NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S ATTEMPT TO PERPETUATE BABYLON.
"NEBUCHADNEZZAR the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits; he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon." Dan. 3:1. The reader will remember that the image which Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream (chapter 2), had only the head of gold, and the Lord's interpreter, Daniel, had told him that this head of gold stood for the kingdom of Babylon. The other parts of the image—of silver, brass, iron, and iron mixed with clay—signified successive kingdoms that should come after Babylon's demise. While Nebuchadnezzar was obliged to accept the interpretation because he had agreed to do so if the dream were told to him correctly, he evidently thought that, after all, the prophecy might be headed off. While he praised the God of Daniel as "a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a Revealer of secrets," it remained a fact that he had physically overcome Daniel's people, and had taken the vessels from the house of their God and placed them in the house of his gods. When it came to physical power, appearances were still with Babylon. With the king, conceding the meaning of a dream did not mean that the import of the dream might not be thwarted. Nebuchadnezzar did not intend that his people8should be allowed to conceive the idea that Babylon could be defeated or supplanted by any other power. So he proposed to set up a tangible, material image, representing the future history of the world (as the dream image did), but that it should be all gold, indicating the enduring, invincible character of Babylon. The image seen in his dream had been seen only by himself and Daniel—and that in vision; but he would set up one plainly visible to the people, and make it an object of worship. If an image of Babylon could be ingratiated into the hearts of the whole people as a god, religious fervor, combined with patriotism, would tend to permanently establish the kingdom. From a human standpoint, the scheme had at least the merit of shrewdness. "Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up." And when they had all responded to the call, they "stood before the image" and heard a further decree from the king. "An herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up; and whoso falleth not down and worshipeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace." Herein is the real spirit of all national religion, of all religious legislation; and the apostate Christian church—composed of the Papacy and its imitators—is well named Babylon in the prophetic revelation of conditions in later ages. See Rev. 17:5; 18:1-5, 21. But the command had a widespread effect on the vast multitude; for as soon as they heard the signal, down they went on their faces. But there was a small minority in that great convention that dissented. It was a very small minority, only three persons, perhaps a very small fraction of one per cent.; but they prevented unanimous assent to the addition of this new deity to the national religion. Of course this was very offensive to the dignified majority. In their minds it was both irreligious and unpatriotic. Their feelings were so wrought up that they spoke to the king about it. They said, "O king, live forever." Then they told him that certain Jews—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—whom he had set over the province of Babylon, had disobeyed his decree. They said, "These men, O king, have not regarded thee; they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." Then the spirit of selfish ambition, combined with the coercive spirit of national religion, aroused the anger of the king. "In his rage and fury" he commanded that the dissenters be brought before him. On their appearance in the presence of the king, he expressed great surprise that they had disregarded his decree, and proposed to give them one more opportunity. He said, "If ye . . . fall down and worship the image which I have made, well; but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace." Then he boastingly added, "Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?" But the men who trusted in the God of heaven, the God whom Nebuchadnezzar, on a former occasion, had so highly extolled (ch. 2:47), were not to be frightened by the king's threat. They answered: "O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." Here was a direct refusal on the part of God's accepted servants to obey a state law, the effect of which would contravene the law of God. Next week we will note their vindication by the interposition of the Lord Himself. In these days when national reform by religious legislation is being so strenuously advocated, this lesson is worthy of earnest consideration.