The Fiery Furnace (Dan. 3); the Accusation (cont.; 5/5/21)

 

v. 9: They responded and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king: "O king, live forever!

o   Formulaic, stylized honor bestowed upon the sovereign; cf., Dan. 2:4; 5:10; 6:6; 21.

 

o   A matter of protocol; but in reality, neither Nebuchadnezzar nor his Kingdom would last forever—despite his present attempts to alter and modify the message of chapter two through his innovative symbolism, regarding the great image.

 

o   We are well-advised not to put too much stock in human flattery—a device which often serves as a camouflage for evil intent.

Prov. 25:27: “It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one's own glory.”

Prov. 7:21: “With her flattering lips she seduces him.”

 

vv. 10-11: "You, O king, have made a decree…”

o   A reminder before the King of his own words.

o   Not the only occasion when a King is held to account by his own words (cf., Dan. 6:12-13; Mark 6:26)!

 

v. 12a: "There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon…

 

o   Perhaps a subtle insinuation that the King himself was ill-advised in appointing such men as these unto high office over the chief providence of Babylon.

o   If this was their intent, it somewhat recalls the veiled accusation made by Adam in the Garden, questioning God’s wisdom: "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate" (Gen. 3:12).

 

o   Perhaps also an attempt to magnify the ingratitude of the Accused by reminding the King of his past kindnesses unto them (Dan. 2:49).

 

o   The reference to their high position also underlines that these men should be examples of loyalty and obedience in Nebuchadnezzar’s One World Government!

 

v. 12b: These men, O king, have disregarded you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up."

 

o   Three basic accusations:

1) They did not respect Royal Authority;

2) They did not worship the King’s gods;

3) They failed to bow down to the golden statue.

 

o   Truth conflated with a lie. While it was indeed true that the Accused would not engage in idolatrous practices, it was not their intention to disrespect the king.

 

o   Foreshadows the wicked accusations made against Daniel during the Persian Period by the commissioners & satraps (Dan. 6:13) and the outrageous universal charges made against the entire Jewish nation (Esth. 3:8) by Haman:

 

Dan. 6:13: Then they answered and spoke before the king, "Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps making his petition three times a day."

 

Esther 3:8: Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not observe the king's laws, so it is not in the king's interest to let them remain.