As the past couple of articles have looked at Daniel 3 (see Daniel 3:1-12), three Jewish exiles have been “ratted out” by certain other Babylonian advisors to King Nebuchadnezzar, when they did not bow down to an idol when the king told them to.
The king could have had any one of many different reactions, but it seems that he was in a particular mindset that day.
Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”
Daniel 3:13-15 NIV
Now the king is angry…to say the least! This new statue was a big deal to him, and his decree was clear, so now both his pride and his authority are in jeopardy. Based on what we see later in this chapter, he may also have been concerned that not getting everyone to worship this idol would offend his [false] god.
However, rather than just sending out an execution order, the king brings in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, asks them whether the accusations against them are true, and gives them a chance to prove otherwise. The consequences if they do not obey the king are made clear…again.
Note, too, that King Nebuchadnezzar is putting forth a challenge to the God of the Jewish people. Since the statue was probably a homage to – if not a specific image of – the king’s false god, then there’s a bit of a showdown implied, here.
This sounds a little bit like the challenge that Elijah made to the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (see 1 Kings 18:16-40). In fact, as I understand it, the expectation for various gods to show their power over other nation’s gods seems to have been fairly common in that era. Do you remember when the Philistines put the Israelites’ Ark of the Covenant into their pagan god’s temple, and an idol of their god Dagon fell on its face before the Ark…twice? (See 1 Samuel 5:1-5)
In light of this challenge from Nebuchadnezzar to God, this may be a good time for us to pause and consider what people expect of their gods. Do they believe that these gods will actually step in and intervene on their behalf, or are they just hoping for generally favorable trends in their lives, like “luck” or “good karma”.
Do even Christians, knowing the true God of the universe, believe that God is not just casually and semi-passively steering things in the right direction for them, but that He can and does and will step in when the time is right? Do we still believe that God can save us from fiery furnaces or lions’ dens or even being “canceled” today, when He chooses to do so?
On the other hand, when religion is limited to just ceremony and rituals, without changing anyone’s life, you have to wonder why adherents even bother with something that doesn’t have an impact on them or the world around them.
I hope that you have personally put your faith, trust, and confidence in the only God who is ultimately victorious over sin, death, and all that is evil. Completely opposite to Nebuchadnezzar’s “second chance”, God’s offer of salvation and reconciliation gives each of us the opportunity to be rescued from the consequences of our decisions to rebel against Him.
Once you have returned to God, though, don’t forget that He is still alive and actively working in your life. When that truth changes your mindeset, I think that you’ll start to see God’s work all around you, and it will be amazing.
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 