Daniel 3:12
There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
The verse reports jealous counselors accusing the three Hebrews set over Babylon's affairs of disregarding the king by refusing to serve his gods or bow to the golden image he had raised. That image stood on the plain of Dura, about ninety feet high, costly and magnificent, made to embody Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar himself after he perverted the dream of the great image into an occasion for self-exaltation and universal worship on pain of the fiery furnace. Their disregard meant they would obey Babylon only so far as its laws did not clash with God, refusing to be moved a hairbreadth from duty to their true King. For that refusal they were cast into the furnace yet walked unharmed with Christ Himself beside them, until the king was convinced of God's superior power over every kingdom. Their stand is the pattern for the last days, when church and state will again unite to enforce a rival worship and denounce Sabbathkeepers as worthy of death, demanding the same unyielding loyalty whatever the cost.
Words and Setting in Babylon
The men named are Daniel's three companions, renamed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, whom the king had set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, where they were serving in positions of responsibility. Their standing as appointed rulers over Babylonian affairs made their refusal conspicuous when it was reported to the king.
The golden image had been set up in the plain of Dura, about ninety feet high and nine feet broad, exceedingly costly and magnificent, made to represent the one Nebuchadnezzar had seen in his dream. It was to be dedicated and worshiped at the sound of musical instruments, on pain of being cast into a burning fiery furnace. The image represented the kingdom of Babylon and more particularly Nebuchadnezzar himself, his glory and the excellence of Babylon, magnifying the king who ruled it. It was set up when heathen counselors flattered him to place himself before the people as an object of worship, with the hope of converting all nations to its worship.
The setting follows Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the great image and its interpretation that God would establish an everlasting kingdom. After acknowledging God's power for a time, he returned to idolatry with greater zeal and pride. He perverted the light by reading the interpretation in the light of his own idolatrous mind, human understanding, and ambitions instead of in the light of the Scriptures and living Oracles.
The verse records the report that these men had not regarded the king and would neither serve his gods nor worship the golden image he had set up, presented as disobedience, defiance, and disregard for his authority. The charge was brought by jealous wise men and advisers who invented a scheme to ensnare them by leading the king to proclaim that every knee should bow and then accusing the Hebrew captives. Their not regarding the king meant they would obey the laws of Babylon only so far as they did not conflict with the claims of God and would not be swayed a hair's breadth from duty to their Creator, because doing otherwise would dishonor God. They remained loyal to God, their King, whom they recognized as King of kings and Lord of lords, having learned that disobedience to God is dishonor, disaster, and ruin and that the fear of the Lord is the foundation of true prosperity.
Faithfulness and End-Time Application
For this refusal they were cast into the fiery furnace, but were later seen unharmed in the blazing furnace, for Christ Himself, an angelic presence, walked with them there. The Lord Jesus was with them and preserved them from all harm, manifesting Himself to them as He promises to manifest Himself to those who have His commandments and keep them and love Him. The miracle wrought upon Nebuchadnezzar's heart so that he believed in God and His superior power over every kingdom and every other kingdom. He acknowledged God and His superior power after being so moved by what he witnessed in the furnace.
The verse belongs to the history of the Lord's wonderful deliverance of the three Hebrew worthies, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. It teaches the working out of the Lord's purpose for the children of obedience in contrast with the children of disobedience. Their refusal tested the integrity of the youthful Hebrews and showed an idolatrous nation the power and faithfulness of the God of Israel. When a ruler's command to worship opposed their allegiance to God, opposition made their governing principle clear, and their example shows that God's people must not surrender their loyalty to God.
The worship of the image had been made the country's established religion, and the law compelling it opposed Jehovah's law. The charge that they did not regard the king, serve his gods, or worship his image was an effort to turn God's people from their allegiance to God to obedience to human law. The three remained loyal to God, their King, whatever the cost, because to do otherwise would dishonor God. Their stand gives important lessons for this day, when many of God's servants though innocent of wrongdoing will be given over to suffer humiliation and abuse at the hands of those who, inspired by Satan, are filled with envy and religious bigotry. Especially the wrath of man will be aroused against those who hallow the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and at last a universal decree will denounce these as deserving of death.
The same pattern is repeated when church and state unite to set up a Sunday idol sabbath in the place where God's Sabbath should be and demand its observance as sacred and holy by human laws. This shows that civil power joined to religion can compel worship and persecute God's people, as the Sunday law movement is compared to the command to worship the image. Those who sought to destroy Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were themselves destroyed, showing that those who make cruel enactments to destroy God's people are destroyed by the recoil of their own actions. That same stand will have to be taken in the Southern States when the period comes to do as they did, and that time will force a decision for or against the commandments of God. Until that period comes the test is not to be forced by presumptuous action. Their separation from idolatry is the pattern for the end of the world, when students of God's Word will work away from the customs and appointments of the world's great counselors and be prepared like wise virgins with oil in their vessels.