God Delievers In The Fire
DANIEL 3:28
- THE DREAM
1. Nebuchadnezzar
a. The Dream
Nebuchadnezzar had a dream: “dreamed dreams wherewith his spirit was troubled…” [2:1].
§ חָלַ֥ם - “dreamed” [2:1], qal perfect, ‘to see a series of thoughts and images in the sleep’;
§ There are revelatory dreams in which God conveys information to humankind.
b. The Insecurity
Nebuchadnezzar was left with a restless spirit: “wherewith his spirit was troubled…” 2:1].
§ רוּח֔וֹ - “spirit” [2:1], ‘mind, heart’; ‘the psychological faculty which can respond to God’;
§ תִּתְפָּ֣עֶם - “troubled” [2:1], hithpael imperfect, ‘to be in a mental state of distress’;
2. The Kingdoms of This World
The image: “thou, O king, saw, and behold a great image...” [2:31].
§ צְלֵ֥ם - “image” [2:31], ‘sculptured image’; ‘visible representation’;
a. Babylonian Empire
The first part: “the image’s head was of fine gold…” [2:32].
§ רֵאשָׁ֖ה - “head” [2:38], ‘part of the body’; ‘leader’;
§ דַהֲבָֽא - “gold” [2:38], ‘gold’; ‘money’;
b. Medo-Persian Empire
The Persian Empire: “after thee shall arise another kingdom…” [2:39].
§ וּבָתְרָ֗ךְ - “after thee” [2:39], ‘trace’; ‘place’; plus ‘in’;
§ תְּק֛וּם - “arise” [2:39], ‘stand up’; ‘come into existence’;
§ The second empire: “the chest and arms of silver...” [2:32].
c. The Greek Empire
The Greek empire: “and another kingdom of brass…” [2:39].
§ וּמַלְכ֨וּ - “kingdom” [2:39], ‘kingdom’; ‘kingship’;
§ נְחָשָׁ֔א - “brass” [2:39], ‘bronze metal’;
§ The third part: “the belly and the thighs of brass...” [2:32].
d. The Roman Empire
The Roman Empire: “the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron…” [2:40].
§ תַקִּיפָ֖ה - “strong” [2:40], ‘to grow strong’;
§ כְּפַרְזְלָ֑א - “iron” [2:40], ‘focus on strength and invincibility’;
§ The fourth part: “his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay” [2:33].
3. The Kingdom of God
a. The Sovereignty of God
The sovereign action of God: “shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom…” [2:44].
§ יְקִים֩ - “set up” [2:44], ‘to stand up, arise’;
§ מַלְכוּ֙ - “kingdom” [2:44], ‘kingship’; ‘reign’;
§ לְעָלְמִין֙ - “never be destroyed” [2:44], ‘duration never ending’;
b. The Stone
The kingdom is not the result of human effort: “a stone was cut out without hands…” [2:34].
§ אֶ֙בֶן֙ - “stone” [2:34], ‘hewn piece of rock’;
§ דִּי־לָ֣א בִידַ֔יִן - “without hands” [2:34], ‘not with the power of human hands’
§ הִתְגְּזֶ֤רֶת - “cut out” [2:34], ‘to cut out or quarry rock’;
c. The Offensive
The offensive: “which smote the image upon his feet…” [2:34].
§ וּמְחָ֤ת - “smote” [2:34], ‘to strike’; ‘to hit an object’
§ וְהַדֵּ֖קֶת - “broke” [2:34], ‘to crush’; ‘to break in pieces’;
d. The Defeat
The rock obliterates the human kingdoms: “then was…broken in pieces together…” [2:35].
§ וְהַדֵּ֖קֶת - “broken in pieces” [2:35], ‘to crush’; ‘to break in pieces’;
§ כְּע֣וּר - “chaff” [2:35], ‘husk of grain separated from the kernel by threshing’;
§ וְאַבְנָ֣א - “stone” [2:35], ‘hewn rock piece’;
e. The Expansion of the Kingdom
The expansion of the kingdom: “the stone became a great mountain…” [2:35].
§ לְט֥וּר רַ֖ב - “great mountain” [2:35], ‘elevated land formation’;
§ וּמְלָ֥ת - “filled” [2:35], ‘to fill up a space in total’;
4. Worship of Daniel’s God
The reaction of Nebuchadnezzar: “king Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face…” [2:46].
§ נְפַ֣ל - “fell” [2:46], ‘to fall down’; ‘to fall down in reverence’;
§ עַל־אַנְפּ֔וֹהִי - “his face” [2:46], ‘face’; ‘position of prostration’;
§ סְגִ֑ד - “worshipped” [2:46], ‘to worship, honour’;
a. Profession
The profession of Nebuchadnezzar: “of a truth it is that your God…” [2:47].
§ מִן־קְשֹׁט - “truth” [2:47], ‘what really is’;
§ אֱלָ֧הּ אֱלָהִ֛ין - “God of gods” [2:47], ‘the God over everyone else’;
§ מָרֵ֥א מַלְכִ֖ין - “Lord of kings” [2:47], ‘master of kings’;
§ וְגָלֵ֣ה - “revealer” [2:47], ‘to disclose hidden things’;
§ רָזִ֑ין - “secrets” [2:47], ‘mysteries’; ‘information that cannot be understood without God’s help’;
Application
Daniel speaks to God’s people to remind them that the evil they now experience is not the end of the story.
§ The final victory: “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever” [Rev.11:15].
§ Through the dream and the interpretation Nebuchadnezzar has been brought to the threshold of great new possibilities for personal commitment.
- NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S UNGODLINESS – ‘The World through the eyes of Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar used the help given to him by God to move himself further into independence of God.
1. The King’s Image
We immediately find him perverting the very message through which God tried to win him.
a. The Creation of the Image
He creates an image: “Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold…” [3:1].
§ עֲבַד- “made” [3:1], ‘to do, carry out, execute’;
§ צְלֵ֣ם- “image” [3:1], ‘a sculptured image’; ‘a statue’;
§ “you, O king, saw, and behold a great image…” [2:31].
§ דִּֽי־דְהַ֔ב - “gold” [3:1], ‘gold money’; ‘gold’;
§ אֲקִימֵהּ֙ - “set up” [3:1], ‘to cause to stand’;
§ The size is 30metres by 3 metres: “height was threescore cubits…” [3:1].
b. The Relation to the Image of the Dream
i. The Message
The message of the “image” of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream:
§ Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom would have its day but would one day be destroyed: “after you shall arise another kingdom…” [2:39].
§ The image shall at last be completely destroyed: “broken in pieces together and become like chaff…” [2:35].
§ The kingdom of God: “the stone that broke the image in pieces became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth” [2:35].
ii. The Similarities
There are striking links with the “image” that Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream:
§ The head of the image: “this image’s head was of fine gold…” [2:32].
§ Nebuchadnezzar was the head: “Nebuchadnezzar…you are this head of gold” [2:38].
iii. The Distinction
Nebuchadnezzar did remember the disintegrating nature of the feet of the image: “as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly broken” [2:42].
§ Nebuchadnezzar sought to remove this weakness: “his feet part of iron and part of clay” [2:33].
c. The Dedication of the Image
He sets the image apart as a god: “were gathered together unto the dedication of the image…” [3:3].
§ מִֽתְכַּנְּשִׁ֡ין - “gathered together” [3:3], ‘to assemble’; ‘to cause o to come together’;
§ לַחֲנֻכַּ֣ת - “dedication” [3:3], ‘purification of a building for God’: “the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy” [Ezr.6:16];
§ צַלְמָ֔א - “image” [3:3], ‘sculptured image’; ‘idol’;
§ הֲקֵ֖ים - “set up” [3:3], ‘to cause to stand’;
Application
The “image” is a symbolic representation of Babylon and the kingdom of this world.
§ He excludes from his mind the more distant and most unpleasant part of the message: “the stone that broke the image in pieces became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth” [2:35].
§ There can be little doubt that the building of the “image” of gold expressed Nebuchadnezzar’s desire to see the dream not fulfilled.
§ There are two changes: (i) the design of the image is changed; (ii) the presence of stone is not recognised.
§ Nebuchadnezzar had experienced religious conviction but not spiritual conversion.
§ Nebuchadnezzar’s “troubled” [2:3] was still the same old heart except a little more hardened.
2. The Focus of Conflict
a. The Worship
i. The Image
He command to all………: “to you it is commanded…” [3:4-5].
§ אָֽמְרִין֙ – “commanded” [3:4], peal participle, ‘to say, tell’; ‘to command, order’;
§ בְּעִדָּנָ֡א – “what time” [3:5], ‘occasion’; ‘period of time as a definite unit’;
§ תִשְׁמְע֡וּן – “hear” [3:5], ‘to use the sense of hearing’; ‘to understand’;
§ תִּפְּל֤וּן – “fall down” [3:5], peal imperfect, ‘to be reverent toward’; ‘to prostrate oneself before as an act of submission’;
§ וְתִסְגְּדוּן֙ – “worship” [3:5], ‘show reverence to’; ‘pay homage to’;
§ Reaction: “Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and worshipped Daniel…” [2:46].
§ Profession: “of a truth it is that your God is a God of gods…” [2:47].
b. The Threatened Destruction
The decrees what should happen to defaulters: “and whoso falls not down and worship…” [3:6].
§ לָ֥א יִפֵּ֖ל – “falls not down” [3:6], ‘to be reverent toward’; ‘to prostrate oneself before as an act of submission’;
§ בַּהּ־שַׁעֲתָ֣א – “the same hour” [3:6], ‘in the same moment’;
§ יִתְרְמֵ֔א – “cast into” [3:6], ‘to place’; ‘to throw’;
§ נוּרָ֖א – “burning” [3:6], ‘pile of burning material’;
§ אַתּ֥וּן – “furnace” [3:6], ‘large furnace’;
§ נוּרָ֖א – “fiery” [3:6], ‘red hot fire’; ‘blazing fire which produces high degree of heat’;
Application
The festival was the thing – the solemn glorious inauguration of the cult – the music, the pilgrim excursions to the plain of Dura, and the acts of devoted community celebration.
§ God’s representatives are once again thrown into a situation of conflict and testing.
§ The worship was man-centred and not God-centred: “who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator…” [Rom.1:25].
- THE FAITHFULNESS OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD
1. The Enmity of the World
a. The Accusation
The Chaldeans rejoice in that an opportunity has arisen for them to destroy the people of God:
§ The report: “The Chaldeans came near and accused the Jews” [3:8].
§ The accusation: “there are certain Jews...who have not regarded thee...” [3:8].
§ The motivation: “whoso does not fall down and worship should be cast into...” [3:10].
b. The Trial
The accusation: “is it true that you do not serve…” [3:14].
§ פָּֽלְחִ֔ין - “worship” [3:12], ‘serve deity’ implying ‘worship, honour, and submission’;
§ לְצֶ֧לֶם דַּהֲבָ֛א - “golden image” [3:12],
2. The People of God
a. The Law of God
The focus is adherence to the first two commandments:
§ The first commandment: “you shall have no other gods before me” [Exo.20:3].
§ The second commandment: “you shall not make for yourself any graven image…” [Exo.20:4].
b. The Image of God
The people of God are those in whom the image of God is being recreated: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego…” [3:13].
§ Creation: “Let is make man in our image…” [Gen.1:26-28].
§ Renewed image: “have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” [Col.3:10].
§ Recreated image: “put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” [Eph.4:24].
Application
3. The Faithfulness of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
a. The Silence
The young men simply decided not to participate: “we are not careful to answer you in this matter” [3:16].
§ לָֽא־חַשְׁחִ֨ין - “not careful” [3:16], ‘to defend’; ‘to explain’;
§ פִּתְגָ֖ם - “answer” [3:16], ‘response to a prior situation’;
§ לַהֲתָבוּתָֽךְ – “answer” [3:16], ‘reply’; ‘respond with words’;
b. The Confidence in God
i. The Personal God
God is a personal God: “our God whom we serve…” [3:17].
§ אֱלָהַ֙נָא - “our God” [3:17], singular noun with first common plural suffix;
§ Nebuchadnezzar’s profession: “of a truth it is that your God is a God of gods…” [2:47].
ii. The Confidence
They had confidence in the power of God: “if it be so, our God whom we serve…” [3:17].
§ הֵ֣ן אִיתַ֗י - “if it be so” [3:17], ‘if’ plus ‘there is/are’;
§ פָֽלְחִ֔ין - “serve” [3:17], peal participle, ‘serve deity’ implying ‘worship, honour, and submission’;
§ יָכִ֖ל - “able” [3:17], ‘to be able’; ‘to have power’;
§ לְשֵׁיזָבוּתַ֑נָא - “deliver” [3:17], ‘to rescue’; ‘to deliver from physical harm’;
§ God has promised that he would establish a kingdom that would never be destroyed: “the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed…” [2:44].
c. The Submission to the Will of God
They were completely submissive: “but if not, be it known unto you…” [3:18].
§ וְהֵ֣ן לָ֔א - “if not” [3:18], ‘if’ plus negative;
§ יְדִ֥יעַ - “known” [3:18], ‘come to understand’; ‘to recognise’;
§ לֵֽאלָהָיִךְ֙ - “not serve” [3:18], ‘serve your gods’;
§ פָֽלְחִ֔ין - “not worship” [3:18], ‘serve deity’ implying ‘worship, honour, and submission’;
§ לְצֶ֧לֶם דַּהֲבָ֛א - “golden image” [3:18],
§ Job’s faithfulness: “though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” [Job.13:15].
Application
Their confidence was not blind to the fact that God works out His purposes in the way He chooses, not in the way we would choose. So there was a second element to their faith….
§ They knew that if God delivered them his name would be vindicated
§ They also knew that should they die, their faithful testimony would display the worthiness of God and the unworthiness of Nebuchadnezzar’s self-created idol.
§ The confidence of faith; the ‘what if’ of unbelief;
- THE CONFRONTATION
1. Nebuchadnezzar
a. The Hatred
Nebuchadnezzar is crossed and he seeks revenge: “Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury…” [3:19].
§ חֱמָ֗א - “fury” [3:19], ‘rage’; ‘extremely angry’;
§ הִתְמְלִ֣י - “full” [3:19], ‘to fill up a space in total’;
§ וּצְלֵ֤ם - “visage” [3:19], ‘image, form’;
§ אַנְפּ֙וֹהִי֙ - “face” [3:19], face’; ‘front part of head’;
§ אֶעְׁתַּ֯נִּ֔ו - “changed” [3:19], ‘to be different’;
§ עַל - “against” [3:19],
b. The Destructive Severity
The severity of Nebuchadnezzar’s decree: “because the king’s commandment was urgent…” [3:22].
§ מַחְצְפָ֔ה - “urgent” [3:22], ‘harsh’; ‘severe’; “why is the decree so hasty from the King?” [2:15].
§ יַתִּ֑ירָא - “exceeding hot” [3:22], ‘pre-eminent’; ‘surpassing’;
§ גֻּבְרַיָּ֣א - “might” [3:22], ‘might, power’;
§ קַטִּ֣ל - “slew” [3:22], ‘to put to death’;
§ הַסִּ֙קוּ֙ - “took up” [3:22], ‘to come up, bring up’;
§ Execution by cremation was not unknown in Old Testament times: “the Lord make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire” [Jer.29:22].
Application
2. God’s Indestructible Kingdom
a. The Faithfulness
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego remained faithful: “fell down into the midst…” [3:23].
§ נְפַ֛לוּ - “fell down” [3:23], ‘to fall down as an act of submission’; ‘to be reverent towards’;
§ לְגֽוֹא - “midst” [3:23], ‘middle’; ‘inside’;
b. The Astonishment
Nebuchadnezzar’s breath is taken away: “Nebuchadnezzar was astonished…” [3:24].
§ תְּוַ֖הּ - “astonished” [3:24], ‘to be alarmed, amazed’; ‘to wonder’;
§ וְקָ֣ם - “rose up” [3:24], ‘to stand up’; ‘to arise’;
§ בְּהִתְבְּהָלָ֑ה - “in haste” [3:24], ‘to hurry’ with a semantic focus on ‘vigour and energy’;
§ מְכַפְּתִ֔ין - “bound” [3:24], ‘to tie up’;
c. The Promise Fulfilled
i. The Life
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were delivered in the fire: “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire…” [3:25].
§ עָנֵ֣ה – “behold” [3:25], ‘to react to a question or situation’;
§ חָזֵ֜ה - “see” [3:25], ‘the normal function of sight as a sensory event’;
§ שְׁרַ֙יִן֙ - “loose” [3:25], peal passive participle, ‘unravel’; ‘unbound’;
§ מַהְלְכִ֣ין - “walking” [3:25], ‘to walk around’; ‘to step back and forth’;
§ בְּגֽוֹא־נוּרָ֔א - “midst of fire” [3:25], ‘centre of the heat’;
ii. The Deliverance
The salvation of God: “they have no hurt…” [3:25].
§ וַחֲבָ֖ל לָא־אִיתַ֣י - “have no hurt” [3:25], ‘wound’; ‘any physical harm such as bite, burn’;
§ They were completely unscathed: “upon whose bodies the fire had no power…” [3:27].
§ The promise of Isaiah: “when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned…” [Isa.43:1-2].
d. The Deliverer
i. The Son of God
The Son of God: “the form of the forth is like the Son of God” [3:25].
§ וְרֵוֵהּ֙ - “form” [3:25], ‘appearance’; ‘what something looks like’;
§ רְֽבִי֯עָיאָ֔ - “fourth” [3:25],
§ דָּמֵ֖ה - “like” [3:25], ‘to look like’; ‘to resemble’;
§ לְבַר־אֱלָהִֽין - “Son of God” [3:25],
ii. The Angel of God
The Servant of God: “has sent his angel and delivered…” [3:28].
§ שְׁלַ֤ח - “sent” [3:28], peal perfect, ‘to send out a person, implying a particular purpose’;
§ מַלְאֲכֵהּ֙ - “his angel” [3:28], ‘messenger of God’; “the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire…” [Exo.3:2].
§ וְשֵׁיזִ֣ב - “delivered” [3:28], ‘to rescue’; ‘to deliver from physical harm’;
Application
The secret of their faith was that they trusted God’s promise never to leave them
§ They feared God with the referent fear of loving sons. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego became role models for God’s people when faced with the seduction or the threat of the worship of deities constructed by human hands and human hands.
§ They would rather die than offend the one who had meant so much to them in the past.
§ The promise: “I am the God of your Father…I will certainly be with you” [Exo.3:12]; “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age” [Mat.28:18].
§ God is faithful and will never let His people down in their trials.
3. Nebuchadnezzar’s Response
a. The Reminder
Nebuchadnezzar is reminded with renewed force about the dream which had earlier brought him so much agony.
§ He was experiencing this strange new kingdom which Daniel had preached to him from his dream.
§ Now it was no longer a picture in a dream or words in a sermon; it was before him as a political and personal force to be reckoned with in the affairs of his own realm.
b. The Apparent Change
There is an apparent change in Nebuchadnezzar: “
§ Attitude to God: “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego…” [3:28].
§ Acknowledgement of God’s salvation: “who has sent his angel and delivered…” [3:28].
§ Acknowledgment of the faithfulness of the people of God: “delivered his servants that trust in him…” [3:28].
§ Protection of the people of God: “that every people, nation, and language, which speak anything amiss…” [3:29].
§ Attitude to the people of God: “then the king promoted…” [3:30].
c. The Reality
Nebuchadnezzar was impressed but the impressions were only skin deep as the next chapter will make clear.
§ Nebuchadnezzar was impressed purely by the miraculous: “Nebuchadnezzar was astonished…” [3:24].
§ Nebuchadnezzar should little or no interest in the word of the God in whom they trusted.
§ There is no hint that “the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego” [3:29] is his God.
Application