Daniel 3

 On this page we will study Daniel 3:1-30

READ Daniel 3:1 'Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits; he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.'

Because the statue was erected after the dream, some 23 years, it's easy to assume it was made with some reference to the statue of Nebuchadnezzar's dream.

The fact it was made of gold only goes to show that King Nebuchadnezzar wasn't all that happy about the fact there would be ~other~ kingdoms after his own.

He didn't make just a head of gold and display it, he made a huge golden statue, head and body.

He definitely didn't try to portray the other metals signifying a change from one kingdom to the next, though Daniel was very explicit in his description of the dream and the image. No where in his interpretation did he mention a golden image, he did however mention the head was gold.

Read Daniel 2:32 'This image's head [was] of fine gold…'

A 90 foot tall statue- pedestal and all. Though whether or not it was pure gold is something that is in doubt. Being overlaid with thin gold plates would have given the image it's completely gold appearance.

Imagine it if you will.

90 feet tall!

That's 15 - 6 ft tall men.

An 8 story high building.

5 Giraffes (18ft tall each)

From the heel to the top of the head of the Statue of Liberty is 111 ft, so just shy of that 21 ft.

90 feet, that was one huge statue.

READ Daniel 3:2-7 - 'Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the (1)______  which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 3. Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, 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 that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4. Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, 5. That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of (2) ____, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up; 6. And whoso falleth not down and worshipeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 7. 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 people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and (3)________ the goIden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

The 90 ft tall statue was worthy of a dedication. This statue was an amazing monument and worthy of being dedicated, right? All the princes, governors, captains, judges, treasurers, counselors, sheriffs, and rulers were gathered there for the occasion. Today we would call that a huge celebration! Think the President, Prime Minister, some other important figure holding a huge gathering and inviting many a dignitary, but not stopping there everyone is invited to this huge dedication.

But… we can't imagine anyone in our day and age commanding all those in attendance to fall down and worship …anything!

Idol worship was common back in Nebuchadnezzer's era. People worshipped many an idol representing various gods.

Nebuchadnezzar wanted people to bow down and worship the image of gold that represented him and his kingdom.

The command went out for such to happen though and what was the penalty for not bowing down?

READ Daniel 3: 6 'And whoso falleth not down and worshipeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.'

WHAT?! Cast where? Into a burning fiery furnace. In other words if you didn't fall down and worship this 90 foot tall golden statue you were going to be put to death very painfully! If that wasn't enough incentive to bring a person to their knees, well… it'd be the last incentive they'd be subject to. Also of note vs 6 contains the first mention to be found in the Bible of the division of time into hours. It was probably the invention of the Chaldeans.

READ Daniel 3:8-12 - 'Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews. 9. They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever. 10. Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image; 11. And whoso falleth not down and worshipeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12. There are certain (4)____ whom thou hast set 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.

Tattletales! Oh yes, it would be noticeable if someone didn't bow down when everyone is commanded to do so, everyone, that doesn't leave much room for anyone who doesn't want to stand out in the crowd for not bowing.

The Chaldeans- remember they were asked to interpret the king's dream and failed miserably- they took note of three Jews, important Jews at that- set over the kings affairs- who didn't bow down as ordered during the decree. They not only took note they hurried to the king himself and made sure he knew that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego hadn't obeyed the king's command. How wonderful it was to be able to disgrace these Jews who were nothing more than slaves brought out of Jerusalem to Babylon and taught their ways, who through Daniel usurped those who had been dedicated to the king and eager to please him in all ways. 

Obviously Daniel himself must have been absence on business, because we can rest assured he would have been right there with his three companions, not bowing to the statue and yet there is no mention made of him.

What happened when the three, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were tattled on?

READ Daniel 3:13-18 - 'Then Nebuchadnezzar in his (5) ____ and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king. 14. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? 15. 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 made, well: 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? 16. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee 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 thine hand, O king. 18. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not (6) ______ thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Rage and fury. It's easy to get the picture. Nebuchadnezzer wasn't a little mad, he wasn't a touch upset upon hearing that there were those who didn't do as he commanded. The king was furious! In his fury he ordered the men to be brought to him, and not just taking the Chaldeans at their word, he asked the three outright if it were true, but before they could answer he was already giving them an opportunity to fix what might have been an oversight on their behalf. He didn't want to have these three men put to death. He knew there hadn't been an oversight, how could there have been? Yet he was going to let them fix things, show the Chaldeans and everyone that they too would worship him. 

What did the three say to his gracious offer to spare their lives? They tell him outright that they will not serve the king's gods, nor will they worship the image. They were not going to avail themselves of this second and most gracious opportunity to spare their own lives. They heldfast to their faith, a faith that decreed that they would have no other gods before God. A Faith that decreed they not worship idols. They told the king that if their God wanted he would deliver them from death, from the king's decree and if He didn't, oh well.. because they weren't going to do as the king wanted.

How bold! How incredible. Such faith, such conviction.

READ Daniel 3:19-25 - 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 one (7) ______ _____ more than it was wont to be heated. 20. And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace, 21. Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22. 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. 23. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 24. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counselors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. 25. He answered and said, Lo, I see (8)____ 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.

We know for a fact that the king was enthralled with Daniel and it was Daniel that asked for his friends to be given positions of power and such. The king hadn't hesitated, he instantly granted Daniel's wish for his friends. So here we have a king whose second in command isn't going to be too thrilled with this turn of events, and yet even so the king had a kingdom to rule. He ~was~ the king! He was to be obeyed! He had to uphold authority. He could not make a decree and go back on it. As it was he'd given a decree and then he offered these three favored a second chance to obey it when death was warranted the first time around. So being magnanimous in his offer he probably had never entertained the idea that they would refuse his offer, yet they did. The king's reaction?

He became so furious his visage- his facial features- were distorted as he looked upon the three that dared to disobey him, that dared to throw his graciousness back in his face and in front of all those around them. Fury. Have you ever seen anyone so angry they just changed right before your eyes? What did the fury do? Make them red-faced, contorted and twisted their normal features, yes, fury is frightening to behold and the king was just that furious. What did he do in his fury? 

He ordered that the furnace where these three traitors were to be thrown to their unimaginably painful deaths be heated seven times hotter that normal. Seven times hotter! He was going to make sure they suffered, make sure that they were burned completely and utterly for their disobedience. The king told his mighty men to bind them up and throw them into that furnace, no more chances for them to bow down and obey now, they'd taken Nebuchadnezzer's graciousness and slapped him in the face with it, they sealed their fate. Unfortunately for the mighty men that grabbed up the three- dressed them well, more clothes to burn you see- and took them to the furnace, the fire was so hot it killed them as they were throwing the three inside. HOT fire! Surely the king hadn't meant to sacrifice the mighty men, they were being obedient to him, they weren't the ones who hadn't bowed down and disobeyed him. Nevertheless they died doing their duty to the king, but what happened to the three disobedient men? Shock. Astonishment so much so he stood up, peering into the fire. Quickly he asked his counselors whether or not they threw three men into the fire, why? He asked because he saw four men in the fire! The counselors told them they had thrown three in and yet the king told them there were four and they were walking around in the fire unhurt! The fourth was like the son of God.

Wow! Not only were those three disobedient men alive and unharmed there was someone else in there. Obviously not referring to Jesus, but a son of God, a supernatural figure of some sort was in there with the three. Nebuchadnezzer refers to him as an angel later. So there we have it. Nebuchadnezzar had the audacity to throw three of God's chosen into the fiery furnace to kill them, even after he'd witnessed the power of their God back when Daniel interpreted the vision for him. His audacity was rewarded with a vision of God's power, not only the spared lives of the three but the vision of another supernatural being in the fire walking with them. How amazing is that? To have God's power so revealed. Once again God showed Nebuchadnezzaer who was the one and only true God. No other god they worshipped could have saved others under similar circumstances.

READ Daniel 3:26-30 - Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and 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 of the midst of the fire. 27. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. 28. Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and (9) ____________ his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any God, except their own God. 29. 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 can deliver after this sort. 30. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in the province of Babylon.

Witnessing this miracle, Nebuchadnezzar called into the fire for the three to come out. The three hadn't taken it upon themselves to walk out, they remained in there with the fourth like to the son of God, an angel, until they were told to come out by the king. Leaving the fiery furnace that had killed the very men that had brought them to the furnace to throw them inside, it was that hot, the three stepped out and miraculously the fire hadn't touched them at all whatsoever, they didn't even stink of fire. With the tangible proof before them, the fourth in the furnace was forgotten as the three were closely examined by everyone! It was a miracle unlike anything they had ever seen before in their lives. Nebuchadnezzar was so awed that he said, 'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.'

Here is a God worthy of worship. Here is a God that changed the king's word, that just wasn't done! No one could change a decree once the king issued it, no one. God did when He spared the three from the death decree made by Nebuchadnezzar. Knowing that only the true God, a God worthy of worship could have ever done that Nebuchadnezzar goes on the make a new decree. Everyone was order not to speak anything amiss against the God of the three or they would die and not by fire, they'd be cut in pieces and their houses would be made dunghills. Oh yes, those very men who dared to bring the three in before the King for their failure to bow down and worship, those men who most likely wanted to see these three slaves- turned important men - killed were now ordered not to speak against their God or they would be killed. Talk about a backfiring situation. 

Not only were they all under orders not to speak against the God of the three, the three men were promoted! Promoted into even higher positions. Of course Nebuchadnezzar was far from stupid. He'd witnessed the power of the true God and he wasn't going to do anything to garner His wrath. What wonder, what amazing faith, and reward of that faith. What witness for God to all the nations and peoples of that time. Amazing!

Praise God who works in such wondrous, mysterious, and miraculous ways!

This concludes our study on Daniel Chapter Three

May God Bless Us All

(1) image Daniel 3:2

(2) music Daniel 3:5

(3) worshiped Daniel 3:7

(4) Jews Danie 3:12

(5) rage Daniel 3:13

(6) serve Daniel 3:18

(7) seven times Daniel 3:19

(8) four Daniel 3:25

(9) delivered Daniel 3:28