After a mini-series of articles from the first chapter of Daniel, let’s move over to chapter 3.
King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.
Daniel 3:1 NIV
We aren’t necessarily told exactly what this image or statue was of, but it seems likely that it was an image of the king himself or a statue of his god (Marduk, I think).
Now, if a cubit is about 18 inches, this means that 60 cubits is about 90 feet or 30 yards (or, for readers outside of the United States, about 30 meters). A check online shows that 90 feet is the distance between bases in baseball, or about the length of a basketball court. (11 Things That Are About 90 Feet (ft) Long/Tall – dimensionofstuff.com; Things That Are 90 Feet Long/Tall – MeasuringKnowHow)
In chapter 2 of this book, Daniel – with insight from God – interpreted a dream for King Nebuchadnezzar, in which the king saw a giant statue. In that dream, Nebuchadnezzar was represented by the gold head of the statue. Now, we must be careful to separate speculation from inspiration, but I wonder if Nebuchadnezzar was trying to recreate his dream, except with the entire statue made of gold (rather than just the head)?
Regardless, a 90-foot-high gold statue was certainly a demonstration of the king’s wealth and power. Even if the statue was only covered with gold, rather than being made entirely of gold [ref. Mangano, p. 196], it would be quite the sight to see.
In verses 2 and 3, King Nebuchadnezzar summoned various leaders to attend the dedication of this statue, which they did (since it sounds like this was not an optional request). This brings us to verse 4.
Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”
Daniel 3:4-6 NIV
These instructions seem pretty clear. When they hear the music, it is not time to take a seat. Instead, the king’s herald commands the people gathered at this occasion to worship the statue. So, rather than a statue that serves as a symbol or memorial, this statue was meant to be an idol.
Now, when people bow down before idols, they may be worshiping the idol itself, but I think that often they are worshiping something that the statue represents. In this case, based on other context from the event or that culture, and depending on what the statue was a figure of, the herald was probably also commanding the people to worship Nebuchadnezzar or his false god.
And, as you may know, the Ten Commandments included clear instructions for the Jewish people to not do anything like this (read Exodus 20:4-6).
In verse 7, this crowd of leaders does what they were told. When the instruments started to play, they “fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.” That may not be notable, since most people – especially in that environment – were expected to do what the king told them, but let’s keep reading to learn what happened next (and talk more about that in the next few articles).
From Sunday School lesson prepared for June 16, 2024
References:
- The Lookout, June 16, 2024, © 2024 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Esther & Daniel, by Mark Mangano. © 2001 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 