Daniel 3
David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin
Daniel 3
Guzik - The image was more like a stylized obelisk than a normal statue, being 90 feet high and 9 feet wide. Being so large, it is safe to say that it was not made of solid gold but probably wood overlaid with gold. This was a common method of construction in the ancient world. "On the plains of Dura there stands today, a rectilinear mound, about twenty feet high, an exact square of about forty-six feet at the base, resembling the pedestal of a colossal statue." (Heslop) (Ref) As an aside the dimensions of the statue are another substantiation that Daniel was written in the 6th Century BC, because the Babylonian system of mathematics was based upon 6’s (See discussion of sexagesimal [base sixty]) whereas the Greek system was somewhat similar to our decimal system which uses 10's (See discussion of Greek numerals). It is intriguing that the Babylonian legacy of sexagesimal still survives in our day in the form of degrees (360° in a circle or 60° in an angle of an equilateral triangle), minutes (60 in an hour), and seconds (60 in a minute) in trigonometry and the measurement of time, although both of these systems are actually mixed radix. Recall how the statue of Daniel 2 was a "unit" composed of successive kingdoms, implying that various facets of each of these kingdoms endured to the "foot and toe stage" but which will be totally obliterated by the victorious return of Christ to defeat all Gentile powers and influence in new Messianic age. It is also worth noting that the statue was 60 and 6 cubits, since most authorities agree that from a Biblical perspective 6 is the number of man who was created on the 6th day (Ge 1:26, 27) (see Six: Man’s Incompleteness, Human Will), whereas 7 is the number of perfection or completion, leaving man always one integer short. And so it is not surprising that the last "world leader" of the Gentile kingdoms, the Antichrist, is identified in Revelation 13 by a series of "6's"… Re 13:14-note And he (the False Prophet) deceives those who dwell on the earth ("Earth Dwellers") because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast (The Antichrist) who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. 15-note And there was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, (see Image of Beast.. Also see all 10 uses of "image" 8 verses in Revelation = Re 14:9-note, Re 14:10-note, Re14:11-note [where worship = proskuneo is used in Septuagint of Da 3:5], Re 15:2-note, Re 16:2-note, Re 19:20-note, Re 20:4-note) that the image of the beast might even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16-note And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand, or on their forehead, 17-note and he provides that no one should be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18-note Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast (the Antichrist, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six (666). Comment: Tony
Daniel 3
Guzik comments that this "literally reads as soon as they were hearing they were falling down. There was total and immediate obedience to Nebuchadnezzar's command!" Worshiped the golden image - This is clearly idolatry. They feared the king (man), not God, for their temporal lives were at stake. Isn't it amazing that when we talk with men today about the fact that their eternal lives are at stake, they are so often apathetic or adversarial because their is no fear of God before their eyes (Ro 3:18-note)! How might these 3 Jewish boys have rationalized (some might call it "situation ethics"!) bowing or living by the dictum “When in Babylon, do as the Babylonians do."? They might have rationalized it by saying we'll bow down physically but in our hearts, we remain "standing up". They may have reasoned that the king had been so good to them, it would be ungrateful not to bow. They may have justified bowing by reasoning that they were being forced against their will to bow and for that reason God would forgive. After all, no one in Jerusalem would ever know whether they bowed or not. The age old favorite is "Everyone is bowing down.” Or they may have reasoned “If we don’t, we’ll be killed and God needs us in these positions of power to help His people." THOUGHT - Let's be honest, for we all know that when we want to compromise, we can always find an excuse. On the other hand, when you set your heart to obey God, you don't need excuses. Imagine how they must have felt as they stood alone among hundreds or thousands of bowed bodies! Some in their vicinity undoubtedly must have shouted "Bow down or you'll burn!" Donald Campbell tells this story of one who took a bold stand - When the Communists invaded a Korean village, they found a young man with a vigorous Christian testimony who, regardless of their edicts to the contrary, continued to witness for Christ. Determining at last to make him a public example, the soldiers commanded the entire village to appear in the town square. A Communist soldier led the young Christian to the center of the crowd, put a pistol against his head, and shouted, "Denounce Jesus Christ and embrace Communism, or die!" The young man hesitated, looked around the gathered crowd, and saw some he had brought to faith in Christ. Then quickly he raised his gaze to heaven and cried, "I believe in Jesus Christ! I believe … " Crack! And he was dead, inspired by a courage and faith similar to that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. (Campbell, D. Daniel God's Man in a Secular Society)
Daniel 3
Guzik - The command is empowered by a naked threat. Nebuchadnezzar regarded refusing to worship the image as treason, not only as a religious offense. In this, Nebuchadnezzar is just like most politicians, who often seem willing to use religion to strengthen their grip on political power. Politicians are happy to blend together spiritual allegiance and national allegiance. An example of this was displayed in 1936 when Herr Baldur von Schirach, head of the youth program in Nazi Germany, said: "If we act as true Germans we act according to the laws of God. Whoever serves Adolph Hitler, the fuehrer, serves Germany, and whoever serves Germany serves God." Another example comes from 1960 when the President of Ghana had a slightly larger than life-size statue of himself erected in front of the national house of Parliament. An inscription on the side of the statue read, "Seek ye first the political kingdom and all other things shall be added unto you." (cp Jesus' words Mt 6:33!) The statue was destroyed after a bloodless coup in 1966. (Ref) Today in the Word notes that the stand of the 3 Hebrew lads in Daniel 3 "is a reminder that the means are sometimes more important than the end result. Many believers have made similar stands, only to be martyred without being rescued (Ed: see following examples). By doing the honorable thing, we can show the world the righteousness of God; only He can display His power. When this world tempts you to compromise your faith, be willing to accept the consequences that threaten your obedience. Our God is stronger than this world. How Firm a Foundation When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply: The flame shall not hurt thee, I only design Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine. -John Rippon Daniel 3:12 "There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namely Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. These men, O king, have disregarded you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up." certain: Da 2:49 6:13 1Sa 18:7, 8, 9, 10, 11 Es 3:8 Pr 27:4 Ec 4:4 disregarded Ac 5:28 17:7 Daniel 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Certain Jews - This phrase is used in a derogatory sense in this passage. Notice that the 3 Hebrew lads did not make a scene over their defiance. It took the tattling of "certain Chaldeans" to bring the matter to the king's attention. Appointed over the administration - Envy (see discussion of envy) and/or jealously (see discussion of jealousy) are dangerous emotions which often lead to destructive declarations as in the present case. As has been well said every time you turn green with envy you are ripe for trouble. Ultimately envy eats nothing but its own heart. Under the guise of showing their loyalty to the king, these Chaldeans were very happy to be the "whistle blowers" for these foreigners who had attained positions of power. Observe the three accusations against the "boys" - (1) They were showing no respect for the king (not true); (2) they refused to serve Nebuchadnezzar's idolatrous gods (this was true) and (3) they refused to worship the golden image (this was also true).
Daniel 3
Guzik points out that the 3 Hebrew lads do not make any excuses in the face of this extreme test… They might have said, "There is nothing to gain by resisting; wouldn't we do more good by living?" It is easy to say, "we must live," but in reality, we all must die - so why not die making a stand for God? They might have said, "We are in a different place; in Rome, do as the Romans do." Yet they knew that God has unlimited jurisdiction. We must do more than "perform" acts of religious obedience when we have an audience. They might have said, "We will lose our jobs and our standard of living." Often when God blesses us we make the blessing an idol and compromise God to keep what we have. They might have said, "After all, we are not being called to renounce our God." They did not have a super-elastic conscience that said "we are not bowing down to the idol, but in respect for the king, or to the music." Excuses like this are common but prove the principle that anything will serve as an excuse, when the heart is bent on compromise. They might have said, "Everybody else is doing it." Instead they cultivated brave personalities, willing to stand alone with God They might have said, "It is only for once, and not for very long. Ten minutes, just for the king. It is stupid to throw our lives away for ten minutes." These men knew that ten minutes could change an entire life. Ten minutes can chart the course for your eternity. They might have said, "This is more than can be expected of us; God will understand just this once." It is true that God understands our struggle with sin - that is why He loves the sinner and made provision at the cross for freedom from the penalty, power, and presence of sin. Knowing that "God understands" should be a spur to obedience, not a license to sin. "I am glad that the three holy children were not 'careful to answer,' [the KJV has, "we are not careful to answer thee" here] or they might have fallen upon some crooked policy or lame excuse for compromise. What have we to do with consequences? It is ours to do the right, and leave results with the Lord." (Ref) Albert Lee writes that… Loving God is easy when He grants our requests and provides what we desire. Loving Him in difficult circumstances tests our faith… There's a lesson in this for all of us. Is God all-powerful? Yes. Is He able to deliver us from all our problems? Yes. Does God always deliver us from our difficulties? No. We may not fully comprehend God's purpose in our difficulty and suffering, but we must not cease to love Him. We must trust Him and hope in Him in spite of the trials that threaten to overwhelm us. Genuine faith stays strong when deliverance seems distant. I have learned to love my Savior, And I trust Him more each day; For no matter what the trial, He will always be my stay. —Hess Thomas Watson - The three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace were humble; they gave the king his title of honor—but they were not sordidly timorous. Daniel 3:18, "Be it known unto you, O king, that we will not serve your gods!" Though they showed reverence to the king's person—yet no reverence to the idol he had set up. A godly Christian will not do anything below himself—nor ever cater to men's lusts. He is humble (there he shows the innocence of the dove); but not base (there he shows the wisdom of the serpent). (Wise as Serpents) TESTED AND TRUE -When doctors perform surgery, the attending nurse must keep careful tab of the number of hemostats and sponges used, so that an incision is not closed until each item has been removed. A young nurse on her first day with this duty told the surgeon he had used twelve sponges, but she could account for only eleven. The doctor curtly announced that he had removed them all. The young woman insisted that one was missing, but the doctor grimly declared he would proceed with the suturing. The nurse, her eyes blazing, said, "You can't do that! Think of the patient!" The doctor smiled and, lifting his foot, showed the nurse the twelfth sponge which he had deliberately dropped to the floor. "You'll do!" he said. He had been testing her to see if she had the courage and integrity to carry out the duties of her position! Daniel's three friends were also tested by King Nebuchadnezzar's evil edict. They knew that their refusal to worship the image of gold might result in their death. However, they never wavered but proved they were true to God by standing firm in the face of the enemy's threats. The Lord still permits trials and temptations to enter the lives of his children. The challenge may come as an invitation to gratify the lusts of the flesh, or as a series of disheartening circumstances. Whatever form it assumes, you must not yield, or you will experience spiritual defeat. However, overcoming the temptation will strengthen you and enable you to reach a new plateau in your Christian life. Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin, Each vict'ry will help you some other to win; Fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue, Look ever to Jesus, He will carry you through. —H. R. Palmer A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trial! John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim’s Progress, was afraid when he was in prison for his commitment to Christ. “My imprisonment,” he wrote, “might end on the gallows.” We can understand his fear, can’t we? No one wants to face the prospect of being hanged. But, a change took place in Bunyan’s life one day. He became ashamed of being afraid. He said, “Me thought I was ashamed to die with a pale face and tottering knees for such a cause as this.” William