26 “Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. 27 And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! 29 “Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.”
3:26
Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire.
Nebuchadnezzar approached near to the opening of the furnace. He commanded the three to come out of the furnace. In doing so, he called them “servants of the Most High God.” In a distinct change of mood, he acknowledges that they were God’s servants, not his.
The name “the Most High” occurs 13 times in Daniel (3:26; 4:2, 17, 24-25, 32, 34; 5:18, 21; 7:18, 22, 25, 27). Clearly, Daniel puts God above any other god and shows that others acknowledge Him as well.
3:27
And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.
After examining the trio, Nebuchadnezzar’s officials confirmed that what they saw was real.
3:28
Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!
Nebuchadnezzar declared what he saw as a work of God on behalf of the trio. The words “blessed be the God” manifests awe and approval of the God of these Hebrews.
The phrase “sent His Angel” is a reference to the fourth person in the fiery furnace.
3:29
“Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.”
Nebuchadnezzar made a public decree to uphold the God of the three Hebrew young men and their God. The penalty would be to be “cut in pieces,” and their houses burned to rubble.
3:30
Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon
The king promoted the trio to a position of greater power in the kingdom.
PRINCIPLE:
A mature believer accepts the fact of tribulation and orients to it under the plan of God.
APPLICATION:
God will thrust all of us into our own trial by fire. In the biblical Hall of Fame, we see a roll call of heroes of living by faith through trial.
He 11:36-40, “Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”
Ac 14:21-22, “And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.’”
2 Ti 3:12, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
Jesus said that all true believers will enter into tribulation:
Jn 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
as I get older and more child like in my walk with the Lord, I see the importance of been cheerfull and full of Holy Spirit joy.
(Galatians 3:26 ), I am clothed in Christ , clothed in salvation , neither Jew nor Greek in other words my identity is nit of this world , my identity is not by creed, religion or culture. No social, political , religious or economic label can be branded on those who are truely born again in spirit , mind , and soul.
First of all thank you very much for your verse by verse comments…absolutely excels!!!
Do you know where Danial was during this time, why he wasn’t part of the protest?
Don, thanks for your comments.
Daniel made a request to appoint the 3 to rule certain parts of the kingdom (2:48) and he does not appear again until the next chapter (4:8). There may not be an answer to your question.