Daniel 3:19-26 "Then Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with rage against Shadrach, Meshach and..."

 “Then Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with rage against Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego that his face was distorted. He ordered the furnace heated up seven times more than was customary, and ordered some of the strongest guards in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. So the men were bound, still wearing their tunics, their trousers, their hats and their other garments, and they were thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. Because the king's command was urgent and the furnace was so overheated, the raging flames killed the men who lifted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. But the three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, fell down, bound, into the furnace of blazing fire. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up quickly. He said to his counselors, 'Was it not three men that we threw bound into the fire?' They answered the king, 'True, O king.' He replied, 'But I see four men unbound, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are not hurt, and the fourth has the appearance of a god.' Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and said, 'Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!' So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out from the fire" (Dan. 3:19-26 NRSV).

Comment:

It would seem, from the rhythmic repetition of words and, especially names that this story was popular in oral tradition long before it was written down and included in the Book of Daniel. The story itself would have been ancient history by the time the Book of Daniel was written, but its relevance would have been clear to Jews who were, themselves, trying to maintain their religion against the oppression of a foreign power.   King Nebuchadnezzar has had a great golden statue formed, and has ordered everyone to bow down and worship it. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are officials "appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon" (Dan. 3:12). They are also Jews and will not bow down to the golden idol. Hence the punishment and dramatic result reported in the story.   Metaphysically, the story affirms that true reality lies in the realm of Spirit, not in the physical. Just who the mysterious fourth man is that the king sees in the flames is, of course, open to interpretation. But he is clearly representative of the dimension of life beyond limits, beyond pain, beyond destruction – the collective Christ Presence, perhaps, of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The dominance of the spiritual over the physical is emphasized, too, in the story's emphasis that not even the men's clothing was affected by the dramatically roaring fire. In our own lives, our firm commitment to spiritual Truth may sometimes come into dramatic conflict with manifestations in the world around us. If we stay calmly and confidently centered in our Oneness with God, we can move easily and comfortably through challenges that might once have consumed us.   Blessings!

Rev. Ed