noticed, a pagan king is making this observation of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Many believers fail to grasp the import of that truth! Those who trust in God give their bodies that they should not serve nor worship any other god but the Most High. Often the profundity of God’s truth is hidden by its simplicity. Remember, idolatry is not limited to a structure of wood, stone, or metal. Anything that competes for the will of God for our lives can become an idol…. The faithfulness of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to God is rewarded. |
VII. The Promotion, Dan 3:29-30
| Dan 3:29 | Therefore I make a decree Practically every high official in the kingdom is witnessing this. Be very careful in what you say about the God of SMA, said Neb, for two reasons: 1. You and your family will be put to death.Twice Nebuchadnezzar attempted to put Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to death. They say the third time is the charm; Neb never got a third opportunity. |
| Dan 3:30 | Promoted They were set over the affairs of the province of Babylon already (Dan 2:49). Neb promoted them to some higher position of authority in the same province. |
Postscript
The Canon Company ran a slogan in the early 90’s which stated, “Image is everything.” It was a clever and catchy statement. In the shutterbug world this is very true, but in another way, doesn’t that say something that is true about our love affair we have with ourselves (cf. 1 Sam 16:7; 2 Cor 10:7). Ask a teenager, an actor, a politician, a model, a rock star, or a TV personality how important “image” is.
Our wanting to fit in and be accepted by others or to project a unique look is driving the desire for a certain image. We don’t want to stand out like the ugly duckling or maybe we do. The world takes stock in the image of power, beauty, wealth, or intelligence. We are told that image defines who we are; that self-worth is tied to an image. But what if we are unable to achieve a certain image or if we lose the image we worked so hard to achieve?
Since image is believed to be everything; it stands to reason that loss of an image is loss of everything. Self-worth and self-esteem are shattered like broken glass. Worst case scenario, thoughts of self are replaced with thoughts of suicide. Best case scenario, we learn that self-worth is not found in an image but in a real person, Jesus the Messiah.
What kind of image are we longing for? What kind of image will put us on top of the world or help us to hold our head up among our peers? The problem with image is that it can be egocentrical in nature. Someone insightfully observed, “We spend more time looking in the mirror than we do windows.”
Christ-likeness is not an image or a façade. It is not an outer appearance but an outward expression of something that is happening on the inside (the transformation of holiness by the indwelling Holy Spirit (cf. Rom 12:1). There is a radiance of godliness coming from the inside out. This is not to suggest that emphasis should only be placed on the inner man to the exclusion of outward appearance such as physical looks or the seeking of power, possessions, and intellectual prowess. These things only become evil when spiritual integrity is compromised.
Consider Daniel and troop; all those men ever cared about was pleasing God and would not compromise His favor. But their faithfulness was founded in their love for God and not what they could get out of Him, pleasing Him by maintaining their spiritual integrity was more important than pursuing status. Keeping up “for appearance sake,” is projecting a false image and clearly the believer is looking in a mirror rather than out a window. Perception has become more important than principle.
Christ-likeness has its genesis and development through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Hananiah, Meshach, and Azariah were but if not saints (Dan 3:18), totally committed even unto death. This is only possible through trusting and giving of their bodies to serve and worship no other gods (including self) but the Most High God (cf. Dan 3:28), even in the face of the but if not circumstances. This is spiritual integrity, pure and undefiled before God.
Are we seeking an image or Christ-likeness, a storefront or the Savior from whom all blessings flow, a mirror or a window? Selah.
