Daniel
3:1-30
Key Verses:
3:17,18
“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.”
In Daniel chapter 1 Daniel and his three friends resolved not to
defile themselves with the royal food and wine. In chapter 2 Daniel interpreted
King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and taught the king that it was God who gave him
dominion and power and might and glory. In chapter 3 Daniel’s three friends
refused to fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had
set up. Their faith was tested. They stood on their conviction of faith not to
bow down to the image of gold. They kept their faith in God to the end and
remained faithful to God. Thus, they proclaimed God’s sovereignty to the pagan
king and revealed the power of God to the whole world. May God bless us to have
faith like Daniel’s three friends and to reveal the glory of God through our
decision of faith not to bow down to the image of gold. I pray that we all may
grow in God through the test of faith.
PART I. THE DEDICATION OF AN IMAGE OF GOLD (1-7)
Time passed since Daniel had
interpreted the king’s dream. After this event, God made King Nebuchadnezzar
and his kingdom prosperous. His kingdom extended from Africa to India. Then
King Nebuchadnezzar became proud once again and wanted to show his glory and majesty
to the world.. Again he fell into the illusion that he had built the Babylonian
Empire with his own hands. Through Daniel’s interpretation of the dream he had
heard in the allegory of the statue made of gold, silver, bronze, iron and
clay, that God is Sovereign Ruler and worldly kingdoms and civilization are
temporal and they fall like flowers. King Nebuchadnezzar also remembered
Daniel’s word that he was the head of gold (2:38b). He said to himself, “Wow! I
am that head of gold. Not bad! Not bad at all.” But in his deep corner of heart
he feared that someday the rock cut out of a mountain would crush his Empire.
There was no guarantee of his national security. What did he do to solidify his
power? Look at verse 1. “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.” His empire was so rich that it could afford to cast such a huge image
of pure gold.
The demonstration of his wealth and
power through the dedication ceremony of the image of gold was fantastic. But
he had no God in his heart. So he did not find any absolute meaning whatever he
did. When people do not know God, whatever they do is meaningless. King
Nebuchadnezzar was nothing but an idol worshiper. At the time of King
Nebuchadnezzar’s dedication ceremony for the image of gold, Daniel’s three
friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were present, since they were the
governors of provinces (2:49). We don’t know where Daniel was at that time.
Maybe he was touring the nation for the king or remained in the palace to
prepare for any emergency that might arise while the king attended the
dedication ceremony. Let’s see what happened to the three friends of Daniel.
The dedication ceremony was thoroughly prepared. It was glorious and
spectacular. After the image of gold was set up, the surrounding area was
decorated by specialists from all over the provinces. The king sent the
invitation letters to all his officials and they just came. High up in the
center was a golden royal box where King Nebuchadnezzar and his wife were
present. The king and his wife waved their hands when all the dignitaries of
his kingdom entered. In another corner were several thousand musicians with
their instruments and behind them several thousand flags were standing in
colorful lines. At one corner was an entrance where soldiers were ready to
parade in honor of the king. The furnace was lit and people shouted, “Long
live! King Nebuchadnezzar!” Now the dedication party was ready.
What were all the people commanded to do? Look at verses 4-6. “Now
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’” The
King’s command was absolute. As soon as they heard the sound of the music, all
the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the
image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. No one dared to disobey the
king’s command because the penalty was death by fire.
PART II. THEY REFUSED TO WORSHIP THE IMAGE
OF GOLD (8-18)
But Daniel’s three friends,
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, stood up and did not bow down to the image of
gold. They were standing tall like a tree while all other people bowed down to
the ground. They were visible among the sea of people. Some astrologers saw
Daniel’s three friends standing aloof and denounced them, saying, “Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your
gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up” (12). These astrologers,
who denounced them, were their political rivals and opponents. They held
grudges against them because they took away their high positions. When they
denounced them, they were sure that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would be put
into the blazing furnace. Out of envy and jealousy they accused Daniel’s three
friends because they did not bow down to the image of gold.
Daniel’s three friends overcame life-threatening situation in
chapter 2 because God enabled Daniel to interpret the king’s dream. They were
enjoying their success as the provincial administrators. Everything seemed to
be okay. God’s ultimate test of faith came at this time. The test was whether
or not they would bow down to the image of gold. At the time of fiery trial, at
the time their destiny was flickering like a candle before the wind, they were
not gripped with fear because they resolved not to defile themselves with the
royal food in chapter 1:8. They resolved to live in the sight of God in the
foreign land. They were ready to obey God’s command not to worship idols
because God was living in their hearts. Though they were POWs, they lived as
God’s chosen people. They were ready to refuse the king’s order to bow down to
the image of gold. They loved God’s word more than their own life. They
probably memorized the Ten Commandments which say, “You shall not make for
yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth
beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them.
(Ex. 20:4-5a) God hated idol worshippers. God punished his people whenever they
worshipped other gods throughout Israel’s history. Idolatry was the reason they
had been exiled to Babylon in the first place. Their act of faith reminds us of
James 1:12, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he
stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to
those who love him.” Christian life is
not like a roller coaster ride. God will give us trials of many kinds to test
our faith. But it is not God’s punishment but it is his way to give us the
crown of life as we grow in faith. In the same way God was refining the faith
of Daniel’s three friends through the king’s command. In Genesis 22 God tested
Abraham’s faith whether he loved God’s blessing his son Isaac more than God.
Abraham passed the test of faith by offering Isaac to God. God blessed him to
become a father of faith because he trusted God. Today test of faith does not
come from the king but it comes from our choice. God tests our faith when we
make decisions related to family, jobs, careers and marriages. When S. Richard
Anderson had a good job in Pittsburgh, God tested his faith. God told him to
quit the job and come to Baltimore and marry S. Mary. Though there was no job
in Baltimore, he quitted his job and came to Baltimore. God blessed his
decision of faith to become Ph.D. shepherd for JHU.
King Nebuchadnezzar knew the names
of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The king also knew their faithfulness and
achievements. The king knew they were friends of Daniel. So he did not
immediately put them into the blazing fire, but wanted to give them a second
chance. He wanted to find the fact that the accusation was true or not. So the
king summoned them and said, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that
you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?” (14) He
also said, “...if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a
blazing furnace. Then what god will be
able to save you from my hand?” (15) The king was proud and trusted his
military power and placed himself in the position of gods. The king’s message
had twofold. He offered them his hand of protection if they obey his command.
At the same time he threatened them to change their decision. It was a nice
gesture to them from the mighty king. It was a mighty temptation to alter their
decision. It was a golden opportunity for them to rethink and change their
minds. They could have swayed and blinked by the generosity of the king. They
could have said to God, “Please allow me to bow down just one time. Afterward,
I will serve you faithfully once again.” But they did not yield to the sweet
word of king’s temptation.
Look at verses 16-18.
“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.’” They told the king that they did not need to defend themselves. This
means that they made their decision. This is their confession of faith. This is
also their personal life testimony. They believed that God is God Almighty. Not
only Daniel's three friends, but also all the forefathers of faith and heroes
of faith and warriors of faith in history believed that God is Almighty
God. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
believed their God is Almighty God. So
they said, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is
able
to save us
from it." We also must have this basic faith, which is the first step of
faith. We must believe that God created heaven and earth with his power and
wisdom (Gen 1:1). God made the heavens where there are multi-millions of stars
(Gen 1:17). God made the sea where there
are
multi-millions of fish, enough to feed all mankind to the end (Gen 1:20). The
people of Israel had this faith in God Almighty. They believed that God enabled
them to make a great Exodus from Egypt (Ex 15:2; Ps 105:37). They believed that
God enabled them to cross the Red Sea as on
dry land (Ex
15:8; Ps 106:9). They believed that God made Aaron's dried rod sprout, bud and
blossom (Num 17:8). Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had this faith.
They
believed that God is love (18). Look at verse 18. "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." Because they loved God, they did not
care whether or not they died. They loved God with all their hearts. There is
no doubt in their testimonies whether God would save or not. They didn't mind
whether God saved them or not. What mattered was whether they loved God or not.
They loved God. Their faith in God's
love reminds us of Romans 8:38,39, "For I am convinced that
neither
death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future,
nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our
Lord." S. Jay’s key verse is
Esther 4:16b, “And if I perish, I perish.” I don’t know why she chose this
strong key verse. She wanted to please God by faith. In any case Queen Esther
was ready to die to save her own people from Haman who plotted to kill all the
Jews. God honored her decision and saved God’s people. Job overcame test of
faith and glorified God. God honored his faith.
Are you ready to take
a stand for God no matter what? When you stand for God, you will stand out. It
may be painful, and it may not always have a happy ending. Three YDJ members
took MCAT exam yesterday. They might have prayed to God like this, “If you give
me 36 points, I will serve only you.” Then what if they get 30 points, will
they not serve God? They will still serve God. Some students may say, “Oh God,
if you give me good grades, then I will serve you. What will they do if they
have bad grades? Faith based on God’s blessing only is wrong. Will they quit
Bible study and blame God for their failure? No, they still must believe in
God. That’s the real faith. Let’s say together, “If he rescues me, or if he
doesn’t, I will serve only God.”
Often
times we give up our faith and compromise with the world in order to gain small
benefits or avoid persecutions or blend in the flow of the world. It is easy to
blend in the peer pressure of the world. But Jesus said in Mark 8:35, “For
whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me
and for the gospel will save it.” We
should call on the name of the Lord when we are persecuted by small
Nebuchadnezzars. We may be isolated and misunderstood by the world people due to
our refusal to worship the image of gold. But God will protect us and deliver
us from our persecutors. We must stand firm in the name of the Lord. Acts 2:21
says, “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans
10:10 says, “For it is with your heart that you believe and justified, and it
is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” How can we apply this message to us since we are not forced to
worship idols? The image of gold comes in different forms today. To Zacchaues
the tax collect his idol was Money. To Samaritan woman her idol was her
husband. To Nicodemus his idol was power, glory, and honor in this world. They
all had worship problem. When they met Jesus and worshipped Jesus, they found
true meaning and happiness. My idol was the combination of all three of them.
When I met Jesus, he showed me God Almighty as my true object of worship. God
tested my faith by giving me trials of many kinds. It was God’s demonstration
of his divine love for me so that I may become mature servant of God.
PART
III. KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR PRAISED GOD (19-30)
First, Nebuchadnezzar threw them into
the fire (19-23). King Nebuchadnezzar was furious because of Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. By their conviction of
faith the king’s pride was offended. To the king, what they said was nothing
but treason and rebellion and disobedience to the king’s command, and their
testimony shamed King Nebuchadnezzar for the first time in his lifetime. So the
king 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. Out of his anger, King
Nebuchadnezzar decided to throw them into the blazing furnace. The decision
made out of anger brought them disaster. 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.
Second, the fourth man. After throwing
Daniel’s three friends into the fire, Nebuchadnezzar thought they were burned
to ashes. But when God was with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, they did not
die in the flaming fire of the furnace. Only the ropes of the king burned like
bits of straw. And they were freed from bondage. When God was with them they
could rejoice in God and danced in the flaming fire. Where there is God, there
is the Kingdom of God. King Nebuchadnezzar saw that they did not die but were
dancing, so the king leaped to his feet in amazement. When he carefully saw
them, four men, not three men, were walking around in the fire, unbound and
unharmed, and the fourth man looked like a son of the gods (25). Here, the
fourth man is God in the form of an angel. When Daniel’s three friends believed
God’s almighty power and his love, God came down and was with them in the
flaming fire. God protected them. Jesus said in Luke 21:17-19, “All men will
hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing
firm you will gain life.” God was able to deliver them from the blazing
furnace. God was more powerful than the king. God proved that he is ruler of
the world.
What did Nebuchadnezzar do?
Nebuchadnezzar approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted,
“Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come
here!” (26) So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire and all the
officials 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 (27).
Third, King Nebuchadnezzar praises God
(28-30). “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” (28). The king
issued a decree that the people of any language or nation who said 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
(29). King N. confessed his mistakes and exalted God’s name. God revealed his
sovereignty over the kingdom of this world. God honored Daniel’s three friends
because they passed the test of faith. King Nebuchadnezzar also promoted
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon. But King
Nebuchadnezzar’s blindness was that he did not accept God as his personal God,
even though he had experienced the presence of God two times. He saw God as the
God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So King Nebuchadnezzar could not see the
kingdom of God. He only remained as a
spiritually blind man.
Daniel chapter 3 contrasts worldly men with men of God. Let’s
examine our faith at this time and check what kinds of conviction we have to
overcome temptations of the world. May God help us to love God and live as his
people. Let’s read the key verse 17-18.