The King is Enraged

The king could hardly believe his ears! It was incredible enough that his beautiful plan involving the eternal rule of Babylon over the millions of people of the whole world should be frustrated by only three men, but to think that these three were the men he himself had taken up when they were nothing, had favored, exalted and made what they were. These men were, by their example, fostering rebellion against him, their benefactor, using against him the influence of their high positions in which he himself had placed them. THIS WAS TOO MUCH!

“Then ordered Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Then were these men brought before the king.”

The three Hebrews showed no fear when brought before the king, but faced him calmly and serenely.

“Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it out of disrespect, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? My god ye do not worship, and to the golden image which I have set up, ye do not bow yourselves?”

Then seeing their utter lack of fear and remembering their past fine record of absolute integrity in his service, he thought that perhaps the accusation was not really true. Knowing the penalty of being roasted alive they certainly should be fearful if guilty, he reasoned. So he decided to give them another chance to demonstrate their obedience. He would repeat the ceremony for their benefit.

“Now then, if ye be ready, at the time when ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, guitar, psaltery, and bagpipe, and all kinds of music, to fall down and bow yourselves to the image which I have made, well; but if ye bow yourselves not, ye shall be cast in the same hour, into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”

He motioned to the furnace, still burning, in plain view from the window. Lest they have some foolish notion of possibly escaping the penalty for disobedience, he arrogantly added:

“And who is the god that can deliver you out of my hand? Then answered Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and said to the king: O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee a word in this matter. Behold, there is a God whom we worship; he is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace. And out of thy hand, O king, will he deliver us. But if not, then be it known unto thee, O king, that thy god will we not worship, and to the golden image which thou hast set up, will we not bow ourselves.”

In other words:

“We don’t have to answer your question as to what God can deliver us out of your hand because you already know the answer. You know the God whom we worship. He is quite able to deliver us from your furnace. But even if he does not, we still will not bow to your god. We would rather die than do so.”

What made them take this stand? These young men knew the commandments of the God of their fathers and took them literally. They were familiar with these commandments:

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.” Exodus 20:3-5

“Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image.” Leviticus 26:1

“Thou shalt not bow down to their gods [the gods of the heathen], nor serve them.” Exodus 23:24