Image of Gold
Dan 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.
A cubit is about 18 inches. The image of gold was sixty times eighteen or ninety feet tall. The width was nine feet wide
Dan 3:2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
All the rulers came to the dedication, Daniel as his right hand man probably set beside him.
Dan 3:3 Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, 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.
Dan 3:4 Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,
Dan 3:5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
All had to fall down and worship the image of the king. This is forbidden for the Jews to do so. Many will not bow to the real God, but bow to false gods or the god of self. They will in time be forced to bow before the King of kings.
Phil 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Phil 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Dan 3:6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
That is a very hot fire, but hell is hotter. If you do not receive Jesus and bow to his authority, you will be cast into hell, where the soul will live forever in torment. For there is no other way to be saved.
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Dan 3:7 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.
Will you fear the false god of this world and bow to the devil?
Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
2 Cor 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2 Cor 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
2 Cor 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Stand Fast
Dan 3:8 Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.
Dan 3:9 They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.
Dan 3:10 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:
Dan 3:11 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
Dan 3:12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
They had a good testimony; they did not serve false gods or bow to the golden image. They were young men of character, obeying the laws of God.
Dan 3:13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
Why was the king so angry? Did he also believe he was a god? Perhaps they were bringing conviction to his own heart? Or, perhaps he feared that they were seeking to replace him. He was afraid of them, but they were not afraid of him, because they were completely trusting in God.
Many desire to be looked up to as reverend or some other exalted title; their images in gold, or in shining lights to be admired. God will not share his glory with men.
Deu 6:13 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.
Deu 6:14 Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;
Deu 6:15 (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.
Dan 3:14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
Dan 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?
Dan 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
Dan 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.
Their God would deliver them, they were not afraid. They stood up to the king.
Psa 119:44 So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever.
Psa 119:45 And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.
Psa 119:46 I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed.
Psa 119:47 And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.
Psa 119:48 My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes.
Dan 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.
But if not, they will still not bow down to your gods and your golden image.
Will you stand in faith? or will you bow to the enemies threats. Know who you are in God, know his word and know him, then you will be able to stand.
Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Fiery Furnace
Dan 3:19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
Such anger was fanned by demons from hell. What had they done? They exercised their free will and chose to trust in the Living God. Satan was furious, as he is when we choose to serve God. He made it very hot for them, seven times hotter. Have you found that things sometimes seem worse when you are committed totally to God? It is spiritual warfare. Stand fast in the Lord, if you give in you are just a piece of meat in satan's furnace, with suicide spirits. You will burn with satan and his demons in the lake of fire. But if not, if you do not give in, then the LORD is your shield and your help forever.
Dan 3:20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
To be sure they could not resist, they bound them and cast them in the furnace. Has satan got you bound? Resist him in the Spirit and he will flee. God is greater.
Isa 61:1 The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Dan 3:21 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.
Dan 3:22 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 Abednego.
Those who touch God's anointed servants were slain by the fire they had prepared.
Jer 18:19 Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.
Dan 3:23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
The Septuagint : a Greek version of the Jewish Scriptures redacted in the 3d and 2d centuries B.C. by Jewish scholars and adopted by Greek-speaking Christians, says that from the fiery furnace came singing, songs of praise unto the LORD. This caught the attention of the king.
Dan 3:24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
Dan 3:25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four 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.
God was with the three young men! The were unshackled and walking together in the flames unharmed. Jesus was walking with those who trusted in God. This is the eternal son, who was in the form of a man before his birth in Bethlehem. Another proof of the eternal Son of God and his power to save through faith. Is there any trial too hot, too hard that we will not go through it with Jesus in victory? Cast down the devil's fear, depression, anger and negative thoughts. Walk in faith through life with Jesus by your side, you are never alone, trust in him. We cannot save ourselves, the battle with satan is won by the Lord Jesus.
Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Coming Out of Affliction
Dan 3:26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
1 Pet 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
Their faith was tried in the fire, their hope was rewarded by the presence of the Son of God with them. Remember this; the Son of God goes with us when we suffer, when we are cast into the furnace of affliction he is there. He will set you free. At the kings command they came forth out of the death pit of fire, as Lazarus responded to the King of kings and came forth out of the grave.
Are you suffering from affliction? Are your hopes lying in the grave? Did you give up? Be as the three young men, never denying the Lord and keep serving him through all the enemy could put in their way. Is there something in your way? Was it a greater obstacle then the fiery furnace? Or was it no more than a barking dog that caused you to leave God's chosen path for you?
Dan 3:27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, 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.
Wow, no evidence of the fiery affliction. Is our faith like this, do we have the evidence of God's Holy Spirit in our life?
Dan 3:28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered 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.
God is glorified, even by the king. Perhaps it was an angel in the fire with them or an angel that helped them out. The angels are also called the son's of God. There is only one Son of God from heaven; the Lord Jesus Christ, and he is not an angel. Because of this miracle, the King would change his word that they might not serve nor worship any god, except the God of Israel.
Dan 3:29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, 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.
The God of Daniel was made the official God of the nation. A nation in order to stand, must honor the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He is the most high God. To serve another god is to bring destruction amd pestilence on the nation. For the devil is a destroyer and will not bless his servants, he will promote killing. If we want the blessings of God, we must worship the true God.
Dan 3:30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.
Because of faith they escaped the plans of satan and were given a higher position of honor and responsibility. So it shall be to all who stay faithful to the Lord and are not sidetracked by the enemy.
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