After King Nebuchadnezzar offered three Jewish men a second chance to bow down to an idol that the king had set up, and they refused (giving glory to their God, instead), we can at least confirm that the king made good on his word to throw them into a blazing furnace if they didn’t comply. He had explained what would happen to those who didn’t worship the statue, and reiterated the consequences of doing so to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then, in Daniel 3:19-23, the king has the furnace (where the offenders were to be burned alive) fired up extra hot, and he has the three men tied up for their execution.
The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
Daniel 3:22-23 NIV
Based on some research online [see FURNACE OF FIRE | VBM (virtualbiblicalmuseum.org), Babylon’s Kiln-Fired Bricks Almost Erased The City From History – Ancient Pages, and the Lookout, cited below], it seems that these furnaces were used for firing the bricks used in Babylon for building. One site showed the furnace looking something like a pizza oven (although obviously much larger than what I’m used to, if three men could be thrown into it). We might think of larger, room-sized furnaces used to treat metals and ceramics today. Also, this was apparently not the only time that the furnaces were used as a means to execute the king’s enemies.
However, despite the fact that being thrown into a furnace was the previously-stated punishment for not worshiping the idol that the king had established, I’m not sure that the king is actually thinking or acting rationally in this case. He’s clearly angry, and so he takes things to an extreme. Maybe he’s trying to make a point, or to make an example out of these three men, but he is making sure that there is no room for escape!
Perhaps Nebuchadnezzar feels that the three Jewish men here have insulted his god, and so he wants to show that god that he is loyal. Or, maybe he just wants to be sure that there is no way that they can survive and claim that their God saved them.
In the end, there was no question that, 1) the men were tied up tight (having strong soldiers do so), 2) the furnace was blazing hot (costing the lives of those who threw the men into the furnace), and 3) the three men were solidly in the furnace.
We can look into what happened next in the next article (and, you’re invited to pre-read Daniel 3 on your own before then), but let’s pause today and consider how our anger – along with our corresponding behavior – compares to the king’s here. Do we “explode” and seek to destroy others that offend us as we overreact to their behavior? Or, do we measure our responses, and ensure that they are appropriate to the situation, balancing justice with grace and mercy?
It has been correctly pointed out that Jesus got angry, and that He acted in His righteous anger. (See John 2:13-17, for instance, and Mark 3:1-6.) However, even then, His response was appropriate, selfless, and achieved a greater good. Can we say the same? If not, let’s ask Jesus for some help today, so that we can handle our anger like He did.
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 