Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants

The power and wealth of the Babylonian empire had gotten to king Nebuchadnezzar. He ordered a large statue of himself made of gold to be made. When it was finished he invited all the prominent people to the dedication ceremony. Then it was decreed that whenever the people hear the music, they will fall down and worship the statue. The penalty for violating this would be to burn in the furnace.

If this chapter's events follows from the previous chapter, then Daniel would be the effective governor over all Babylon and has promoted his three friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego to very important positions. The locals in Babylon would be jealous that these foreign Jews were in such high positions. They slandered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego and incited the king by telling him they do not worship the gold statue.

When confronted by the king, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego stood firm and refused to worship any idols. The faithfulness of the three was mistaken by the king as arrogance and he was infuriated. He ordered the furnace temperature to be raised to seven times as hot. The furnace was so hot that the guards, who bound the three and threw them into the furnace, were themselves consumed by the fire.

However the king saw in the furnace that the three men were standing inside the furnace talking to another man. The king himself recognized the fourth man to be a supernatural being, like the Son of God. The king called out to them to come out and made a declaration of blessing of the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. The king decreed no one can speak anything against God and the penalty is death. It seems that this is one of the few times that Nebuchadnezzar saw the awesomeness of God and made public declarations about it. The three faithful men were promoted even higher after this.



Daniel 3
The Image of Gold

1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2 And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 Then a herald cried aloud: “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; 6 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”

7 So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Daniel’s Friends Disobey the King

8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. 9 They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 10 You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; 11 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.”

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

Saved in Fiery Trial

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22 Therefore, because the king’s command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”

They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”

25 “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”[a]

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. 27 And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.

28 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel[b] and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! 29 Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.”

30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.

Sing Aloud to God Our Strength

The psalmist calls to make music to God, including singing, shouting, playing the harp, lute, trumpet and timbrel. He recalls the promises of God established since God led the Israelites out of Egypt. There is also a clear reminder that God desire full loyalty from His children and warn them against worshipping any other Gods.

And the psalmist recounts the stubbornness of the people who walk in their own ways and some went towards other foreign false gods. However there is always an opportunity for them to return and then God will again deliver them from their enemies


Psalm 81
To the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath.[a]A Psalm of Asaph.

 1 Sing aloud to God our strength;
         Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob.
 2 Raise a song and strike the timbrel,
         The pleasant harp with the lute.
        
 3 Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon,
         At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.
 4 For this is a statute for Israel,
         A law of the God of Jacob.
 5 This He established in Joseph as a testimony,
         When He went throughout the land of Egypt,
         Where I heard a language I did not understand.
        
 6 “I removed his shoulder from the burden;
         His hands were freed from the baskets.
 7 You called in trouble, and I delivered you;
         I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
         I tested you at the waters of Meribah.  Selah 
        
 8 “Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you!
         O Israel, if you will listen to Me!
 9 There shall be no foreign god among you;
         Nor shall you worship any foreign god.
 10 I am the LORD your God,
         Who brought you out of the land of Egypt;
         Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
        
 11 “But My people would not heed My voice,
         And Israel would have none of Me.
 12 So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart,
         To walk in their own counsels.
        
 13 “Oh, that My people would listen to Me,
         That Israel would walk in My ways!
 14 I would soon subdue their enemies,
         And turn My hand against their adversaries.
 15 The haters of the LORD would pretend submission to Him,
         But their fate would endure forever.
 16 He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat;
         And with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you.”

God the Rock of Salvation

The psalm starts off in a very similar way as other psalms and it looks like a psalm by David. There is the appeal to God to save the writer from the enemies. There is also a description of who God is to the writer, namely rock, fortress, refuge. The writer has trusted God in his youth and asks God not to forsake him.
He calls on God not to be far from him. He promises to continue to praise God. The writer talks of spreading the knowledge of God, telling others of God's salvation and righteousness. The writer seeks to praise God with all his soul with any instruments he can like the harp, lute and singing.


Psalm 71
God the Rock of Salvation

 1 In You, O LORD, I put my trust;
         Let me never be put to shame.
 2 Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape;
         Incline Your ear to me, and save me.
 3 Be my strong refuge,
         To which I may resort continually;
         You have given the commandment to save me,
         For You are my rock and my fortress.
        
 4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,
         Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
 5 For You are my hope, O Lord GOD;
         You are my trust from my youth.
 6 By You I have been upheld from birth;
         You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb.
         My praise shall be continually of You.
        
 7 I have become as a wonder to many,
         But You are my strong refuge.
 8 Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
         And with Your glory all the day.
        
 9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
         Do not forsake me when my strength fails.
 10 For my enemies speak against me;
         And those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together,
 11 Saying, “God has forsaken him;
         Pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.”
        
 12 O God, do not be far from me;
         O my God, make haste to help me!
 13 Let them be confounded and consumed
         Who are adversaries of my life;
         Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor
         Who seek my hurt.
        
 14 But I will hope continually,
         And will praise You yet more and more.
 15 My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
         And Your salvation all the day,
         For I do not know their limits.
 16 I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD;
         I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.
        
 17 O God, You have taught me from my youth;
         And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
 18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded,
         O God, do not forsake me,
         Until I declare Your strength to this generation,
         Your power to everyone who is to come.
        
 19 Also Your righteousness, O God, is very high,
         You who have done great things;
         O God, who is like You?
 20 You, who have shown me great and severe troubles,
         Shall revive me again,
         And bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
 21 You shall increase my greatness,
         And comfort me on every side.
        
 22 Also with the lute I will praise You—
         And Your faithfulness, O my God!
         To You I will sing with the harp,
         O Holy One of Israel.
 23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You,
         And my soul, which You have redeemed.
 24 My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long;
         For they are confounded,
         For they are brought to shame
         Who seek my hurt.

David Anointed King

Although Samuel pronounced God's judgement on Saul, Samuel also sympathized with the tragedy of Saul. However, God had already prepared for his next anointed king and asked Samuel to find David, youngest son of Jesse. As Samuel looked at each of the elder sons of Jesse, although good in physical stature, God chose none of them. The key point was: "for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart". Eventually they called David out who was just a boy then, and God confirmed his choice to Samuel. From that day on, the Spirit of the LORD was on David.

It is ironic to us but it was in God's perfect plan that at the time that Saul no longer had God's Spirit and the Spirit was on David, Saul was in need of a musician and David was recommended by his advisers. It was written that when the Spirit of God left Saul, a distressing spirit possessed him. Whether this was mental problem or spiritual possession, Saul was in a terrible state but found solace in music which calmed him down. Thus David, who was famous for playing the harp, was brought before King Saul and Saul loved the boy David and requested that David stayed in his palace. David became Saul's personal musician and armorbearer. Whenever Saul was distressed, David would play his harp and Saul calmed down.

Looking from a wider angle, we can see how God's timing was perfect. God's anointing left the present King Saul, and went to the future King David. Yet these two individuals had led separate lives and need not have made contact with each other. But due to God's ordained circumstances, Saul needed a musician and was able to calm his distress when David played his harp, the present and future King was brought together, perhaps not fully understanding what was in store for them. We can speculate that, by bringing David into Saul's palace and trusted staff, David was able to learn the role and challenges of being a king. Although David was anointed by Samuel, he was still a boy, and may not fully understand his future destiny as a king. But David was to spend his youth growing up in the palace and a trusted confidante of King Saul. This experience may be what God intended for David, to mold him into a king who knew right and wrong, a king after God's own heart.



1 Samuel 16

David Anointed King

 1 Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”
2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.”
But the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ 3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.”
4 So Samuel did what the LORD said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Do you come peaceably?”
5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.
6 So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before Him!”
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees;[a] for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
8 So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” 10 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.” 11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.”
And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down[b] till he comes here.” 12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

A Distressing Spirit Troubles Saul
 
14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him. 15 And Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you. 16 Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.”
17 So Saul said to his servants, “Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.”
18 Then one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite
19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” 20 And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by his son David to Saul. 21 So David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer. 22 Then Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.” 23 And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.