Daniel 3:26-30

e.

PHILANTHROPIC DECREE

TEXT: Daniel 3:26-30

26

Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace: he spake and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the Most High God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego came forth out of the midst of the fire.

27

And the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, that the fire had no power upon their bodies, nor was the hair of their head singed, neither were their hosen changed, nor had the smell of fire passed on them.

28

Nebuchadnezzar spake and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and have yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

29

Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill; because there is no other god that is able to deliver after this sort.

30

Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in the province of Babylon.

QUERIES

a.

Why did Nebuchadnezzar call the Hebrew men out of the furnace?

b.

How did the Hebrew men change the king's word?

c.

Does the King's decree mean he now believes in Jehovah?

PARAPHRASE

Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the opening in the flaming furnace and shouted, Shadrach, Meshach and Adebnego, you servants of the Most High God, Come out of there and Come here! So they came out of the furnace and approached the king. Then a great company of the king's princes, governors, captains, and counsellors crowded around them and saw that the fire had not even touched the Hebrew mennot a hair of their heads was singed; their shoes were not even scorched; there was not even the slightest smell of smoke on their persons! Then the king said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Me-shach, and Abednego, for he sent his angel to deliver these servants who trusted him completely. By their trust and miraculous deliverance they have caused the king to cancel his decree concerning their execution. Their determination to be true to their God and not serve other gods was manifested when they willingly submitted their bodies to be burned alive. Therefore, I make this new decree, that any person of any nation, language, or culture who speaks a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be hacked limb from limb and his house publicly desecrated. No other God can do what this God does! So the king, from that time forward, favored these Hebrew young men and they were successful and prosperous because of the king's favor.

COMMENT

Daniel 3:26-27. CAME FORTH OUT OF THE MIDST OF THE FIRE. THE FIRE HAD NO POWER UPON THEIR BODIES. Nebuchadnezzar saw that in spite of his royal authority and in spite of his having physically committed the Hebrew men to the furnace and in spite of the intensity of the flames these men were not going to be consumed. There was nothing left for the king to do but admit defeat and call them forth from the furnace. Stationing himself at a safe distance from the furnace he yelled over the roar of the flames that they should come out and stand before him.

As they stood before the king a great company of the king's officials gathered around them and were utterly amazed that not a hair on their head was singed and there was not even the slightest smell of smoke upon them. The shoes with which they walked upon the white-hot coals were not scorched at all. Daniel wants to be understood by his future readers that a large body of reliable witnesses satisfied themselves as to the perfect deliverance from certain death experience by these three Hebrew men. Deliverance was so complete and supernatural that their clothing did not even smell of fire or smoke. Under natural circumstances one who has been anywhere near a fire will bear the odor of smoke on his person or clothing,

Daniel 3:28 NEBUCHADNEZZAR. SAID, BLESSED BE THE GOD OF SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABED-NEGO. Nebuchadnezzar has not only witnessed with his own eyes a stupendous physical miracle of deliverance but he has also been touched by the whole-hearted faith of these Hebrews. The king's immediate reaction is a word spoken in praise of the God of these Hebrews.

Yet, his manner of designating God as the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is the manner of a heathen polytheist. The king is merely admitting that their God, compared to other gods, has distinguished Himself by manifesting a power that is greater than any other god. So far it has not even occurred to the king to confess the Hebrew God as the Only True God and to denounce pagan gods as false.
That fourth person seen in the furnace by the king and formerly called by him a son of the gods is now called His angel by the king. This is to be expected since Babylonian religion was replete with doctrines of angels, demons, helping spirits and the like. As to the whereabouts of this fourth person we assume it returned to its heavenly abode.
Note the various impressions made on Nebuchadnezzar by these Hebrew men: (1) the complete trust or faith they had in their Godsuch faith has impressed more than one heathen potentate; (2) their deliverance had overruled the decree of the powerful Nebuchadnezzarhe was forced to admit defeat; (3) they were willing to surrender their physical bodies to apparent excruciating death by being burned alive rather than worship pagan deities.
Note further in his decree the king does not deny his own national gods but simply makes a decree in a negative way that no one should speak any thing remiss (error or falsehood that would tend to lead the minds of men astray in regard to the things they have seen the God of the Hebrews demonstrate). Nebuchadnezzar does not decree, in a positive sense, that Jehovah is to be worshipped as the one and Only God.
The king's promised punishment for violation of this decree is exactly like that pronounced upon his own magicians should they fail to tell him his dream (cf. ch. 2).

Daniel 3:30 THEN THE KING PROMOTED. Leupold says the word promoted does not mean they were advanced to a new office in the structure of government but the word means the king supported and favored them so that their position was made easier and their work more successful in spite of the opposition of those that begruged them their success.

Keil notes that the incidents recorded in this chapter teach us how the true worshipers of the Lord under the dominion of the world power could and would come into difficulties, imperiling life, between the demands of the lords of this world and the duties we owe to God. But we also learn that, if in these circumstances they remain faithful to their God, they will in a wonderful manner be protected by Him; while He will reveal His omnipotence so graciously that even the heathen world rulers will be constrained to recognize their God and give Him glory. (See our sermon at the end of this chapter for similar remarks).

QUIZ

1.

Where was the king when he called for the Hebrew men to come out?

2.

What happened to the fourth person in the furnace?

3.

Why did Daniel note the many people who surrounded the Hebrew men upon their exit from the furnace?

4.

What is the significance of mentioning that they did not even smell of fire?

5.

Name at least three things about the Hebrew men's faith that amazed Nebuchadnezzar.

6.

Why do we think the king is not a true believer in Jehovah?

7.

What does this chapter teach us for today?