Including comparisons from the natural world and history
The setting of Daniel 3 is subsequent to Nebuchadnezzar’s prophetic dream (in chapter 2) of future world empires, where he was shown in vision a metallic statue retrograding from a gold head to silver, bronze and finally iron and clay at the feet and toes.
The Aramaic in this whole chapter makes extensive use of participles which in that language normally describe present action. This creates the feeling that the events are taking place as we read and we can picture ourselves at the scene.
3:1-7
Nebuchadnezzar sets up a gold image of similar proportional dimensions to an obelisk as tall as a 7-story building. There are various theories on what the image was but we know that is was gold from top to bottom. No doubt Nebuchadnezzar had been deeply effected by the vision in chapter 2, but at that stage was still following his traditional gods. As a result he created an all-gold image to strengthen his empire by controlling religion in this spectacular fashion.
These verses further show how much power Nebuchadnezzar had over the people of the empire. What he decreed was done to the letter with severe penalties for non-compliance, which sentences were carried out to the letter. In chapter two, Nebuchadnezzar is shown to be in total charge of the religious and scientific orders and in chapter three he is in complete control of the total secular governmental system as well.
3:8-12
What can we expect to happen where envy reigns?
In chapter 2, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed Nego were placed by Nebuchadnezzar over administration in Babylon, ahead of the native elite, the Chaldeans.
The idiomatic phrase indicating that the Chaldeans “devour their Jewish counterparts” serves to illustrate the far reaching effects of cannibalistic feeding and propaganda.
Gal 5:15 “But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.”
Heb 12:15 “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;”
So we can also deduce that envy and bitterness is like a self-destroying virus as the following example from nature illustrates:
Seastars self-delimb due to a virus:
The Chaldeans found a tailor-made front by which to have Shadrach, Meshach and Abed Nego taken out.
“Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?”Proverbs 27:4
3:13-23
Nebuchadnezzar responds as anticipated by the Chaldeans.
His response indicates that he thought a plot may be unfolding whereby the Jews headed by Shadrach, Meshach and Abed Nego are weakening his grip on the empire. Nebuchadnezzar is prepared to give the three the benefit of the doubt in that perhaps they weren’t ready for some reason to worship the gold image when the musical instruments commenced playing. When the three respond, saying that they don’t have need to acknowlege Nebuchadnezzar in relation to this particular edict, he immediately prepares them for instant incineration.
Ancient Babylonian Music:
3:24-25
Nebuchadnezzar witnesses the “Son of God” Himself intervening to stay the execution. The Aramaic has been rendered as some to say “A son of the gods”. However, the use of the “pluralis majestatis” or “majestic plural” where “gods” becomes “God” in this case is in order due to the extraordinary circumstances. The kingdom of darkness is not overcome without serious intervention and in particular by Yeshua the Son of God.
3:26-30
The perfect preservation of the three is witnessed by the top officials of the empire, in that there is not even a hint of smoke on their clothing. Nebuchadnezzar gives absolute protection to those who worship the True God and issues a decree to this effect from himself “and so from me a decree is issued”. This indicates that the previous decree may not have been totally his own, but “assisted”. Then the king makes Shadrach, Meshach and Abed Nego prosper in the province of Babylon. He doubtless didn’t re-instate them in the same positions as before where they might have been put in a compromising position, as at that stage Nebuchadnezzar had not relinquished his gods.