Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
Daniel Ch.3 / 12 Ch.s
DA:3
* Nebuchadnezzar's golden image. (1-7) Shadrach and his
companions refuse to worship it. (8-18) They are cast into a
furnace, but are miraculously preserved. (19-27) Nebuchadnezzar
gives glory to Jehovah. (28-30)
#1-7 In the height of the image, about thirty yards, probably is
included a pedestal, and most likely it was only covered with
plates of gold, not a solid mass of that precious metal. Pride
and bigotry cause men to require their subjects to follow their
religion, whether right or wrong, and when worldly interest
allures, and punishment overawes, few refuse. This is easy to
the careless, the sensual, and the infidel, who are the greatest
number; and most will go their ways. There is nothing so bad
which the careless world will not be drawn to by a concert of
music, or driven to by a fiery furnace. By such methods, false
worship has been set up and maintained.
#8-18 True devotion calms the spirit, quiets and softens it, but
superstition and devotion to false gods inflame men's passions.
The matter is put into a little compass, Turn, or burn. Proud
men are still ready to say, as Nebuchadnezzar, Who is the Lord,
that I should fear his power? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
did not hesitate whether they should comply or not. Life or
death were not to be considered. Those that would avoid sin,
must not parley with temptation when that to which we are
allured or affrighted is manifestly evil. Stand not to pause
about it, but say, as Christ did, Get thee behind me, Satan.
They did not contrive an evasive answer, when a direct answer
was expected. Those who make their duty their main care, need
not be anxious or fearful concerning the event. The faithful
servants of God find him able to control and overrule all the
powers armed against them. Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst. If He
be for us, we need not fear what man can do unto us. God will
deliver us, either from death or in death. They must obey God
rather than man; they must rather suffer than sin; and must not
do evil that good may come. Therefore none of these things moved
them. The saving them from sinful compliance, was as great a
miracle in the kingdom of grace, as the saving them out of the
fiery furnace was in the kingdom of nature. Fear of man and love
of the world, especially want of faith, make men yield to
temptation, while a firm persuasion of the truth will deliver
them from denying Christ, or being ashamed of him. We are to be
meek in our replies, but we must be decided that we will obey
God rather than man.
#19-27 Let Nebuchadnezzar heat his furnace as hot as he can, a
few minutes will finish the torment of those cast into it; but
hell-fire tortures, and yet does not kill. Those who worshipped
the beast and his image, have no rest, no pause, no moment free
from pain, #Re 14:10,11|. Now was fulfilled in the letter that
great promise, #Isa 43:2|, When thou walkest through the fire,
thou shalt not be burned. Leaving it to that God who preserved
them in the fire, to bring them out, they walked up and down in
the midst, supported and encouraged by the presence of the Son
of God. Those who suffer for Christ, have his presence in their
sufferings, even in the fiery furnace, and in the valley of the
shadow of death. Nebuchadnezzar owns them for servants of the
most high God; a God able to deliver them out of his hand. It is
our God only is the consuming fire, #Heb 12:29|. Could we but
see into the eternal world, we should behold the persecuted
believer safe from the malice of his foes, while they are
exposed to the wrath of God, and tormented in unquenchable
fires.
#28-30 What God did for these his servants, would help to keep
the Jews to their religion while in captivity, and to cure them
of idolatry. The miracle brought deep convictions on
Nebuchadnezzar. But no abiding change then took place in his
conduct. He who preserved these pious Jews in the fiery furnace,
is able to uphold us in the hour of temptation, and to keep us
from falling into sin.