Daniel 3:13 "Then Nebuchadnezzar
in [his] rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
Then they brought these men before the king."
The anger of Nebuchadnezzar was so
great it was spoken of as rage and fury.
It is interesting
to me, they did not accuse Daniel as being part of the refusal to worship
witnessed by the Chaldeans. If Daniel had been present, he surely would have
joined these others in faithfulness to God.
Perhaps they were
afraid Daniel had already proven himself, and the king might punish them
instead. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego are brought to the king.
Daniel 3:14 "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?"
The king was fair in asking them
personally, if they were guilty of breaking his commandment.
Daniel 3:15 "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?"
Nebuchadnezzar is giving them one more
chance, here, to conform to his command. He reminds them once more, that to
disobey his command meant they would be thrown into the fiery furnace.
The king’s
challenge would return to embarrass him. The true God was able to deliver, just
as He was able to reveal a dream and its meaning. Nebuchadnezzar had earlier
called him “a God of gods”, but having let that fade from his attention, he
soon would be shocked and humiliated when God took up his challenge.
He almost mocks God
with his statement; "Who is the God that shall deliver you out of my
hands. He is saying, no god is more powerful than he is.
Daniel 3:16 "Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we [are] not
careful to answer thee in this matter."
This is simply saying, they do not
need time to think about this, they have already made up their mind. They can
give him their answer immediately.
The three men meant
no disrespect. They did not have any defense, nor did they need to reconsider
their commitment, since they stood fast for their God as the only true and
living God. Their lives were in His hands as they indicated in verses 17-18.
Daniel 3:17 "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."
They are not afraid of the fiery
furnace, or of Nebuchadnezzar. They know God is their very present help in
trouble. They are not speaking in an arrogant manner to the king. They are
speaking their confidence in their God. If that is the way it is, they are more
willing to face the furnace than to bow to a false god.
This type of faith
is what we need, as well. The world beckons. It is our choice. Will we follow
our God, even into the fire? Will we become afraid, and follow false gods of
the world?
Daniel 3:18 "But if not, be it
known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the
golden image which thou hast set up."
This is another way of saying,
"We will serve God and no other". They will not worship things made
with human hands. They have made their decision to follow the One True God and
no other.
Joshua 24:15
"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom
ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the
other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell:
but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
Each person must
make this decision. We cannot serve God and the world. We, too, must choose.
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