Sunday, June 7, 2020

The King's Golden Image -- Daniel Chapter 3



Global society offers so many "golden images" to which you can bow. At least Nebuchadnezzar offered only one. Daily, you prostrate yourself to images. So much fluff and extras vie for your attention. How often do you think of God? In our scripture below, three Jewish young men remain true to their birth, their religion and their names. They refuse to bow down and worship another god at the expense of their own lives.


 Vv 1 – 7          The King's Golden Image

V 1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, the height of which was sixty cubits

            and its width six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of

            Babylon.

A. The golden image was around 90 feet tall.

  1. Wonder where he got the idea to make a statue of Gold.

  2. Remember his dream that Daniel interpreted for him.

  3. The head represented Babylon and it’s head was made of fine gold.

V 2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent word to assemble the satraps, the prefects and

            the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all

            the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that

            Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

B. So when it was complete, the king commanded all his rulers from the greatest to the

            least to come to the dedication of the gold statute.

V 3 Then the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the

            judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces were assembled for the

            dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood

            before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

C. All the king’s rulers came.

  1. Was Daniel there?

  2. Were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego there?

V 4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed: "To you the command is given, O peoples,

             nations and men of every language,

D. There was a proclamation made to all peoples regardless of their nationality.

V 5 that at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery,

            bagpipe and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden

            image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up.

E. The proclamation was that when the weird music began, they must stop whatever they

            were doing and fall down and worship the image.

V 6 But whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into the midst

            of a furnace of blazing fire.

F. The penalty—burn in the fiery furnace.

V 7 Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, lyre,

            trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men

            of every language fell down and worshiped the golden image that

            Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

G. So when the weird music began, all peoples fell down and worshiped.

Vv 8 – 18        Worship of the Image Refused

V 8 For this reason at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and brought charges

            against the Jews.

A. The Chaldeans made the charges were brought against the three children of Israel.

 V 9 They responded and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king: O king, live forever!

B. They gave the king his due respect, live forever.

V 10 You, 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. V 11 But whoever does not fall down and worship

            shall be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire

C. They repeat the decree to the king.

V 12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the administration of the

            province of Babylon, namely Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. These men, O

            king, have disregarded you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden

            image which you have set up.

D. They become tattle-tales.

  1. In Kindergarten your teacher would have told you not to do this.

  2. How did these three men get their job in the King’s administration? Daniel 2:49.

V 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and anger gave orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach

            and Abed-nego; then these men were brought before the king.

E. The King is furious and orders the men brought to him.

V 14 Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and

            Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I

            have set up?

F. Look guys, after all I have done for you, you still don’t respect me?

  1. You don’t do anything I ask?

  2. You won’t serve my gods?

  3. You don’t even worship the image of ME!

V 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 do 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?"

G. Alright children, I’ll give you one more chance.

  1. Here’s what you do, when you hear the music, you got to do what daddy says.

  2. You must fall down and worship me.

  3. You got it?

V 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do

            not need to give you an answer concerning this matter.

H. There’s no need to try this a second time.

  1. No second chance needed.

  2. We’re simply not going to serve your gods.

V 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.

I. Maybe our God will deliver us from you hand.

  1. He could you know.

  2. However, He may not.

V 18 But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to

            serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.

J. How certain of your God are you?

  1. Will he deliver you from the fire?

  2. Is he big enough to keep you?

  3. Can he handle you finances?

  4. Can he run your church, or do you have to run it?

  5. But know that even if he can’t do anything of these things, he is worthy of praise

            and worship.

Vv 19 – 30      Daniel's Friends Protected

V 19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath, and his facial expression was altered

            toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. He answered by giving orders to heat

            the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.

A. Daddy really gets mad and punishes the kids!

  1. I’ll show you, you disobedient, ungrateful brats.

  2. I’m really going to spank you, now!

V 20 He commanded certain valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up Shadrach,

            Meshach and Abed-nego in order to cast them into the furnace of blazing fire.

B. He had them tied up.

  1. Ever wonder why he tied them up?

  2. They were going to be just as dead tied or untied!

  3. So they couldn’t grab someone and pull them into the fire, too.

  4. Are there other reasons?

V 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.

C. They were bound in the dress they were in.

  1. Perhaps one reason for mentioning that they were bound in their clothes is because

            clothes were important, and usually before being executed, they were stripped and

            the clothes given to someone else—usually the soldiers.

  2. I think it shows how angry the king was at these, his trusted advisors for their

            disobedience.

  3. My version, NAS, says “trousers.”

    a. pattish is Aramaic and means “hammered out as wide i.e. a gown.”1   

    b. ASV says “hosen” which is the Aramaic word above.

    c. KJ reads, “hosen.”

    d. NIV is, “they were wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes.”

    e. NKJ translates it as, “their coats, their trousers, turbans and other clothes.”

    f. ASV says, “These men were bound in their mantels, hats, tunics and other garments.

    g. LB uses, “bound them tight in their clothes.”

  4. My point in all this madness!

    a. I didn’t know they wore trousers then!

    b. I don’t think “trousers” is the right translation—rather an Americanization.

V 22 For this reason, because the king's command was urgent and the furnace had been

            made extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up

            Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego.

D. The furnace was so hot that the men who threw them into the flames died, too.

  1. Just getting close to the furnace killed these men.

  2. Could it be that the fire inside the furnace wasn’t fire at all but God’s glory?

    a. Sin can’t reside in the presence of God’s glory.

    b. The Hebrew children, even though sinful, had been baptized into Moses

            (1 Cor. 10:2); therefore, they could pass under God’s glory protected.

    c. These heathen Babylonian soldiers had none of God’s protection on them.

    d. Those Hebrew children who still lived by their names and viewed the world from

            that perspective were totally protected from the glory of God.

      1) Notice that the only thing destroyed were the things that bound them.

      2) God takes away the things that bind us through the glory of Jesus Christ.

V 23 But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, fell into the midst of the

            furnace of blazing fire still tied up.

E. You can’t come into the presence of God bound!

  1. Nothing binds you up in Jesus.

  2. When you stand before him, you’ll be blameless:

            1 Corinthians 1:8.

            Ephesians 1:4

            Ephesians 5:27

            Colossians 1:22

            Jude     :24

            Revelation 14:5

  3. Without reference to sin:

            Hebrews 9:28

  4. Holy:

            Ephesians 5:27

            Colossians 4:22

            Colossians 3:12

            2 Timothy 1:9

            Hebrews 3:1

            1 Peter 2:5

            Jude     :14

            Jude     :20

            Revelations 20:6

  5. All the shackles and fetters that bind you have been taken away.

  6. Start acting like it!

V 24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his

            high officials, Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire? They

            replied to the king, "Certainly, O king."

F. Wait a minute guys! Didn’t we just throw three men into the fire?

V 25 He said, Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire

            without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!"

Pg 5     Chapter 3        Daniel                                                                                      23

G. There are four in there now, and one looks like a son of a god.

V 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he

            responded and said, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, come out, you servants

            of the Most High God, and come here! Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego

            came out of the midst of the fire.

H. How was Nebuchadnezzar able to approach the furnace?

  1. He now recognizes in his heart that God is God.

  2. Notice that the men were so protected by the glory of God that they didn’t leave until

            they were ordered to come out.

  3. How does this event show that they believed their name meant something?

V 27 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.

I. Only the things that bound them had been burnt.

  1. Their clothes, very volatile material, were not burnt.

  2. Their physical bodies hadn’t been harmed.

  3. The best proof, their hair hadn’t been singed?

  4. They didn’t even smell like smoke!

G. Because their was no smell or visual damage to their bodies, hair or clothes, the

            Chaldeans knew that a miracle had taken place.

  1. Why is this account even more believable to us today because of these proofs?

  2. They could have had fire-proof clothes on.

V 28 Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach

            and Abed-nego, 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.

J. Did Nebuchadnezzar believe in the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego?

  1. No.

  2. He only recognizes him as a potent God among gods.

V 29 Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything

            offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego 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.

K. You don’t have to worship their God, but you must not say anything bad about him.

  1. Did you know people still feel like this today.

  2. Someone will curse in front of me and say, “Oh! Sorry preacher.”

  3. You see, they recognize him as Lord, but they don’t worship him as the True God.

V 30 Then the king caused Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego to prosper in the province

            of Babylon.

L. Here’s a lesson in prosperity.

  1. Does the Bible teach prosperity? Yes, it does.

  2. Does that mean if you worship God you will prosper? Yes, it does.

  3. You see, God determines your prosperity.

  4. These men didn’t worship God to prosper.

  5. They worshiped Him because He is real.

  6. Because of their valuable testimony among heathen, God honored them with

            physical prosperity.

  7. He does you the same way.

  8. If we used our resources and managed our money they way the Bible teaches,

            none of us would ever need anything.

 

 1. Microsoft ect.

 

 


Daniel

Chapter 3

Study Questions

 

  1. How tall was the golden image of Nebuchadnezzar?

  2. Was this image for physical beauty or religious purposes?

  3. Were Daniel and the 3 children of Israel at the dedication of this statue?

  4. Why do you think that the Chaldeans brought the charges against the Hebrews?

  5. The King gave them one more chance, but what did they tell the king?

  6. Why did the king have them tied up before he threw them into the furnace?

  7. Could the furnace have been made so hot that it would kill anyone who got near it?

  8. Why were there four men inside the furnace instead of three?

  9. How was Nebuchadnezzar able to approach the furnace without being killed?

10. What was inside the furnace?

11. As a result of the testimony of the 3 Hebrew Children, what happened?

12. What’s important about the fact that the people observed that the hair and clothes of the Hebrew Children had not been burned nor did they even smell like smoke?

13. In Verse 28 where Jesus is called “His angel” an appearance of Jesus in another form, what is this called?

14. What happened to them personally because of their testimony?

 

 Blessings,



Howard


PS: Our first novel, The Red-Haired Master Shepherd, has been published. The novel is fiction about a little known Biblical character who meets Jesus. Check it out here. Or you can email us for your copy.



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