Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” Daniel 3:24-25
God teaches us another lesson in these verses. Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael have been thrown into the fiery furnace. God does not focus our attention on them. Instead His camera turns back to the king as he watches the event. Why? Two reasons. First, ehe trial God allows into His children’s lives has a purpose beyond strengthening their faith. God is also working in the heart of Nebuchadnezzar. We se God allows trials to touch others’ lives. Second, the battle in the furnace has already been won. The battle that is still raging is in the king’s heart.
Then After the three Jewish men have been thrown into the fire.
The death of his soldiers does not phase the king but this does.
King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste
The king is troubled, alarmed and leaps up from his chair. The word
“haste” means hurriedly with the implication of alarm. The king’s anger is transformed into something close to terror. The Septuagint says that Nebuchadnezzar heard the men singing praises in the furnace. He cast them into the furnace and felt he knew their fate. He only needed to look once. If he heard singing coming from the furnace, however, he looked again to see what the source of joy could possibly be. What he sees terrifies him.
He declared to his counselors The king turns to his advisers (his high officials) and shares his fear. Is what he thinks sees real?
Did we not cast three men bound into the fire? The king states what he thought happened and asks for verification. His recollection is three men were thrown into the middle of the fire. He asks “Isn’t
that what I commanded and what we saw done before our very eyes?”
They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” The advisers are good “yes men” but in this case their recollection is accurate. From the response of these advisers it appears they are not seeing what the king sees. (The men on the road to Damascus with Saul did not see what he saw either.)
He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking, in the midst of the fire The king is assured his memory is accurate but now he has an even worse problem. What he sees in front of him
is different than what he recalls. What he gazes upon is different. There are not three men in the burning fiery furnace, there are four and none of them is bound. They are free, unencumbered and walking in the fire. The word midst (used 8 times in this chapter) indicates the men were walking were where the fire is the hottest – the place where the greatest damage could be done. God sends the king a subtle reminder about who is greatest.
They are not hurt The men are not injured or damaged in the hottest fire Babylon can build. The only thing that was burned were the ropes
the soldiers were confident would hold their captives till they died. God allows the fire to burn away the things of this world.
The appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods We do not know exactly what the king saw but it is significant enough to make him realize this is the man-God. For believers it reinforces the truth there is nothing we go through that the Lord is not with us. Through
this test, the three men’s faith grows, God is glorified and the evil king sees a glimpse of the living and true God. This shows us that people see Christ through us clearly when we do not compromise with the world.
What can we learn? There was trouble and anxiety that day but it was in the heart of the king not in the followers of God. An English martyr who was burned at the stake said, “Now you see a miracle; for in this fire I feel no more pain than as if I were in a bed of down; it is to me as a bed of roses.” Never fear what God calls you to go through for Him, just look for Jesus. He will be standing beside you. We are also reminded that God has a great purpose for the trials he allows into our lives – though them He allows others to see Him.