Daniel 3

1-18 The Golden Image

1-7 King Nebuchadnezzar makes a golden statue, 60 cubits (about 90 feet) high and 6 cubits (about 9 feet) wide. He invites all his government officials to the dedication, where he declares that everyone must fall down and worship the statue whenever they hear music played. If they don’t, they will be thrown into a fire. Is this not typical? He has a prophetic dream about the succession of nations. He acknowledges the “God of all gods.” But all he really hears is that he is the golden head. Therefore, everyone must worship him, as he is represented in a golden statue. Commentaries I just consulted think this could also have been an image of a god. They differ about the timing: anywhere from 7 to 19 years after Chapter 2.

8-12 Chaldeans come to Nebuchadnezzar to inform him that three of his officials – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – are not obeying his orders to worship the image. According to Wikipedia, Chaldea was “a marshy land located in Southern Iraq and Kuwait which came to rule Babylon.” In 1:4, the young Jews were to be educated in their literature and language, and in 2:2, they were in the list of men Nebuchadnezzar called to interpret his dream. Could be they resented these outsiders who had so much influence on the king.

13-15 The king is outraged and calls the men in to tell them that if they do not worship the statue, they will be thrown into the fire. “And who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?”

16-18 They reply, if he delivers us, that’s good. But even if he doesn’t, we will still not worship the statue.

19-30 The Fiery Furnace

19-23 Nebuchadnezzar, in a rage, commands that the men be immediately thrown into the fire, it is to be made seven times hotter than usual, and his strongest men are to guard them. It is so hot the men who throw them in are killed.

24-30 But the king sees four men (the fourth with the appearance of a god) walking around in the fire, so he goes to the door and demands they come out. They do so, and those gathered see neither their hair nor clothes has been affected. He blesses the “God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego” and decrees that anyone who blasphemes against “their” God will be torn limb to limb and their houses destroyed. And he promotes the men.