Daniel 3.26-Nebuchadnezzar Commands Shadrach, Meshach And Abednego To Come Out Of The Blazing, Fiery Furnace
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday August 1, 2012
Daniel: Daniel 3:26-Nebuchadnezzar Commands Shadrach, Meshach And Abednego To Come Out Of The Blazing, Fiery Furnace
Lesson # 101
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 3:26.
This evening we will study Daniel 3:26, which records Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego obeying Nebuchadnezzar’s order to come out of the furnace.
Daniel 3:24 Then, King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished so that he immediately stood up. He asked a question and said to his counselors, “Did we not unceremoniously deposit three men bound into the fire’s midst?” They replied and said, “Absolutely O king!” 25 He replied and said, “Look!” Contrary to what you say, I myself see four men, untied, walking around in the fire’s midst! In fact, there is absolutely no harm to them! Furthermore, his appearance, specifically the fourth is like a son of the gods!” (My translation)
Daniel 3:26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he responded and said, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the Most High God, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire. (NASB95)
“Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire” is a result clause since the preposition b- is prefixed to the temporal adverb ʾěḏǎ∙yin in order to function as a marker of result.
This expression bē ʾḏǎ·yin indicates that Nebuchadnezzar ordered Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to come out of the furnace “as a result of” seeing them untied, unharmed and walking around in the midst of the flames with a fourth individual whose appearance the king said was like the son of the gods.
“Servants” is the masculine plural construct form of the noun ʿǎḇēḏ (עֲבֵד) (ab-ed´), which means “servants” and refers to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego as being subordinate to the Most High God and were accountable to him.
The word does not denote menial or forced service since Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did not refuse to worship the gold statue in obedience to God because their God forced them to but rather they obeyed Him because they loved Him.
“The Most High God” is composed of the masculine singular form of the noun ʾělāh (אֱלָהּ) (el-aw´), “the God” which is followed by the masculine singular adjective ʿil∙lāy (עִלָּי) (il-lah´ee), “Most High.”
The noun ʾělāh appears in the singular form and means “God” in a generic sense without reference to the deity’s identity.
However, Nebuchadnezzar is in fact referring to the God of Israel and therefore the God who was worshipped by Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
He is referring to their God who he defied and whose ability to save these three from death, he mocked.
This noun is used without reference to a member of the Trinity since Nebuchadnezzar has no knowledge of the Trinity and is modified by the adjective ʿil∙lāy, which means “Most High” which denotes the one true God with the very highest status and power.
It means that as a result of miraculously delivering Daniel’s three friends Nebuchadnezzar is acknowledging that the God of Israel is superior to the gods he and other pagans worship.
Along with the fact that Daniel 3:28 records the king praising God, which the Scriptures record only believers doing, this expression “the Most High God” indicates that Nebuchadnezzar has been converted as a result of God miraculously delivering Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from certain death.
Daniel 3:26 Therefore, Nebuchadnezzar approached the blazing, fiery furnace’s door. He commanded and said, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who are servants of the Most High God, all of you come out! All of you come here!” Consequently, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego emerged from the fire’s midst. (My translation)
Daniel 3:26 records Nebuchadnezzar approaching the blazing, fiery furnace’s door as a result of seeing Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego unharmed, untied, and walking around in the fire’s midst with the fourth unidentified individual whose appearance he said was like a son of the gods.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego do not leave the furnace until the king orders them to do so, which seems rather unusual from the human perspective that this would be the case.
However, we must remember as we pointed out in Daniel 3:25 that these three have come in contact with the preincarnate Christ and so no wonder they didn’t want to leave the furnace.
They were enjoying their victory over death and in particular their fellowship with the Lord.
They were experiencing deliverance “in” their adversity and would experience this deliverance “out from” their adversity when they obey the king’s order to leave the furnace.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were experiencing the power of God and deliverance from death while still in the midst of a blazing, fiery furnace, i.e. while still in adversity.
The miraculous deliverance of these three is a reminder to believers today to not depend upon their own power and ability but rather to depend and rely upon the power of God to deal with problems with people and adversities in life.
While ordering Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego out of the furnace, Nebuchadnezzar describes their God as “the Most High God.”
The expression ʿil·lā·yā(ʾ) ʾělā·hā(ʾ), “the Most High God” is an indication that Nebuchadnezzar has been converted through faith in the God of Israel, Jesus Christ.
The most compelling piece of evidence that Nebuchadnezzar is saved at this point in Daniel 3:26 is that Daniel 3:28 records the king praising the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Nowhere in Scripture does it record a fallen angel, or an unregenerate human being praising the God of Israel, Jesus Christ or God the Father.
However, though the king is saved at this point, Daniel chapter 4 records that after this conversion he needed to be humbled by God since he continued to think like a pagan.
The discipline accomplished its purpose resulting in Nebuchadnezzar changing his attitude and lifestyle.
Even though, after this acknowledgement in Daniel 3:26, the king probably did not disavow the other gods he worshipped, he was still a believer.
Some believe erroneously that one can not practice idolatry or sin after conversion like Nebuchadnezzar and be a “true” believer.
However, the Scripture emphatically refutes this by giving many examples in which believers practiced idolatry and committed gross sins after their conversion.
Daniel committed adultery and murder as a believer.
Peter denied the Lord three times as a believer.
Solomon practiced idolatry as a believer.
The Exodus generation practiced idolatry after their conversion.
All were disciplined by God and all were believers.
All committed sin and acted like an unbeliever, yet they still were saved.
The New Testament prohibits believers from engaging in behavior that they use to engage in prior to conversion since it is possible because of the presence of the indwelling sin nature and the devil to become involved in idolatrous and sinful behavior after conversion.
Otherwise, there would be no need to prohibit believers from such behavior if there was no possible way that they could become involved in such things.
The purpose of this miracle in Daniel chapter 3 was not only to deliver Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from death but also it was for the benefit of Nebuchadnezzar, his advisers and the Babylonian people who were unsaved because they did not have a covenant relationship with the God of Israel.
Like the revelation that God gave Nebuchadnezzar in a dream as recorded in Daniel chapter 2, so this miracle in chapter 3 was designed to get Nebuchadnezzar to exercise faith in the God of Israel.
God wanted Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian people to forsake their gods, whom, Satan’s fallen angels were behind and worship Him.
Therefore, this miracle was not only to deliver Daniel’s three friends and increase their faith in Him but also it was for an evangelistic purpose.
In Daniel chapter 2, the king and his wise men discovered that the God of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who is the God of Israel, Jesus Christ was a revealer of mysteries.
However, in chapter 3, they learn that the God of Israel is omnipotent and sovereign in that He thwarted the king’s attempt to kill Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
The God of Israel overruled Nebuchadnezzar’s decision and demonstrated that He is sovereign over the king of Babylon.
The God of Israel, Jesus Christ was teaching the king of Babylon that he was not divine and worthy of worship but rather only He was divine and worthy of worship.
The king is being taught by the God of Israel that he should never exalt himself to the status of deity.
This miracle was therefore, also designed to humble the arrogant king of Babylon.
