Daniel Chapter Three
Let's Review:
Chapter One:
In the time of national or personal trial, we must maintain our identity as the children of god, and refuse to partake of the world's dainties. Such moral resolve in the end will promote us.
Chapter Two:
The God of Heaven knows the end from the beginning. He is very much ALIVE, and IS WORKING in our world. Men's kingdoms come and go in quick succession as He allows, but His kingdom is eternal, and He prevents any more political world powers form controlling the whole world.
The Purpose of Chapter Three:
Another illustrative example of the theme of the whole book, namely, that God rules over the affairs of kings, especially boastful and arrogant Gentile kings, while preserving a remnant of His people in the midst of hostile aggression of the nations against them. God and all those who are His people will triumph in the end (remember apocalyptic literature).
OUTLINE OF CHAPTER THREE
I.The “image” erected, and its worship commanded (1-7).
II.The constancy and the faithfulness of the three Jews (8-18).
A.Chaldeans complain against the Jews (8-12).
B.The king confronts the Jews (13-15)
C.The Jews' constant refusal to bow, to bend or to burn (16-26)
III.The king is faced with the Truth of YAHWEH's power (27-30).
TIME:
This is usually thought to be the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign. (This is according the Septuagint (LXX), but not definite). If so, it was the year Nebuchadnezzar burned the city of Jerusalem (586 B.C.). NOTE: The instrument the pagan ruler used to humble God's people is the instrument used to humble him. Likewise, God speaks to His faithful: you may burn God's city, if God allows it and He prophesied it in Jeremiah 25, but you can't burn God's people, if He doesn't choose to allow it. The terrible siege upon Jerusalem ended when after 18 months severe famine rampant in the city Nebuchadnezzar breached its walls. Zedekiah escaped and after being captured at Jericho was taken to Babylonian headquarters on the Orontes River in Syria where the last thing he would see before his eyes were put out was the death of his sons in front of him. The Temple was dismantled and the king's palace burned to the ground.
PURPOSE:
Suggested reason why he built the “image” (unknown)
Testing the loyalty of his servants (reinforcement reason)
Response to image he had seen in the dream (rebellious reason)
He was dedicated/sincere about his god (religious reason)
PLACE:
Dura-- about 12 miles east of Babylon
BACKGROUND:
Imagine the festive mood and excitement. Imagine Nebuchadnezzar's pride! Nine our of ten bricks found in ancient Babylon had Nebuchadnezzar's name on them. History records a tension between ancient Chaldean tradition and Neo-Babylonian. In 595 (6) B.C., Nebuchadnezzar's tenth year, there is evidence of Chaldean rebellion and mention of a great loss of Nebuchadnezzar's troops.
NOTES ON CHAPTER THREE
3:1 It does not say that it is solid gold. This is the critics' problem, not ours. It does not say it was a statue of a man. It stood 60x6 cubits (90x9 feet), a proportioned size of a man is 1:5, not 1:10. Some think that it was a pedestal. Julius Oppert found a foundation stone that was 45 feet wides and 20 feet high in Dura. Perhaps it could have been a person sitting (if you believe it to be a person). The proportions resemble an object more common in the observance of phallicism-- the worship of the male generative power. Egyptian obelisks have also been interpreted as phallic symbols among some Egyptologists.
3:2-3 Imagine the pomp and circumstance of all the officers going out to worship the image by rank and status.
3:4-5 These musical instruments were used to promote the pomp, but were also used as a signal. Some were Greek instruments. Robert Wilson marvels that in the light of trade, sailors, and war that more Greek words were not found. It is an argument for the authenticity of Daniel, not against it.
3:6-7 Did he anticipate problems of this sort? Does this remind you of Revelation 13:14-15? No doubt John had such a thing in mind when he wrote. Harry Rimmer, author of Dead Men Tell T ales, says, “The furnace or kiln is very possible (an object of capital punishment), as an inscription found says, 'This is the place of burning, where men who blasphemed the gods died by fire.'”
3:8-12
NOTE: They are called “Jews”
They remind him of his commandment and his threat.
They hint at his lack of wisdom in choosing the Jews (v. 12).
They suggest that the Jews have no gratitude or respect for him, as the motive that moves the Jews to disobey (v. 12).
BUT:
Who can stand before envy? (Proverbs 27:4)
It was these ungrateful men who were spared because of the Jews in chapter 2.
3:13-15 These charges put Nebuchadnezzar on the spot.
He questions if it were true that they had disobeyed a positive command.
He gives them a second chance (v. 15)
He challenges their God, “Who is that God, that shall deliver you out of my hands?”
WHO IS THAT GOD?
The One who made them more ruddy in chapter one.
The One who revealed the king's unknown dream in chapter two.
The One who interpreted that dream.
The One whom he had praised in 2:47.
Some think “Is it true?” “Is it a joke?” “Is it on purpose?” “Do you intend to insult?” Compare this with Isaiah 36:18-20.
3:16-18 Their answer:
We have no need to answer (verse 16).
statement of faith, “If God wants to deliver, He will.” “If it be so” (verse 17).
God won't have to do so, for us to obey Him, “But if not” (18).
Statement of determination and intent, “We will not” (18).
Remember, these boys were not told that God would deliver them, but when you have been with THE KING, a king cannot scare you.
3:19-23 The kings anger was WILD. In fact, the Hebrew play on words is that “his image (tzel'm) changed.” The same word for the “image” to be worshiped is used of Nebuchadnezzar' “visage.” Instead of these wise men reviving his convictions in the ONE TRUE GOD, he was exasperated and convicted in the former ways. Exchanging wisdom for folly, his violence increased as seen in the furnace charged seven times hotter than normal. Matthew Henry says, “Nebuchadnezzar, in this heat, exchanged the awful majesty of a prince upon his throne, or a judge upon the bench, for the frightful fury of a wild bull in a net.” The impression made of the furnace temperature heightened was not to dispatch the guilty sooner, but rather speak of the unequaled nature of the crime itself worthy of seven times more severe a punishment. The lesson is that indulging our brutish passions will lead to a level of violence that changes us physically and mentally. The three were bound in their clothes, and mantles (in everything present of their image and God's). Was it to be consumed more slowly? How irrationally hard-hearted and mad this tyrant became. The Revelation of John comforts us in the ideas that the second death likened to a furnace into which the tares shall be cast in bundles, to that lake which burns eternally with fire and brimstone. The believer may only experience a few minutes of agony, but the second death will be an eternity of torment from which no one will be delivered. As moved as we are in pity for the three, so much more should we be for the lost in the world.
The Septuagint records the Song of the Hebrew Children a 38 verse prayer which speaks of the elements, land and sea creatures blessing the LORD, with “praise and exalt him above all forever” in every verse. It is not in the original. It is not an outstanding example of Hebrew poetry. The Septuagint also mentions a prayer of Azariah (Abed-nego) who supposedly stood in the midst of the fire while praying a 19 verse prayer. The Septuagint also records that the kings men continued to stoke the furnace with brimstone, pitch, tow, and fagots. The flames apparently rose 49 cubits above the furnace consuming nearby onlookers. In the Septuagint, the story goes that the angel of the Lord went down into the furnace with Azariah and his companions, drove out the flames and made the inside like a dew-laden breeze.
3:24-27 Nebuchadnezzar's astonishment: He is amazed that they are
Not killed.
Lose in the fire.
Walking around enjoying the fire.
Accompanied by a fourth person, like “a Son of God.”
No smell of smoke on their clothing.
Not even singed.
Not hurt.
This is referred to in Hebrews 11:32, not fiction, but fact! They quenched fire by faith. Compare Isaiah 43:2 to this.
3:28-30
He praises the Jews' God
He applauds the Jews' constancy in trial.
He protects YAHWEH's name from blasphemy.
He compares his god to the Jews' God.
He restores the Jews to prestige, promotes them, and causes them to proper.
SOME MEDITATIONS ON CHAPTER THREE
Nebuchadnezzar brought men to Dura plain to praise his god. Both he and his officers returned to the world praising the LORD God.
Our God knows how to deliver the righteous (2 Peter 2:9). He commands deliverance of the righteous. Lot was saved. Noah was saved.
We ought to obey God above a government.
We should not only refuse to bow amongst our enemies (Chaldeans), but even if a benefactor and friend (Nebuchadnezzar) should speak tenderly and fairly to us, we should not deny God.
Notice how soon men forget what God has done for them. See verses 13-15 above, under the title, “Who is the God?” He hadn't done anything lately.
Contrast this and the story of Namaan (2 Kings 5:18). Namaan's obligation of his office as servant was to hold the hand of his lord. To hold the hand means that his constancy of service will follow the bowing down with his master. Notice the contrast of position vs posture. Namaan so convicted that he desires to take back the earth of Israel (when before its water was not acceptable) to build an altar to God and only sacrifice to Him. He would not be serving Rimmon, or his house, but rather his master. Paul says in Ephesians 6:5-8:
5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; 6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: 8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
Namaan's position would not make him posture toward any other god.
Their position as wise men, whose wisdom was firmly established as coming from God, will not make them posture toward anything else.
Think on excuses they could have used:
don't have to renounce our God
just once to humor the king
have to obey the rulers
will Nebuchadnezzar, our benefactor, take it personal?
our fathers did it; others are doing it
the end justifies the means (what if Moses made it to Pharaoh?)
we are young
our peers are bowing; we will get them into trouble if we don't bow
This was a blow to the fire worshipers, and the sun worshipers. You may destroy our city, but not us. The chief god depicted as the sun invoked by Nebuchadnezzar, as all other deities, against the LORD God.
Was this an attempt, like the children of Israel, to fabricate for themselves what they “imagined” God to be?
Notice verse 14: is it of purpose, or are you certain of your conviction? The men of God have no need to be careful with their words (v. 16). Their conviction: no matter what men will do, or God won't do, do it! We can not think there will always be a miraculous deliverance from death, or reward in this life. If so, men would be righteous of impure motives (think of John the immerser, Elijah and Elisha, other prophets, etc.).
Peter was delivered from prison, yet later crucified. John the immerser was beheaded. The decision is God's, but no man walks through the fire alone.
The absence of Daniel lends greater evidence that the book is no-fiction. If it were fiction, the hero would not have alienated himself from this event.
Is your faith one of constancy and power or one of compromise, expediency and weakness?
