Daniel Chapter Three

In my time of prayer and speaking to the Lord, I was led to Daniel chapter three :
Most of us know the story of the Music will play and you are to worship the image of King Nebuchadnezzar. lets look at verses 3-7

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.



Now as we read on later in the chapter at verse 12- 14 we see some jews who will not bow.


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?

These three would not bow. As we read on, the king ask them to do so they refused and said to the King in verse 16-18:

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.”




I saw something here the Holy Spirit showed me and i asked the following questions:

• how many jews were in Jerusalem during the Nebuchadnezzar captivity ?
• why did the King only throw three people in the fiery furnace?

Well it is clear, they were the only ones who would not bow. Remember this verse

"all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up."

it is believed 20,000 jews were sieged at Jerusalem and only three would not bow? The King did not even have to build more furnaces when we see all the People bowing and nations, and those of other languages.

How sad is the likeness of today :

Many christians today are bowing to the music or dancing to it I should say. I wonder if God is looking for 20,000 to say NO I Will NOT BOW! But God settled for three. Those three were more than enough that HE even joined them in the fiery furnace . 20, 000 who were taught in the ways of the Lord did not go to the fiery furnace that day. The Lord only knows if they did after that. BUT God did go in with three young boys and they came not. the 20,000 who did bow as many are doing today will not come out of the fiery furnace the Lord places them in. Better to stand with God and be a few than to be many and not stand with God and be many who will get burnt. those in leadership have conspired against the Lord and HIS Holy Sayings this was well planned out persecution. To force those who will not worship the false image made by mans hands. the sad thing is only 3 out of 20,000 believing Jews did not bow. Remember that the next time your church they shut down the place you chose to worship or have not given permission to open yet.

Chose ye this day whom you shall serve.

Heb 13:5
"I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Beautiful insight @CS1!

Persecution is promised - I do pray all that love Jesus will stand. Thank you for sharing.

I have often wondered where Daniel was during this time.....

preparing for the lion's den LOL

I pray that ALL Christians remember and adhere to this during the coming Political Campaigns and Elections. But, sadly, probably just a few more than 3 will...........

Good!

Let us not bow nor bend to any other than the creator of all; God Almighty!

There were three times captives were carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar....Daniel was very much alive when this event took place...and based upon God saying at one time that he yet reserved 7000 that had not bowed the knee unto Baal, I seriously doubt these three were the only three....They were however held in contempt by the Babylonian counselors that sought their demise!

You can doubt it, but we do know that the Bible says ALL People and nations and languages Bowed when the music played right there is verse 7 The word All in the Hebrew means ALL

Powerful and clear message for us today.

What you can expect is that the same thing is happening today: most of "religious Christianity" goes along with what the Devil brings along. When you stand out you will get persecuted!

So, you can join the 19, 997 or you can be one of the 3!

But don't expect a crowd of people to stand with you!

So what about the people on the North and South American Continents, or in China, or Australia, or even the areas to be Rome, Greece, Italy etc.......Not saying that all Hebrews did not bow, saying the story is specifically aimed at them and the bible does not record the actions of all faithful on the planet with every story.....and they must have had one hell of a speaker system for EVERYONE in the Babylonian Kingdom to hear the music being played!

if you want to be argumentative about Daniel chapter 3 and the context of who bowed from verse 7 have at it . Of course, not all Hebrews bowed This was in Jerusalem, nothing is mentioned about the South of Judah. In fact, I think I mentioned there was thought to be 20,000 Jews where I said: "it is believed 20,000 jews were sieged at Jerusalem and only three would not bow? "

The context is of Daniel 3 is not "the North and South American Continents, or in China, or Australia, or even the areas to be Rome, Greece, Italy, etc.......". is it? Where did this event happen at? is or was 1. in Jerusalem or a province of Babylon?


it is also about the application that was provided which you can disagree with and doubt . If you remember Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego were hired to do what? To be that " Speaker " you talked about that had to be so big. You can read that in Chapter one.

Do you believe Daniel bowed?

I have no understanding of how some Christians don’t bow to the Lord..unless I’ve read it wrong.

There is none greater than God...we should bow without even questioning it.....no false idols or any idols come before our Lord.

Bow in an instance!!

I think you have a very valid point here. We dare not assume that the "all" means everyone everywhere. It seems pretty clear that Daniel was not there. Likely he was away on official business somewhere? (We don't know). And the king would not have had all his rulers from the entire empire there, or it would have been a perfect opportunity for rebellions to arise . . .?

We don't know why these three are singled out this way -- except that it is a powerful story of them standing out for God (as the OP points out!).

did does not say daniel Daniel Bowed. Again context is important you assumed All mean the global. if you read it it says when the music played they were all to bow worship. Who are they? The whole world? No. Those who heard the music mostly in public Where the golden image was placed. The application that was provided I think is very good you may disagree that is fine.

that scene always reminds me of the academy awards.
they play a lot of music and people clap, dont know if they bow, but they have this huge golden statue and everyone who fakes being someone else gets nominated, the best faker wins the golden statue, get their picture taken on a red carpet and gives a thank you speech and its a big huge deal.

in some tv shows they play in front of a live audience and they actually have little signs above the stage that day APPLAUSE and when people tell jokes, they also tell people they have to laugh. Everyone knows its fake but they all do it. I dont know if the audience gets paid but theres always rent a crowds.

I dont know if it meant 20,000 jews. Perhaps Israelites in general.
I had thought that Daniel and his friends were the only jews captured at the time amongt everyone else.
The story focused on them cos they were jews who kept the faith, while all other nations succumbed to idol worship.

Story of Esther also illustrates the fact that it was Jews who were most persecuted while everyone else assimiliated into surrounding nations. But even Esther had hidden her jewishness so that the King didnt even register she was jewish when he married her.

the story of Daniel shows you dont need 20,000 people or to be in a crowd to worship an idol.
When 2 or 3 gathered in his name, He is there in the midst. Even in a fiery furnace. And you wont get singed.

a lot of churches, especially the mega churches are full of singing and dancing and applause now shows, light shows and smoke machines and performes and the pastor being an MC. there usually an image set up in a powerpoint up on a screen too.

I dont think God is happy with them he would rather people worship Him in spirit and in truth even if its just 2 or 3 people and no music and screens at all.

it is believed that when Jerusalem was sieged by Babylonia there were about 20, 0000 Jews who were taken Captive.

Jerusalem was besieged three times...and my problem is the following statement.....DANIEL was alive and WELL in the Kingdom, He was over ALL the provinces of Babylon and served Nebuchadnezzar personally.....I like everything you have said, I disagree with the following....and for the record....again I say the following....there were three times captives were carried away captive...The first time Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem that led to captives being taken was in 605 B.C before Nebuchadnezzar was crowned King, the second in 597 B.C., the third was in 587 B.C. which resulted in the complete destruction of Jerusalem and Jeremiah's Book of Lamentations....in the latter some 50,000 Jews were carried away captive.

In the first event some 10,000 were carried away captive "2nd Kings 24:12-16"

Note....in the Second it mentions 10,000 of the Goodly men....this does not include women and children..

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, spoiled Jerusalem and took treasures from Solomon’s Temple. Ten thousand of the leading men of Judah were taken into captivity to Babylon. The national leadership in Jerusalem continued to follow their wicked ways until Nebuchadnezzar laid siege of the city and a breach was made into the city wall. King Zedekiah (Mattaniah, 597-586 B.C.) attempted to escape, but was captured and taken to Babylon in chains. The Babylonians killed his sons in his sight and then blinded him. The walls of Jerusalem were destroyed and the temple burned to the ground. All of the city’s treasurers were taken to Babylon. The remaining leaders of Judah were killed and the rest of the people were carried into captivity to Babylon. Only the very poorest people remained in Judah in the hills who later fled to Egypt (2 Kings 25:23-30).

From study and history it seems Daniel, Hanniah, Mishael and Azariah were carried away around 601 B.C. with a small number of goodly children....then the carrying away captive of 10,000 in 597 and then 10,000 men PLUS women and children in 586 when Jerusalem was destroyed. My only problem with what you have said is the following statement of fact which seems to contradict in the very minimum DANIEL'S faithfulness.

Why did the King only throw three people in the fiery furnace?

Well it is clear, they were the only ones who would not bow. Remember this verse