“And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” Daniel 3:6
Suddenly the dedication of an image erected by the government takes an ominous shift. The herald commands that at the sound of the music (many Bible commentators suggest Satan was in charge of music and praise to God in heaven before he sinned. Like all other things God created for good, music can be misused for evil purposes.) All people were to fall to the ground on their faces and pay homage (worship) before the golden image. (Remember it represents the kingdom of Babylon and the ruler who rules it). Now the herald adds another dimension to the king’s command. This one is a direct threat. The people must do as the king decrees or there will be a devastating price to pay.
Whoever Only nobles and officials stand in the plain of Dura before the golden image. The demand for worship of the image has not yet gone down to the commoners. When it does, many Jewish captives will face the choice to obey God or die. God knows they are not ready for that and so He limits the test to the three Jewish young men who He knows are ready and willing to stand for Him. While the king said whoever, the real battle ground is in the hearts of just three people. No one else sees a problem. (Be alert!)
Does not fall down The word means to fall but interestingly Strong’s Concordance says it can also mean take the occasion. It is as if the king is saying you have one chance to live. If one decides not to take this occasion to worship my kingdom as I tell you, there will be dire consequences.
And worship The word is to pay homage or worship. Note there is little time to make up one’s mind – the decree is read and the music follows. This is not like the test of eating the king’s food where the four Jewish boys had time to discuss what they would do and how to appeal to authority. This is an area where God made His will very clear. “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”
The three young men will respond in unison because they all have the same standard to govern their behavior – the revealed word of God.
Shall immediately We note the emphasis on time and urgency. Threats and urgency often accompany demands to disobey God. Satan knows he can create fear in a man’s heart if he threatens an imminent harsh punishment. (We see another distinctions between God and Satan. God calls in love for one to accept forgiveness and salvation and gives a man his lifetime to decide. Satan threatens with horrific punishment and demands an answer on the spot, “or else”.)
Be cast into a burning fiery furnace The herald unveils the punishment the king has planned for any who dare to show disloyalty to him. They will be burned alive in a furnace. Interestingly Satan leads the king to use a punishment that reflects what those who die rejecting God’s free gift of salvation will suffer for all eternity – eternal torment in a fire that never quenches. (That should be terrifying to them also.)
Why would King Nebuchadnezzar require this? God’s word does not answer that question for us. It is suggested by an historian that the
command on the plain of Dura followed a revolt against Nebuchadnezzar that occurred between December 595 and January 594 B.C. After that Nebuchadnezzar summoned all his leadership team to Babylon to take a “loyalty oath” to the king – to pay homage to him as their supreme leader. Why is that important? There is often a reason given to justify requiring God’s people to deny or reject God’s word. The Bible does not mention this reason because there is never a valid reason for a believer to ever disobey God’s word. What
scripture tells us is that those on the plain of Dura were required to worship the king as their god. This is the test the early church faced when they were required by Rome to toss a pinch of incense on a fire and to say “Caesar is Lord”. It may not be long until this country requires that kind of worship. Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael knew what was at stake. They knew the horror of dying in a fiery furnace but they also knew something else– it was a greater horror to worship anyone other than God. So they would trust their God who is is greater than the king or a fiery furnace. They know God is in control, even of the fires they are threatened with. (He still is today too!)