The fiery furnaceDaniel Chapter 3

דניאל 3 Daniel

Nebuchadnezzar’s Image of Gold3:1–30 (General Outline)

• A. Nebuchadnezzar’s Image is Set Up3:1–7

• B. Daniel’s Friends Refuse to Worship3:8–12

• C. Daniel’s Friends Trust God 3:13–18• D. Daniel’s Friends Are Protected in the

Furnace 3:19–25• E. Apocrypha• F. Daniel’s Friends Are Promoted 3:26-30

Nebuchadnezzar’s Image is Set Up

• There are seven subjects that are recurrent on the Catacombs in Roman– Noah in the Ark, – Abraham's Sacrifice of Isaac,– Moses' Miracle of Water in the Wilderness,– Story of Jonah, – The Three Youths in the Fiery Furnace, – Daniel in the Lions' Den, – and from the Old Testament Apocrypha, the Story of

Susanna– Finegan, Light From the Ancient Past 2:480

Constitutions of the Holy Apostles,

• a work belonging probably to the fourth century, the author urges that martyrdom be faced with equanimity because of the certainty of the resurrection,

• "Now he that brought Jonah in the space of three days, alive and unhurt, out of the belly of the whale, and the three children out of the furnace of Babylon, and Daniel out of the mouth of the lions, does not lack power to raise us up also."

Roman Catholic Prayer

• Even so, in the prayer for a departing soul which is still in use today in the Roman Catholic Church the words are found: "Deliver, 0 Lord! the soul of Thy servant, as Thou didst deliver Noah in the flood '. . . Isaac from the sacrificing hand of his father. . . Daniel from the lions' den. . . the three children from the fiery furnace. . . Susanna from her false accusers."25

– 25 P. Griffith, compiler, The Priest's New Ritual, revised in accord with the latestVatican Edition of the Roman Ritual. 1939, pp.138-140.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Image is Set Up 3:1-7

• "King Nebuchadnezzar had a golden statue made. It was ninety feet tall and nine feet wide. He erected it on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent out a summons to assemble the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other authorities of the province to attend the dedication of the statue that he had erected. So the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other provincial authorities assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had erected. They were standing in front of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had erected.

Daniel 3:1-7 (cont.)

• Then the herald made a loud proclamation: “To you, O peoples, nations, and language groups, the following command is given: When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must bow down and pay homage to the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has erected. Whoever does not bow down and pay homage will immediately be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire!” Therefore when they all heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations, and language groups began bowing down and paying homage to the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had erected." (Daniel 3:1-7, The NET Bible)

Archaeological evidence

• An undated clay prism discovered at Babylon (now in the Istanbul museum) provides a parallel account of this event. On the prism Nebuchadnezzar wrote, “I ordered the [following] court officials in exercises of [their] duties to take up position in my [official] suite.” The prism then lists five ranks of individuals who were evidently summoned before Nebuchadnezzar at approximately the same time and appointed (or reappointed) to official positions in the government of Babylon. These ranks included court officials, officials of the land of Akkad, officials of towns, district officials, and western vassal kings. This list pictures a high government gathering. If this assembly occurred after the unsuccessful revolt against Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon, it is likely that Nebuchadnezzar intended it as an awe-inspiring event to assure the future loyalty of those who held positions of authority under him.

– Dallas Theological Seminary. Bibliotheca Sacra Volume 147, Vol. 147, Page 427, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1990; 2002.

Archaeological evidence (cont.)

• The statue itself– In the plain of dura, Tulûl Dûra (tells of Dura) , probably 16 mi.

south of Babylon– the “ninety feet” includes the height of a base upon which the

image rested – French archaeologist Oppert located the remains of a brick

structure (ca. forty-five ft. square and twenty ft. high) twelve miles southeast of Hillah (about four miles south of ancient Babylon)

– Additional examples of huge statues are the Colossus of Rhodes (ca. 300 B.C.) was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, which stood 105 feet tall, and the great Statue of Zeus (forty ft. high) at Olympia, Greece (fifth century B.C.). According to the Greek historian Herodotus, there was a statue of Bel (Marduk) in Babylon (at least as early as the time of Cyrus) made of solid gold that stood eighteen feet high

– Miller, Stephen R. Vol. 18, Daniel. Includes indexes. electronic ed. Logos Library System; The New American Commentary, Page 110. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1994.

– Biblical Studies Press. The NET Bible Notes, Da 3:1, Biblical Studies Press, 2003; 2003.

– In this context Aramaic sĕgid (“worship”) denotes worship of deity,

– and it was likely a representation of Marduk,

KingJames

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NewEnglishBible

JerusalemBible

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NET

Aramaic

           

Cornet Horn Horn Horn horn, א% ֵק(ְר'ָנ

Flute Pipe Pipe Flute flute, , ַמ5ְׁש3'ְרְר2ֵק1יָת%א

Harp Zither Lyre Zither zither, ֵק5יָת'ְרְר2ס κίθαρις

Sackbut Triangle Trigon Lyre trigon, ְב'ָכ%ז ?σαμβύκη)ס5

Psaltry Dulcimer Harp Harp harp, ְר1ין) Pָת' ָנ 'ס5 Pְּפ(ψαλτήριον?)

Dulcimer Music Bagpipe Pipes pipes %ה 'י 2ָנ Pְּפ Pַמ' [1](?συμφωνία) סּו

[1]Though not in the Aramaic text of BHS, this word appears in many medieval Hebrew MSS, some LXX MSS, and Vg. Cf. vv. 5, 10, 5. Biblical Studies Press. The NET Bible Notes, Da 3:7, Biblical Studies Press, 2003; 2003.

Worship music

• While the exact identification of the instruments remains difficult, Charles Dyer proposes the following listing: horn, double-reed pipe, lyre, harp, dulcimer, and drum.

• These instruments all sounded a note of praise to the glory of Nebuchadnezzar and the might of his Babylonian Empire.

• Dallas Theological Seminary. Bibliotheca Sacra Volume 147, Vol. 147, Page 436, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1990; 2002.

 Daniel’s Friends Refuse to Worship (3:8-12)

• "So at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and brought malicious accusations against the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! You have issued an edict, O king, that everyone must bow down and pay homage to the golden statue when they hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music.

Daniel’s Friends Refuse to Worship (3:8-12)

• And whoever does not bow down and pay homage must be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. But there are Jewish men whom you appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—and these men have not shown proper respect to you, O king. They don’t serve your gods and they don’t pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected.”" (Daniel 3:8-12, The NET Bible)

The meaning of the names

• Daniel, ”God is my Judge“ was given the name Belteshazzar ”Lady, protect the king.“

• Hananiah ”Yahweh has been gracious“ became Shadrach probably from the Akkadian verb form šādurāku, meaning ”I am fearful (of a god).“

• Mishael ”Who is what God is?“ was given the name Meshach, from the Akkadian verb mēšāku, meaning ”I am despised, contemptible, humbled (before my god).“

• Azariah ”Yahweh has helped“ was named Abednego, ”Servant of Nebo“ (Nego being a Heb. variation of the Babylonian name of the god Nebo).

• Yamauchi, Edwin M. Archaeological Backgrounds of the Exilic and Postexilic Era Part I: The Archaeological Background of Daniel Bibliotheca Sacra Volume 137, Page 4, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1980; 2002.

The Significance

• This story omits Daniel, a sign of a humble not self exalting author

• Jeremiah 29:22 also records that Nebuchadnezzar burned to death two men named Zedekiah and Ahab

• Other historical examples of men being put to death by fire in Babylonian chronicles

• Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego -- Not going to bow to the music

• Preferences in modern worship

The Significance

• Idolatry– Who are we worshiping in our music?– Do we worship ourselves and the works of our hands?– Can we worship God in silence?– Could we worship God in a fiery furnace?

• Woolley presents an interesting theory in describing the E-NUN-MAH̬� sanctuary originally dedicated to the moon god Nannar and his wife Nin-gal. – Nebuchadnezzar was the first to try congregational worship

instead of priestly worship– This may have been the first time that all were allowed to partake

in congregational worship• “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other

name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Civil disobedience

• In regards to slavery Henry David Thoreau wrote about civil disobedience in 1849– He was a deist– Scripture was not his rule of authority– Defended John Brown’s actions– Strongly opposed slavery in Massachusetts and an

unjust war

Civil disobedience

• The children in the fiery furnace were disobedient to the ruler

• Norman L. Geisler gives examples of civil disobedience in the Bible– .When the government prohibits the worship of God (Exod 5:1).– .When it requires the taking of innocent life (Exod 1:15–21).– .When it demands killing of God’s servants (1 Kings 18:1–4).– .When it requires the worship of idols (Dan 3:1–7).– .When it commands prayer to a man (Dan 6:6–9).– .When it prohibits the propagation of the gospel (Acts 4:17–20).– .When it demands the worship of a man as God (Rev 13:4, 8).

• The Master's Seminary. Master's Seminary Journal Volume 10, Vol. 10, Page 98-99, Master's Seminary, 1999; 2002.

Civil disobedience balanced with obedience of governing authorities

• "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath

fulfilled the law." (Romans 13:1-8, KJV)

The Chosen people of God

• Satan knew that through this divinely chosen people would come the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of all mankind (Gen. 3:15; Rom. 9:4–5).

• Does the church now replace Israel?• Or is there a hope for Israel yet? (Dan 9; Rom

11:26; Rev 21:2)

  Daniel’s Friends Trust God (3:13-18)

• "Then Nebuchadnezzar in a fit of rage demanded that they bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego before him. So they brought them before the king. Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don’t serve my gods and that you don’t pay homage to the golden statue that I erected? Now if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must bow down and pay homage to the statue that I had made.

Daniel’s Friends Trust God (3:13-18)

• If you don’t pay homage to it, you will immediately be thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. Now, who is that god who can rescue you from my power?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, “We do not need to give you a reply concerning this. If our God whom we are serving exists, he is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he will rescue us, O king, from your power as well. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we don’t serve your gods, and we will not pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected.”" (Daniel 3:13-18, The NET Bible)

Notes

• Other interpreters take the first part of v. 17 to mean “If it is so, then our God will deliver us” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, RSV). However, the normal sense of ’itay is existence;

• If our God whom we are serving exists, he is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he will rescue us (NET)

• “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (Job 13:15).

Modern-day evangelist

• In Communist China little children escaping starvation in North Korea are kept in safe houses

• One boy Five years old when asked by a visitor, “Do you miss your home?” Suddenly the boy stood up and declared: “I’m going back! I need to tell my grandparents about Jesus before they die, so I will see them when I go to heaven!” The visitor asked another boy at the safe house, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” The boy answered, “An evangelist.” “Why?” asked the man. The boy replied, “So I can go back to North Korea and tell them about Jesus!” “You will be hungry and cold in North Korea,” said the visitor. “You might even die.” “That’s okay!” said the boy. “If I die, I will be with my God!”– http://www.persecution.com/link/index.cfm?ID=15

Daniel’s Friends Are Protected in the Furnace (3:19-25)

• "Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and his disposition changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders to heat the furnace seven times hotter than it was normally heated. He ordered strong soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. Then those men were bound, while still wearing their cloaks, trousers, turbans, and other clothes, and were thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire.

Daniel’s Friends Are Protected in the Furnace (3:19-25)

• But since the king’s command was so urgent, and the furnace was so excessively hot, the men who escorted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were killed by the fiery flame. But those three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire while securely bound. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was startled and quickly got up. He said to his ministers, “Wasn’t it three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied to the king, “For sure, O king.” He answered, “But I see four men, untied and walking around in the midst of the fire! No harm has come to them! And the appearance of the fourth is like that of a god!” " (Daniel 3:19-25, The NET Bible)

Son of God

• One like the Son Of God KJV• The phrase like that of a god is in Aramaic “like that of a

son of the gods.” Many patristic writers understood this phrase in a christological sense (i.e., “the Son of God”). But it should be remembered that these are words spoken by a pagan who is seeking to explain things from his own polytheistic frame of reference; the phrase “like a son of the gods” is equivalent to “like a divine being.” – Biblical Studies Press. The NET Bible Notes, Da 3:25, Biblical Studies

Press, 2003; 2003.

• ָל'ְב5ְר־אoָל%ה1ין• oμοία υos θεοu. Theodotian • oμοίωμα aγγέλου θεοs LXX

Christophany or Theophany

• "For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they were all drinking from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ." (1 Corinthians 10:1-4, The NET Bible)

• Sometimes Christians are delivered, and sometimes they are not. And here we face the realities involving the entire movement of history, the struggle in the heavenlies as well as in the seen world. The man of faith can glorify God. The man of faith does not bow.

– Schaeffer, Francis A. The Complete Works of Francis A. Schaeffer : A Christian Worldview. Westchester, Ill.: Crossway Books, 1996, c1982.

• "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28, The NET Bible)

Apocrypha• " And they walked in the midst of the fire, praising God,

and blessing the Lord. Then Azarias stood up, and prayed on this manner; and opening his mouth in the midst of the fire said, Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers: thy name is worthy to be praised and glorified for evermore: For thou art righteous in all the things that thou hast done to us: yea, true are all thy works, thy ways are right, and all thy judgments truth. In all the things that thou hast brought upon us, and upon the holy city of our fathers, even Jerusalem, thou hast executed true judgment: for according to truth and judgment didst thou bring all these things upon us because of our sins.

Apocrypha• For we have sinned and committed iniquity, departing from

thee. In all things have we trespassed, and not obeyed thy commandments, nor kept them, neither done as thou hast commanded us, that it might go well with us. Wherefore all that thou hast brought upon us, and every thing that thou hast done to us, thou hast done in true judgment. And thou didst deliver us into the hands of lawless enemies, most hateful forsakers of God, and to an unjust king, and the most wicked in all the world. And now we cannot open our mouths, we are become a shame and reproach to thy servants; and to them that worship thee. Yet deliver us not up wholly, for thy name’s sake, neither disannul thou thy covenant: And cause not thy mercy to depart from us, for thy beloved Abraham’s sake, for thy servant Issac’s sake, and for thy holy Israel’s sake; To whom thou hast spoken and promised, that thou wouldest multiply their seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that lieth upon the seashore.

Apocrypha• For we, O Lord, are become less than any nation, and be kept

under this day in all the world because of our sins. Neither is there at this time prince, or prophet, or leader, or burnt offering, or sacrifice, or oblation, or incense, or place to sacrifice before thee, and to find mercy. Nevertheless in a contrite heart and an humble spirit let us be accepted. Like as in the burnt offerings of rams and bullocks, and like as in ten thousands of fat lambs: so let our sacrifice be in thy sight this day, and grant that we may wholly go after thee: for they shall not be confounded that put their trust in thee. And now we follow thee with all our heart, we fear thee, and seek thy face. Put us not to shame: but deal with us after thy lovingkindness, and according to the multitude of thy mercies. Deliver us also according to thy marvellous works, and give glory to thy name, O Lord: and let all them that do thy servants hurt be ashamed; And let them be confounded in all their power and might, and let their strength be broken; And let them know that thou art God, the only God, and glorious over the whole world." (Song of Three Youths 1:1-22, KJV Apoc)

Apocrypha

• the Dead Sea Scrolls had eight fragments of Daniel, but none are complete

• seven contain the shorter Protestant version of Daniel • one preserves only material from Daniel’s prayer in

Chapter nine– Abegg, Martin, Peter Flint and Eugene Ulrich. The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible. San Francisco:

HarperCollins. Page 482-483.

• the present copies are only preserved in the Greek• the Hebrew names are used for the three men• St. Francis of Assisi psalm of creation is pulled from later

insertions

Daniel’s Friends Are Promoted

• "Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire. He called out, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the most high God, come out! Come here!” Once the satraps, prefects, governors, and ministers of the king had gathered around, they saw that those men were physically unharmed by the fire. The hair of their heads was not singed, nor were their trousers damaged. Not even the smell of fire was to be found on them!

Daniel’s Friends Are Promoted

• Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, “Praised be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent forth his angel and has rescued his servants who trusted in him, ignoring the edict of the king and giving up their bodies rather than serve or pay homage to any god other than their God! I hereby decree that any people, nation, or language group that blasphemes the god of Shadrach, Meshach, or Abednego will be dismembered and his home reduced to rubble. For there exists no other god who can deliver in this way.” Then Nebuchadnezzar promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon." (Daniel 3:26-30, The NET Bible)

The outcome

• some rabbinic sources suggest that the three returned to Israel to help Joshua

– http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/azariah.html

• Babylon had defeated Judah in battle, and pagans commonly held that victory over another nation was proof that their god was greater than the deity of the conquered foe. Yahweh wanted to dispel any such notion.

• The convocation that was called, though with no clear absolute historical certainty, was after Babylon captured Judea and took off hostages in 586 B.C.

• The prayer of the three men in the furnace gives an adequate picture of Israel’s predicament

• The irony is that chapter 2 has Nebuchadnezzar as head of all nations, and the multitude of nations that were now gathered witnessed the power of God, and Nebuchadnezzar’s acknowledgment of His supremacy

612 b.c.     

605 b.c.     

603 b.c.     

586 b.c.     

c. 580 b.c.     

c. 550 b.c.     

539 b.c.     

538 b.c.     

c. 537 b.c.     

The Nelson Study Bible

Questions for discussion

• What is the Apocrypha?• What is the Septuagint?• Who is above all God’s?• Who was in the fiery furnace?• Who is with us in various trials and temptations?