v1: “King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet [fn] wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.”
It is amazing how prideful Nebuchadnezzar was, he built a statue of himself that is 3/5 of the height of the statue of liberty, even after he had found out the meaning of his dream. The statue of liberty is 151 feet tall, while the gold statue of Nebuchadnezzar was 90 feet tall.
Some bible students say the event in chapter 3 could have happened 20 years after the event in chapter 2. That could be true since it takes time to build such a large statue. Nebuchadnezzar may have forgotten his dreams that happened 20 years ago.
Our memory tend to fade as time pass, that is my we need to always abide in the Lord, and frequently count His blessing in our life.
v6: “Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”
Again this show how cruel Nebuchadnezzar was.
v15: “…what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands”
Did Nebuchadnezzar forgot how power the God of the heaven is? He experienced the power of God when Daniel told him his dream and explain it in chapter 2. Or did he just did not know the Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego worshipped the same God as Daniel does? He surely knew they worship the same God since he knew them when they were brought before him after 3 years of training (1:19).
Nebuchadnezzar response to Daniel’s friends how that how much pride he had for himself, and he did not fully understand the power of God of the heaven.
v17: “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.”
v18: “But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
The response of Daniel’s friends show us two points. First is how much trust they have on God’s power to rescue them. Second, it shows their dedication to God. They were willing to die instead being unfaithful to God.
How much price are we willing to pay to follow the Lord Jesus Christ? “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33)
c25: “He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
The fourth man was our Lord Jesus. He is always with us when we go through fire in our life.
c27: “and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.”
No one can perform this miracle except the almighty God.
v29: “Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”
Again by being faithful to God, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were used by God to exalt His name in the gentile nation.
