View Daniel 3 in the note window.
Nebuchadnezzar erects a golden image, and requires all his subjects
to worship it, ver. 1 - 7.
He is informed that the Jewish princes refuse to worship it,
ver. 8 - 12.
They resolutely persist in their refusal, ver. 13 - 18.
They are cast into the fiery furnace, ver. 19 - 23.
Their preservation and the conviction of the king, ver. 24 - 27.
The honour which he gave to God, and the favour he shewed to his
servants, ver. 28 - 30.
1: Made an image - Perhaps he did this, that he might seem no ways
inclined to the Jews, or their religion, whereof the Chaldeans might
be jealous, seeing he had owned their God to be greatest, and had
preferred Daniel and his friends to great honours.
4: Nations and languages - Proclamation was made therefore in several
languages.
16: We are not careful - Heb. We care not: there is no need of any
answer in this case for it is in vain for us to debate the matter;
the king is resolved to have his will of us, and we are resolved on
the contrary.
18: But if not - It was therefore all one to them, which way God would
honour himself; they were resolved to suffer rather than sin, and leave the
cause to God. Indeed if God be for us, we need not fear what man can do
unto us. Let him do his worst. God will deliver us either from death, or
in death.
20: To bind - What did he think these three men would have refused?
Or that their God would defend them from his power, or that if he had,
his mighty men could have prevailed? None of all this was the case; for
God purposed to shew his power when the king did his worst, and in the
thing wherein he dealt proudly, to be above him.
23: Fell down - All this is exprest with emphasis, to make the power
of God more glorious in their preservation; for that shame that slew the
executioners, might much more easily have killed them, even before they
fell down.
25: No hurt - See how the God of nature can when he pleases control
the powers of nature! The Son of God - Probably he had heard David
speak of him. Jesus Christ, the Angel of the covenant, did sometimes
appear before his incarnation. Those who suffer for Christ, have his
gracious presence with them in their sufferings, even in the fiery
furnace, even in the valley of the shadow of death, and therefore need
fear no evil.
26: And spake - With a milder tone than before, God having abated
the fire of his fury. Now he could at once acknowledge the true God
to be the most high above all gods, and the three worthies to be his
faithful servants.
