Today, I am reading and commenting on Daniel 3-4.

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In today’s passage we have two accounts which illustrate Nebuchadnezzar’s arrogance and pride.  It also demonstrates that the power of God to humble even the most powerful of men.  In order to demonstrate his power, Nebuchadnezzar ordered an image 90 feet tall be created.  He then summoned all of the administrators of his empire to the capital for its dedication.  Finally, he ordered them to bow down to it in worship when the signal was sent forth.  And when the signal went forth, everyone obeyed Nebuchadnezzar’s command and bowed down in worship.  Except for the Jews.  We can easily miss that.  The way the passage reads our natural tendency is to think that only Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down, but that’s not what it says.  Rather, those three were chosen to be made an example for the rest of the Jews.  I probably should have touched on this yesterday but I want to note that the people who came forth to accuse the Jews were members of a group of mystics who advised Nebuchadnezzar, I would guess that they were priests of the gods of Babylon.  The passage tells us that “certain Chaldeans” accused the Jews.  So, the priests of the Babylonian religion chose Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be made examples to the other Jews for their failure to join in the worship of the Babylonian gods.

I know I started this out by saying that this story illustrates Nebuchadnezzar’s arrogance and pride, and God’s power to humble such men.  I still think it does.  However, the story shows how a group of powerful people used Nebuchadnezzar’s pride to their own ends.  The fact that the Chaldeans chose to make an example of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego makes their standing up for God that much more important.  They had set an example for others when they joined Daniel in sticking to God’s commands regarding what they ate during their training to join the administration of the Babylonian Empire.  Once again they stand up for their faith.  I want to further point out their response when Nebuchadnezzar claimed that no god would deliver them out of his hands.  Their answer was threefold.  First, they did not answer to Nebuchadnezzar regarding whom they worshiped, implicitly saying that they answered only to God.  Second, they stated that God was able to deliver them out of his hand and that He would do so.  Third, they stated that even if God chose not to deliver them, they would not serve the gods of Babylon.  When we face opposition to our faith, we should remember and declare that God is able to protect us from whatever others may wish to do to us.  Further, we should take the stand these three men took.  Even if we know that God is not going to rescue us from the consequences which this world seeks to inflict on us for not worshiping its gods, we will still refuse to do so.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.