Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, in the province of Babylon.
After their miraculous deliverance from the fiery furnace, the king advanced the three faithful Hebrews to higher positions in the province of Babylon. Their promotion came because they refused to worship his golden idol and openly witnessed that the God they served is the only true and living God, so faithfulness to God brought them honor and advancement even from the ruler whose command they had disobeyed. The miracle turned Nebuchadnezzar's heart to believe in and publicly honor their God as supreme above every other kingdom and earthly king. Their deliverance and exaltation show that those who trust God's Word can withstand even the mightiest human authority, for God's power working for obedient children overcomes human power allied to wickedness. What happened on the plain of Dura foreshadows the last days, when Sabbath-keepers will likewise refuse a humanly enforced idol in place of God's law and will at last be vindicated and exalted by God.
Deliverance and Promotion in Babylon
The verse closes the account set on the plain of Dura, where Nebuchadnezzar set up an idolatrous golden image representing Babylon and more particularly the glory of himself and his kingdom. He made it after perverting the light given in the interpretation of his dream to fit his own idolatrous mind and ambition to convert all nations to worship his image. The events happened in the same year Daniel and his companions entered the service of the king of Babylon. They severely tested the integrity of these youthful Hebrews and proved before an idolatrous nation the power and faithfulness of the God of Israel.
The three faithful servants refused to bow the knee to the image. Christ Himself walked with them in the fiery furnace, and they were wonderfully delivered. Their scheming accusers were themselves destroyed. That wonderful miracle wrought upon Nebuchadnezzar's heart so that he believed in and acknowledged God and His superior power over every other kingdom and earthly king. He publicly honored their God.
What happened belonged to God's providence incessantly at work over human affairs to bring light to Nebuchadnezzar and to bring even idolatrous minds into close contact with truth. Through providence Daniel was brought into reasoning relation with the king, coming in close contact with even an idolater's mind for a purpose and exalting Jehovah as more powerful than earthly kings. Daniel instructed him that all, whether king or subjects, must read their dreams in the light of the living Oracles, not read the Scriptures and providence in the light of their dreams. After their deliverance from the furnace, the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in the province of Babylon. It is part of the account of the Lord's wonderful deliverance of the three Hebrew worthies.
Their advancement followed their refusal to worship the king's idol and their public witness that the God they served was the only true and living God. Their faithfulness to God brought them honor and advancement even under a ruler whose command they had refused to obey. Their deliverance and promotion show the Lord's wonderful deliverance working out His purpose for the children of obedience in contrast with the children of disobedience. People who trust God's Word can withstand even the mightiest human authority, standing in the fire against Nebuchadnezzar's power. They exemplify God's Word overcoming human power used to support evil. When kingly power allied to wickedness is used to destroy the Lord's property it recoils and destroys its makers, while power under divine dictation preserves them.
Last-Day Parallel and Faithfulness
The experience on the plain of Dura is a lesson for the last days and foreshadows what will be in the end of the world. Though innocent of wrongdoing, many of God's servants will be given over to suffer humiliation and abuse at the hands of those inspired by Satan and filled with envy and religious bigotry. Especially those who hallow the Sabbath of the fourth commandment will arouse the wrath of men, and at last a universal decree will denounce them as deserving of death.
Nebuchadnezzar's all-gold image made to take the place of God is the pattern for the Sunday idol set up by human law in the place where God's holy Sabbath of the fourth commandment should be. That Sunday idol is demanded by the Protestant world treading in the footsteps of the Papacy. The stand of the three Hebrews shows the principle of remaining loyal to God when a ruler commands worship contrary to God's law. That is the principle God's people are to follow when civil power exalts Sunday and makes keeping the seventh-day Sabbath seem disloyal, for they must not give up their loyalty to God.
Their refusal to bow will be repeated when the period comes in the Southern States to stand as they did. That time will present a decision for or against the commandments of God, yet until that period comes believers must not be presumptuous or encourage defiance and resistance, but work without closing their own way. The promotion of the Hebrews foreshadows God's vindication and exaltation of Sabbath-keepers in the coming crisis when men strive to turn them from allegiance. That prospect requires haste to prepare and to move out of the cities into retired country places.
After their miraculous deliverance from the fiery furnace, the king advanced the three faithful Hebrews to higher positions in the province of Babylon. Their promotion came because they refused to worship his golden idol and openly witnessed that the God they served is the only true and living God, so faithfulness to God brought them honor and advancement even from the ruler whose command they had disobeyed. The miracle turned Nebuchadnezzar's heart to believe in and publicly honor their God as supreme above every other kingdom and earthly king. Their deliverance and exaltation show that those who trust God's Word can withstand even the mightiest human authority, for God's power working for obedient children overcomes human power allied to wickedness. What happened on the plain of Dura foreshadows the last days, when Sabbath-keepers will likewise refuse a humanly enforced idol in place of God's law and will at last be vindicated and exalted by God.
Deliverance and Promotion in Babylon
The verse closes the account set on the plain of Dura, where Nebuchadnezzar set up an idolatrous golden image representing Babylon and more particularly the glory of himself and his kingdom. He made it after perverting the light given in the interpretation of his dream to fit his own idolatrous mind and ambition to convert all nations to worship his image. The events happened in the same year Daniel and his companions entered the service of the king of Babylon. They severely tested the integrity of these youthful Hebrews and proved before an idolatrous nation the power and faithfulness of the God of Israel.
The three faithful servants refused to bow the knee to the image. Christ Himself walked with them in the fiery furnace, and they were wonderfully delivered. Their scheming accusers were themselves destroyed. That wonderful miracle wrought upon Nebuchadnezzar's heart so that he believed in and acknowledged God and His superior power over every other kingdom and earthly king. He publicly honored their God.
What happened belonged to God's providence incessantly at work over human affairs to bring light to Nebuchadnezzar and to bring even idolatrous minds into close contact with truth. Through providence Daniel was brought into reasoning relation with the king, coming in close contact with even an idolater's mind for a purpose and exalting Jehovah as more powerful than earthly kings. Daniel instructed him that all, whether king or subjects, must read their dreams in the light of the living Oracles, not read the Scriptures and providence in the light of their dreams. After their deliverance from the furnace, the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in the province of Babylon. It is part of the account of the Lord's wonderful deliverance of the three Hebrew worthies.
Their advancement followed their refusal to worship the king's idol and their public witness that the God they served was the only true and living God. Their faithfulness to God brought them honor and advancement even under a ruler whose command they had refused to obey. Their deliverance and promotion show the Lord's wonderful deliverance working out His purpose for the children of obedience in contrast with the children of disobedience. People who trust God's Word can withstand even the mightiest human authority, standing in the fire against Nebuchadnezzar's power. They exemplify God's Word overcoming human power used to support evil. When kingly power allied to wickedness is used to destroy the Lord's property it recoils and destroys its makers, while power under divine dictation preserves them.
Last-Day Parallel and Faithfulness
The experience on the plain of Dura is a lesson for the last days and foreshadows what will be in the end of the world. Though innocent of wrongdoing, many of God's servants will be given over to suffer humiliation and abuse at the hands of those inspired by Satan and filled with envy and religious bigotry. Especially those who hallow the Sabbath of the fourth commandment will arouse the wrath of men, and at last a universal decree will denounce them as deserving of death.
Nebuchadnezzar's all-gold image made to take the place of God is the pattern for the Sunday idol set up by human law in the place where God's holy Sabbath of the fourth commandment should be. That Sunday idol is demanded by the Protestant world treading in the footsteps of the Papacy. The stand of the three Hebrews shows the principle of remaining loyal to God when a ruler commands worship contrary to God's law. That is the principle God's people are to follow when civil power exalts Sunday and makes keeping the seventh-day Sabbath seem disloyal, for they must not give up their loyalty to God.
Their refusal to bow will be repeated when the period comes in the Southern States to stand as they did. That time will present a decision for or against the commandments of God, yet until that period comes believers must not be presumptuous or encourage defiance and resistance, but work without closing their own way. The promotion of the Hebrews foreshadows God's vindication and exaltation of Sabbath-keepers in the coming crisis when men strive to turn them from allegiance. That prospect requires haste to prepare and to move out of the cities into retired country places.