Deut. 6:4-5; Daniel 3:1-12, Tested

 The issue in this story is: who is the god who will deliver you from my hands (Dan. 3:15)?  Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, from childhood, knew the Shema: Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one! (Deut. 6:4).  Growing up in Judah there would have been no opposition to this.  But now, in secular society, where one god is as good as another, and all gods have their place, their faith would be tested.

This event took place likely several years after Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.  The King built an image of gold (gold plated, perhaps) that was around ninety feet high and nine feet wide.  There were two cities called “Dura,” one near the Euphrates and one near the Tigris; perhaps the plain was between the two.  The exact nature of the officials (v2) and the musical instruments (v5) is also uncertain.

One good question is, where was Daniel in all of this?  Certainly, he did not bow down in worship to the image.  Yet it seems he should have been there.  It may be his higher position exempted him.  Perhaps Nebuchadnezzar’s respect for Daniel (2:47) gave him an exemption.  The fact that Daniel includes this story, even when he is not part of it, indicates there was a valid reason as to why he was not there.

It is possible this was an opportunity to discredit the Jews.  Serious Jews would have been the only ones with a problem here.  Others would be permitted to bow to Nebuchadnezzar while also worshiping their own god.  Serious Jews knew that there was only one God, and that the necessary conclusion to that was that you loved Him with all your heart, soul and strength!  Failure to do this was to engage in idolatry.

What is idolatry?  It is to give glory to another that only belongs to God.  I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images (Isa. 42:8; 48:11).  From specific “idolatrous moments” in Israel’s history we see that idolatry is …

·       Attributing God’s work to someone else.  In the wilderness, the golden calf was said to be the god who brought you out of Egypt (Ex. 32:4).

·       Using God for my purposes.  Jeroboam created a religious system in Israel to keep the people from going to Jerusalem to worship God (1 Ki. 12:25-33).

·       Compartmentalizing or limiting God.  The Arameans did this when they said Israel’s God was “god of the mountains” but not the valleys (1 Kings 20:23-25).

·       Blaspheming God / placing God on a par with other gods.  The Assyrians in Hezekiah’s day did this, warning that as the gods of other nations had not been able to resist them, neither would the God of Israel (2 Ki. 18:31-36; 19:6).

In the above stories God always showed Himself to be glorious.  In the first two, He showed it by His judgment upon idolatrous Israel.  In the last two, He showed it by delivering Israel from their enemies.  Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were providing God the opportunity to demonstrate His glory.  As always, He did!