3:1 In Babylon’s religious culture, statues were frequently worshiped. Nebuchadnezzar hoped to use this huge image (90 feet high by 9 feet wide) as a strategy to unite the nation and solidify his power by centralizing worship. This gold statue may have been inspired by his dream. Instead of having only a head of gold, however, it was gold from head to toe. Nebuchadnezzar wanted his kingdom to last forever. When he made the statue, Nebuchadnezzar showed that his devotion to Daniel’s God was short-lived. He neither feared nor obeyed the God who was behind the dream.
3:6 This fiery furnace was not a small oven for cooking dinner or heating a house; it was a huge industrial furnace that could have been used for baking bricks or smelting metals. The temperatures were hot enough to assure that no one could survive. The roaring flames could be seen leaping from its top opening, and a fiery blast killed the soldiers who went up to the large opening (3:22).
3:12 We don’t know if other Jews refused to fall down and worship the statue, but these three were singled out as public examples. Why didn’t the three men just bow to the image and tell God that they didn’t mean it? They had determined never to worship another god, and they courageously took their stand. As a result, they were condemned and led away to be executed. The men did not know whether they would be delivered from the fire; all they knew was that they would not fall down and worship an idol. 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. Be prepared to say, “If he rescues me, or if he doesn’t, I will serve only God.”
3:13 Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage when anyone dared to disobey his commands. As the supreme ruler of Babylon, he expected absolute obedience. But his pride had caused him to go beyond his own authority. His demands were unjust and his reactions extreme. If you find yourself angered when people don’t follow your directions, ask yourself, Why am I reacting this way? Your ego may be overly involved with your authority.
3:15 The three men were given one more chance. Here are eight excuses they could have used to bow to the statue and save their lives: (1) We will fall down but not actually worship the idol. (2) We won’t become idol worshipers but will worship it this one time, and then ask God for forgiveness. (3) The king has absolute power, and we must obey him. God will understand. (4) The king appointed us—we owe this to him. (5) This is a foreign land, so God will excuse us for following the customs of the land. (6) Our ancestors set up idols in God’s Temple! This isn’t half as bad! (7) We’re not hurting anybody. (8) If we get ourselves killed and some pagans take our high positions, they won’t help our people in exile!
Although all these excuses sound sensible at first, they are dangerous rationalizations. To fall down and worship the image would violate God’s command in Exodus 20:3, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” It would also erase their testimony for God forever. Never again could they talk about the power of their God above all other gods. What excuses do you use for not standing up for him?
3:16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were pressured to deny God, but they chose to be faithful to him no matter what happened! They trusted God to deliver them, but they were determined to be faithful regardless of the consequences. If God always rescued those who were true to him, Christians would not need faith. Their religion would be a great insurance policy, and there would be lines of selfish people ready to sign up. We should be faithful to serve God whether he intervenes on our behalf or not. Our eternal reward is worth any suffering we may have to endure first.
3:25 It was obvious to those watching that this fourth person was supernatural. We cannot be certain who the fourth man was. It could have been an angel or a preincarnate appearance of Christ. In either case, God sent a heavenly visitor to accompany these faithful men during their time of great trial.
3:25-30 God’s deliverance of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego was a great victory of faith for the Jews in captivity. They were protected from harm, they were comforted in trial, God was glorified, and they were rewarded. Let us determine to be true to God no matter how difficult the pressure or punishment. God’s protection transcends anything we could imagine.
3:27 These young men had been completely untouched by the fire and heat. Only the rope that bound them had been burned. No human can bind us if God wants us to be free. The power available to us is the same that delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego and raised Christ from the dead (Ephesians 1:18-20). Trust God in every situation. There are eternal reasons for temporary trials, so be thankful that your destiny is in God’s hands, not in human hands.
3:28, 29 Nebuchadnezzar was not making a commitment here to serve the Hebrews’ God alone. Instead, he was acknowledging that God is powerful, and he commanded his people not to speak against God. Nebuchadnezzar didn’t tell the people to throw away all the other gods but to add this one to the list.
3:30 Where was Daniel in this story? The Bible doesn’t say, but there are several possibilities: (1) He may have been on official business in another part of the kingdom. (2) He may have been present, but because he was a ruler, the officials didn’t accuse him of not falling down and worshiping the image. (3) He may have been in the capital city handling the administration while Nebuchadnezzar was away. (4) He may have been considered exempt from bowing down to the image because of his reputation for interpreting dreams through his God. Whether Daniel was there or not, we can be sure that he would not have worshiped the statue.