Daniel
Chapter 3
{Note: From Chapter 2:4b through Chapter 7, Daniel is writing in the Chaldean language.}
{Attack
of 'Religion'}
1a~~Nebuchadnezzar,
the king,
made
an image of gold,
whose
height was threescore {60} cubits
{a cubit is the distance from the elbow to the tip of the finger -
approximately a foot and a half - so this idol was 90 ft tall},
and
the width thereof six cubits {nine feet wide}.
{Note: Instead of recognizing the SOURCE of the power in his dream (God) - that was explained to him by Daniel in the previous chapter - Nebuchadnezzar was impressed with the power of God, but not the Person of God. So he decided to try and perpetuate his dynasty by creating an idol of gold (since his empire was the gold of the image) and worshiping that idol.}
{Note: At $33/ounce, a pound of gold is $528 (and at 2003 prices of Gold nearer $330, that would be $5,280 a pound. To calculate the volume of the image we take 90 ft x 9 ft x 4.5 ft (½ of the 9 ft to get volume of an obelisk) - 3645 cubic feet. The statue then weighed 4,400,000,000 pounds or 2,200 tons - $2,315,000,000 at $33/oz.}
1b~~He
set it up in the plain of Dura
{an Akkadian word - meaning 'circuit' - a circular plain},
in
the province of Babylon.
{Note: A cubit is the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger - approximately 18 inches. With an estimated girth of half the width - four and a half feet - the volume would be 3645 cubic feet or 4,400,000 pounds of gold. At the old $33 an ounce, this would be over two billion dollars! Nebuchadnezzar was very wealthy.}
2~~Then
Nebuchadnezzar the king
sent
to gather together
the
'highest political men outside of Babylon'/princes
{'achashdarpan - Akkadian and Chaldean word - ruler of 17
Provinces outside of Babylon - Top men outside of Babylon},
the
'highest military men outside of Babylon'/governors,
{c@gan - Chaldean word for a corps area commander - a three
star general - highest ranking military officer outside of Babylon}
and
the 'divisional commanders'/captains,
{pechah - Chaldean word for a general officer- a two star general
- next highest ranking military officer outside of Babylon}
the
'chief judges' {'adargazer},
the
treasurers
{g@dabar - a Persian word - a treasurer for a province},
the
'prosecuting attorneys'/'guardians of the law'
{d@thabar - Persian word - again top men in the provinces},
the
sheriffs,
and
all the rulers of the provinces,
to
come to the dedication of the image
which
Nebuchadnezzar, the king, had set up.
3~~Then
the princes {political rulers},
the
governors {corps area commanders},
and
captains {division commanders},
the
judges {Chief Justice},
the
treasurers {secretary of treasure of each province},
and
counselors {guardian of the law},
the
sheriffs {district court judges},
and
all the subordinate rulers or officers of the provinces . . .
were
gathered together unto the dedication of the image
that
Nebuchadnezzar the king had caused to be set up.
And
they stood before the image
that
Nebuchadnezzar had caused to be set up.
{Note: The image was most likely of himself or one of his false gods. Approbation lust has a fierce hold on the king. And, the whereabouts of Daniel is not known. Apparently God had intended for the three others to 'stand the test on their own.'}
{Big
Band Music for the Dedication Party}
4-5~~Then
the herald cried aloud
{to get everyone's attention},
"To
you it is commanded,
O
people {racial division - Chaldeans were the aristocrats},
nations
{geographical entities},
and
languages {differences in languages spoken in the land} 5~~
that
at what time you hear the sound of the cornet
{cornet represents the brass section - maybe a 100 or so},
flute
{flute represents the wood winds - the reed instruments},
harp
{harp represents the string section},
sackbut
{cabb@ka' -a high pitched triangular stringed instrument
that stirred up emotions},
psaltery
{a 10 stringed instrument - and grand-father to the piano,
guitar, banjo and ukulele},
bagpipe
{cuwmpown@yah},
and
all kinds of music
{covers the rest like the percussion instruments for the beat - the
drum, cymbals, etc.} . . .
you
fall down and worship the golden image
that
Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up."
{Story
of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Going In the Furnace}
6~~
And who so falls not down and worships
shall
the same hour
be
cast into the middle of a furnace of blazing fire.
{Note: This open field must have at least been used for the administration of justice. The fiery furnace was a typical Babylonian punishment. Quite a spectacle too! Music, dance, idol worship . . . 'a good time was had by all' . . . well all but the criminals!}
7~~Therefore
at that time,
when
all the people heard the sound
of
the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery,
and
all kinds of music . . .
all
the people, the nations, and the languages,
fell
down and worshipped the golden image
that
Nebuchadnezzar, the king, had set up.
{Note: This is also 'ritual without reality'. These people were FORCED to worship and that is evil (even to force someone to worship the True God is evil - it must be positive volition from free will).}
{Dedication
Crisis}
8~~For
this reason
{Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had ECS's and refused to
worship - they would rather die in freedom than live under the
slavery of religion}
at
that time
certain
Chaldeans
came
forward and 'denounced/'brought charges to destroy'
{idiom: literally 'ate the flesh' - means trying to eliminating them
because of mental attitude sins on bitterness, jealousy}
against
the Jews.
{Note: Doctrine of the long proboscis/nose. Societies always have busy bodies intruding on the business of others - this even happens today when people do not follow the 'taboos' of the area (mixed bathing, working on Sunday in the Church Age, etc.). The rule is to live and let live - God has the ability to handle His Own Business!}
9-12~~They
spoke/responded
and
said to Nebuchadnezzar the king,
"O
king, live forever . . . 10~~
You
yourself, O king,
have
made a decree
that
every man who hears the sound
of
the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, and bagpipe . . .
and
all kinds of music,
is
to fall down
and
worship the golden image. 11~~
But
whoever does not fall down and worship
shall
be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. 12~~
There
are certain Jews
whom
you have appointed
over
the administration of the province of Babylon -
Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego.
{this made the other men jealous of them}
These
men, O king, have disregarded you . . .
they
do not serve your gods/'elahh {Chaldean} . . .
or
worship the golden image which you have set up."
{accused them of ingratitude}
{Note: When a person accuses someone of ingratitude, that is a sure sign of a petty, jealous, implacable mental attitude - the 'after all I have done for you' . . . type attitude. Giving must be from love (grace) NOT expecting something back in return.}
{King's
Reaction}
13~~
Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage
{r@gaz -here the mental attitude sin of anger}
and
anger
{chema' - this is heat like that like he tied one on - he loses
all perspective - like being drunk}
gave
orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego . . .
then
these men were brought before the king.
{Verses
14-22: Challenge to Doctrine}
14~~Nebuchadnezzar
spoke/responded and said unto them,
"Was
it on purpose {?} . . .
O
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
that
you do not serve my gods/'elahh {Chaldean},
nor
worship the golden image which I have set up?"
15~~"Now
if you are ready,
at
the moment you hear the sound of the
cornet
{cornet represents the brass section - many of them -
maybe a 100 or so},
flute
{flute represents the wood winds - the reed instruments}, harp {harp
represents the string section},
sackbut
{cabb@ka' -a high pitched triangular stringed instrument
that stirred up emotions},
psaltery
{a 10 stringed instrument - and grand-father to the piano,
guitar, banjo and ukulele},
bagpipe
{cuwmpown@yah},
and
all kinds of music,
to
fall down and worship the image
that
I have made, very well.
But
if you will not worship,
you
will immediately be cast
into
the middle of a furnace of blazing fire.
And
Who is this God/'Elahh {Chaldean}
Who
will rescue you out of my hands?"
{saying HE is more powerful then any god!}
16~~Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego,
answered
and said to the king,
{who is the spokesman is not important - this is the view of each
of them}
"O
Nebuchadnezzar,
'we
are not frightened a bit'
{idiom: literally 'we are not careful'}
to
give you an answer concerning this matter."
{Note: The threat of death does not frighten a mature believer in the slightest. He has ABSOLUTE CONFIDENCE that the place that he would go is better than the place that he is. He only stays on this earth to continue to serve the Lord! And, no one can remove him unless He permits. And, when He wants him removed, nothing will hinder!}
17~~"
'If it be so'/'if you throw us into the furnace'
our
God/'Elahh {Chaldean} . . .
Whom
we serve . . .
{believer's oriented to God's grace - doing their job for the king 'as
unto the Lord'}
'has
infinite ability'/'is able'
to
rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire . . .
and
He will deliver us out of your hand, O king . . . 18~~
but
even if He does not
{recognizing that there is an alternative} . . .
let
it be known to you, O king,
that
we are not going to serve your gods/'elahh {Chaldean},
nor
worship the golden image which you have set up."
19~~Then
Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury
{antagonistic - lost all ability to reason},
and
his facial expression was altered
{mental attitude sins can show through as UGLY in the face!}
toward
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
He
answered by giving orders to heat the furnace
seven
times more than it was usually heated.
{almost as hot as the king's temper!}
20~~And
he commanded certain valiant warriors
{actually means they were 'ones successful in battle' - great
military men}
who
were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
and
to cast them into the furnace of blazing fire.
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