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Daniel

Chapter 3
{Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the furnace}
1~~Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore {60} cubits {ninety feet tall}, and the width thereof six cubits {nine feet wide}. He set it up in the plain of Dura {an Akkadian word instead of Aramaic}, in the province of Babylon.

{Note: A cubit is the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger - approximately 18 inches. With an estimated girth of half the width - four and a half feet - the volume would be 3645 cubic feet or 4,400,000 pounds of gold. At the old $33 an ounce, this would be over two billion dollars! Nebuchadnezzar was very wealthy.}

2~~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 image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

3~~Then the princes {political rulers}, the governors {corps area commanders}, and captains {division commanders}, the judges {Chief Justice}, the treasurers {secretary of treasure of each province}, and counselors {guardian of the law}, the sheriffs {district court judges}, and all the subordinate rulers or officers of the provinces . . . were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had caused to be set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had caused to be set up.

{Note: The image was most likely of himself or one of his false gods. Approbation lust has a fierce hold on the king. And, the whereabouts of Daniel is not known. Apparently God had intended for the three others to 'stand the test on their own.'}

4~~Then an herald cried aloud {to get everyone's attention}, "To you it is commanded, O people {racial division}, nations {geographical entities}, and languages {differences in languages spoken in the land} . . ."

5~~"That at what time you hear the sound of the cornet {the brass section}, flute {reed instruments}, harp {the string section}, sackbut {a high pitched instrument that stirred up emotions}, psaltery {a 10 stringed instrument - and grand-father to the piano, guitar, banjo and ukulele}, bagpipe, and all kinds of music {percussion instruments, drum, cymbals, etc.} . . . you fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up."

6~~ And who so falls not down and worships shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.

{Note: This open field must have at least been used for the administration of justice. The fiery furnace was a typical Babylonian punishment. Quite a spectacle too! Music, dance, idol worship . . . 'a good time was had by all' . . . well all but the criminals!}

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 worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

8~~For this reason at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and brought charges against the Jews.

9~~They spoke/responded and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king, "O king, live for ever . . . "

10~~"You yourself, O king, have made a decree that every man
who hears the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, and bagpipe . . . and all kinds of music, is to fall down and worship the golden image."

11~~"But whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire."

12~~"There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, have disregarded you . . . they do not serve your gods . . . or worship the golden image which you have set up."

{King's Reaction}
13~~ Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and anger gave orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego . . . then these men were brought before the king.

14~~Nebuchadnezzar spoke/responded and said unto them, "Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?"

15~~"Now if you are ready, at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, and bagpipe . . . and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, very well. But if you will not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire . . . and what god is there Who can deliver you out of my hands?"

16~~Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter."

17~~"If it be so, our God Whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire . . . and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king."

18~~"But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up."

19~~Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath, and his facial expression was altered toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He answered by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually headed.

20~~And he commanded certain valiant warriors who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the furnace of blazing fire.

21~~Then these men were tied up in their trousers, their coats, their caps, and their other clothes, and were cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire.

22~~For this reason, because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

23~~But these three men - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego - fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up.

24~~Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded, and stood up in haste . . . and he spoke/responded, and said to his high officials, "Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said unto the king, "Certainly, O king."

25~~He answered and said, "Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm . . . and the form of the fourth is like a son of the gods {Jesus Christ}."

{Note: Only their shackles had been burned away! The principal is that sometimes God delivers us THROUGH suffering instead of OUT FROM suffering.}

26~~Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire . . . and spoke/responded, and said, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, come out . . . you servants of the Most High God and come here." Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the midst of the fire.

27~~And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's high officials gathered around and saw in regard to these men that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them.

28~~Nebuchadnezzar spoke/responded, and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego . . . Who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king's command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God."

29~~"Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or tongue that speaks any thing offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way."

30~~Then the king caused Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to prosper in the province of Babylon.