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Dan 3:1-30 They Serve not thy Gods nor Worship the Golden Image

[Study Aired November 22, 2021]

Dan 3:1  Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 
Dan 3:2  Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 
Dan 3:3  Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 
Dan 3:4  Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, 
Dan 3:5  That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: 
Dan 3:6  And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 
Dan 3:7  Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 
Dan 3:8  Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews. 
Dan 3:9  They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever. 
Dan 3:10  Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image: 
Dan 3:11  And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 
Dan 3:12  There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. 
Dan 3:13  Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king. 
Dan 3:14  Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? 
Dan 3:15  Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
Dan 3:16  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 
Dan 3:17  If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 
Dan 3:18  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. 
Dan 3:19  Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. 
Dan 3:20  And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 
Dan 3:21  Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 
Dan 3:22  Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 
Dan 3:23  And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 
Dan 3:24  Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. 
Dan 3:25  He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. 
Dan 3:26  Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. 
Dan 3:27  And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. 
Dan 3:28  Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. 
Dan 3:29  Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort. 
Dan 3:30  Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon. 

Daniel Chapter 2 ended with Daniel being given great gifts and made a ruler by Nebuchadnezzar.  This is to let us know of the great gifts our Lord is giving to us.

Dan 2:48  Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. 

As we indicated in the previous review, becoming partakers of His divine nature through escaping from the corruption that is in the world through lust, is what these great gifts from the Lord are achieving in us. That is what will guarantee us the prize which is also the joy that is set before us. This joy entails reigning with Christ when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.  Daniel, together with the three Hebrew men, were made rulers to assure us that we shall also possess the crown of rulership in the fullness of time.

1Co 10:11  Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 
Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. 

Today’s study of Daniel chapter 3 focuses on who we are and how through our fiery trials, represented here by the furnace, those called and chosen are not given to worship the image created by Nebuchadnezzar.

Dan 3:1  Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 

This image of gold created by Nebuchadnezzar represents the beast or the old man in every human being.  This is confirmed by the measurements of the image. It has a height of 60 cubits and a breadth of 6 cubits. As we are aware, the number 6 signifies the number of man. The number 60 = 6×10. The number 10 means completeness of the flesh. It shows our complete rebellion against our Lord. So, the image represents the beast or the old man within who is the source of all our rebellion against God.

Num 14:22  Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; 
Num 14:23  Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:

The image set up by Nebuchadnezzar was made of gold, which signifies how the old man corrupts the truth of the word of God. In other words, we turn the precious word of the Lord into images of men or idols of the heart which is the same as false doctrines, which is the stumbling block of iniquity during our time in Babylon powered by the old man (the image of gold). This old man is also empowered by the devil.

Eze 16:17  Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,

It is significant to know that the image of gold was set up in Dura of Babylon. Dura means ‘dwelling’. So, what we are being told is that during our time or dwelling in Babylon, we were under the influence of this image or our old man.

Dan 3:2  Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 
Dan 3:3  Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 

The list of those invited to come for the dedication of the image of gold included all the prominent people of Babylon. In verse 4, those invited also included people, nations and languages. This means all the people of the world were present at the dedication.

Dan 3:4  Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,

The dedication of the image represents the observance of days, times and seasons which is part of the weak and beggarly elements of the world as spoken of by Paul as follows:

Gal 4:3  Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 

Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 

According to Strong, the element here means the rudiment or principle of this world. A “rudiment” is a basic, elementary principle or act of worship which became one of the subjects of Paul’s teaching. This rudiment or element does not involve God’s laws at all but rather worldly and pagan teachings.

Col 2:20  Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 
Col 2:21  (Touch not; taste not; handle not; 
Col 2:22  Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? 
Col 2:23  Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.  

Examples Paul gave regarding this rudiment or principle or element of the world involved the observance of days, months, times and years.

Gal 4:10  Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. 
Gal 4:11  I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. 

So, what verses 2 and 3 are showing us is that all people of the world, who are all dominated by the beast or the old man, are sold out to the observance of days, times and seasons. We used to also follow the rudiments of the world until our Lord started opening our eyes to see and our ears to hear.

During the early part of this year, I was talking to a pastor who was trying to invite me to the mother’s birthday celebration. I responded that I cannot be part of the birthday celebration because of Galatians 4:10 which talks about us not taking part in weak and beggarly elements of the world. The response that came out of the pastor’s mouth was this: “But we are doing it for the Lord. We are thanking God and giving Him the glory for adding another year to our mother.”  I was going to say that Saul also spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to offer sacrifice to the Lord but was rejected for not obeying the word of the Lord to destroy everything that breathed. However, I felt that I should not continue the discourse as the pastor is entrenched in the ways of this world. I, therefore, left the pastor to continue in ignorance.

1Sa 15:14  And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? 
1Sa 15:15  And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed. 

Dan 3:5  That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: 
Dan 3:6  And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 
Dan 3:7  Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 

As indicated earlier, the image signifies our old man or the beast within every human being. The verses here imply that all humanity bow down and worship the image or the beast. We all bow down and worship the beast during our time in Babylon.

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 

Rev 13:8  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 

Dan 3:8  Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews. 

As shown in the first review of the Book of Daniel, the term “chaldea” came to include practically all of Babylonia and was virtually synonymous with the neo-Babylonian empire. Chaldea means ‘clod breakers’. A clod refers to a lump of earth or clay. The Chaldeans therefore are those that the Lord used as an instrument of judgment to discipline God’s elect, signified by the Jews. Thus, the accusation raised by the Chaldeans against the Jews is all part of the process of perfecting the elect to conform to the image of Christ.

The woman who was caught in adultery and being brought before Jesus by her accusers was for the purpose of stoning her or putting her to death. However, this experience which was meant for evil turned out to benefit her in the sense that she came to know Jesus’ voice and also realized that she was sinful. This fiery trial that this woman went through was as if she had been resurrected from death to life. So, what our accusers meant for evil, actually ends up for our good.

Joh 8:10  When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 
Joh 8:11  She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. 

We are this woman caught in adultery in the sense that we committed whoredom while in Babylon. We were destined to be put to death by stoning. In this case it is the old man that is being put to death. The stones here represent the word of God, which put to death the old man within us through stoning, and simultaneously bring to birth the new man after the image of Christ.

As we shall see later, this accusation resulted in the three Hebrew men undergoing judgment from the king, resulting finally in being exalted to higher positions. Yes, it is very troubling when we are being accused or undergoing judgment, but our Lord will not tempt us beyond what we can bear. May His name be praised!!

Dan 3:9  They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever. 
Dan 3:10  Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image: 
Dan 3:11  And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 
Dan 3:12  There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. 

It is God’s elect, represented here by Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who do not bow down to the beast nor serve other gods (another Jesus).

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 

Dan 3:13  Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
Dan 3:14  Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? 

When the devil realizes that we have overthrown him from his hold on us through the daily dying of our old man, resulting in us refusing to worship the beast, the devil comes with great wrath knowing his time regarding his influence on our lives is very limited or short.

Rev 12:7  And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 
Rev 12:8  And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 
Rev 12:9  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 

Rev 12:12  Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Dan 3:15  Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

It is those who are dying daily to the flesh or the old man who are the ones who are cast into a burning fiery furnace to speed up the destruction of the old man.

Isa 48:10  Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. 

When we are under the illusion that we control our will or destiny, then we behave like Nebuchadnezzar thinking that not even God will prevent us from getting what we want since He has given us our will. It is when we enter the house of God that we realize that without Him, we can do nothing and that there is no such thing as having our own will to do whatever we like!! Everything is of God!!

Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Dan 3:16  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 
Dan 3:17  If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 
Dan 3:18  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. 

These verses are to let us know that the three Hebrew men did not love their lives even unto death. They were prepared to lose this life to gain it. That is also what happened to Esther. She was prepared to come before the king uninvited and suffer the consequence of losing her life in the process. The word of God says that these things were written for our admonition.

Mat 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 
Mat 16:25  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

Est 4:15  Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer, 
Est 4:16  Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. 

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 

Dan 3:19  Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. 

The furnace being heated seven times is to let us know that we are speaking here of the complete trials we face in this life which destroy the old man in us. This furnace represents our trials and the heat of the fire from the furnace signifies the word of God which is the fire that purifies us seven times.

Psa 12:6  The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them. 

Dan 3:20  And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 

Being bound before being thrown in the furnace is to let us know that we are all servants of corruption (slaves of sin) and therefore in bondage to our old man. That is why we have to go through the furnace to completely (seven times) set us free from our bondage to sin.

2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 

2Ti 2:26  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. 

Joh 8:34  Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 

Dan 3:21  Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 

Being bound in their coats and other garments means that we were entrenched in our self-righteousness which is iniquity. Casting their garments into the furnace symbolizes the destruction of our self-righteousness – a negative application of garment.

Gen 35:2  Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:

2Ki 25:29  And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life.

Eze 33:13  When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. 

The positive application of garments represents the righteousness of Christ.

Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Dan 3:22  Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

The flame of fire that slew the men that took the three Hebrew men into the furnace is the word of God. To us, this fire, or the word of God, is light to our path and liberates us from our shackles of sin. On the other hand, this word of God, or flame of fire, becomes darkness to those not given to know Christ in this life.  The flame of fire slaying them means that those who are not elected in this life become spiritually dead.

Exo 14:19  And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: 
Exo 14:20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night. 

Dan 3:23  And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 
Dan 3:24  Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. 
Dan 3:25  He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. 

We go into our trials (furnace) bound, but we end up being free from our bondage to sin (signified by the four men loose and walking) by the death of our old man. In other words, we learn righteousness from our fiery trials.

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. 
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

The fact that Nebuchadnezzar saw four men loose is to let us know that all of God’s called and chosen of every generation must experience fiery trials. That is what will set them free from all bondage.

Jer 25:27  Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you. 
Jer 25:28  And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink. 

Nebuchadnezzar said that the fourth man he saw was like the son of God. We know that this son of God is our Lord Jesus Christ who is with us in our tribulation.

Isa 43:1  But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 
Isa 43:2  When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 

His coming to us in our fiery trials is for the purpose of providing a way of escape so that we can bear these trials.

1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Dan 3:26  Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. 

In the fullness of time, we shall be called out of the furnace of affliction of this life into glory. The world we live in is like a furnace. To the elect, it is the furnace that destroys our old man and brings us into righteousness. To those who are not given to know Christ in this life, it is a cloud that darkens their understanding of the love of Christ and therefore does not produce righteousness.

Job 14:14  If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. 
Job 14:15  Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.  

Dan 3:27  And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. 

The statement “the fire had no power, nor an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them” is just another way of saying that nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ.

Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 
Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The negative application of the fire having no power over them is that the suffering experienced by those who do not know Christ in this life does not result in righteousness. Rather, it darkens their understanding.

Gal 3:3  Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 
Gal 3:4  Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

We, the elect, are those who are coming out of the great tribulation first. Later, the whole of humanity will also come out of this tribulation.

Rev 7:13  And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 
Rev 7:14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 
Rev 7:15  Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

Dan 3:28  Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. 

We are those who put our trust in the Lord to deliver us from all our afflictions in this life.

Psa 125:1  A Song of Ascents. Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. 
Psa 125:2  As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore. 

We are also those who change the king’s word. To change the king’s word means we are those who put emphasis on the spiritual implication of the word of God and not the letter or the physical words of the Lord. In other words, we recognize that the word of Christ is spirit.

Joh 6:63  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 

To yield our bodies means we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. We can offer our bodies as sacrifice because the tribulation we are going through is achieving for us the righteousness of Christ.

Rom 12:1  I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 

Another characteristic of those who have gone through or are going through tribulation unscathed is that they do not serve other gods except our God. This means that we are not in any adulterous relationship with another Jesus. We have come out of Babylon, the place where we serve other gods, to worship our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rev 17:4  And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 
Rev 17:5  And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 

Dan 3:29  Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

This verse is the same as saying that no weapon formed or fashioned against us shall prosper.

Isa 54:17  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. 

Dan 3:30  Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon. 

The promotion here is the reward or the joy that is set before us. This joy entails reigning with Christ when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.

1Co 10:11  Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.   

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 
Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. 

Conclusion

Here in Daniel chapter 3, we are being shown who we are. In other words, the image represents our old man or the beast within us who is worshiped by everyone except those who are marked as God’s elect. Our journey in Babylon is to bring us to this point of knowing who we are. This gives the Lord the occasion to come into our lives to judge us. This judgment is the furnace that the Hebrew men were thrown into.

The lesson we can learn from this chapter is that if we love our life, we will end up losing it, but if we lose our life, we shall gain it. Loving our lives means bowing down to the image created by Nebuchadnezzar or being under the influence of the flesh. If we love our lives, we do not go into any furnace in this life, but if we lose our lives, we are destined to be in the furnace of affliction of this life. The suffering we are all going through now attests of the reality of this furnace of affliction.

Joh 12:25  He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 

But that is not the end of the story!! The three Hebrew men came out of the furnace unscathed!! In other words, they ended up being overcomers. We are also predestined to come out of this furnace of life victorious. This present suffering is achieving for us incomparable glory which shall be revealed in the fullness of time!!

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.