At the news of Daniel’s continual prayer to God in the face of the law that prohibited it, the king was distressed. He wasn’t distressed because Daniel had been praying or that he had broken the law. The king was distressed because he realised that he had been duped into signing a law that wasn‘t about honouring him but manipulated him into serving the administrators’ jealous agenda. The king set about looking for a way to rescue Daniel but he was unable to find one. When sunset came, the administrators came and reminded him that no law could be revoked. They expected Daniel’s execution.

The king ordered that Daniel be thrown into the den of lions. Before he was cast in, the king spoke with Daniel and expressed his hope that the God whom he served faithfully would deliver him. Darius was not a believer. He spoke to Daniel of “your God”. But he was impressed by Daniel’s commitment to his faith and he must have had a sense that there was something real about his relationship with God. Then a stone was placed over the mouth of the lions’ den and it was sealed with the king’s signet ring and that of some of his nobles so that no one would attempt to rescue Daniel. That night the king couldn’t sleep and he refused food and entertainment.

The next morning at daybreak the king went quickly to check on Daniel. Ancient Babylonian custom was that a victim would be pardoned if he had been tortured but not died by the following day and that was likely the situation here. The king called to Daniel in anguish and asked if he had been spared. This time he referred to Daniel’s God as the living God. He had hoped that Daniel’s God would deliver him but he did not have the confidence that it would happen. Daniel called out in the customary greeting, “O king, live forever” and then explained that God had sent his angel who shut the lions’ mouths and prevented them from harming him. He had been spared because he had not sinned against God (Psalm 51:4) and he was innocent of any wrong against the king. Perhaps the angel God sent was the pre-incarnate Christ (Jesus) who had also walked in the fire with Daniel’s three friends. The king was relieved and ordered that Daniel be lifted out of the den. No wounds were found on him because he had trusted in his God. Then the king commanded that the men who had plotted against Daniel be hurled into the den of lions along with their wives and children. The entire family was killed along with the guilty party as a Persian custom partly to prevent retaliation from family members. Dispelling any idea that the lions’ were old and unable to harm Daniel, we are told that the conspirators didn’t even touch the floor before they were mauled by the lions. Daniel had experienced a miraculous deliverance.

The king then issued a decree in writing to all the people throughout the land to revere the God of Daniel. They were to honour God because He is the living God who lives forever. His kingdom will never end and He will reign forever. He delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders both in heaven (probably alluding to the wonders of the universe) and on earth. He is the God who saved Daniel from the power of the lions.

Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and Cyrus the Persian. Little to nothing is known historically about Darius the Mede but it assumed that Darius is a second name for Cyrus the Persian, a dual name for the leader of the combined Medo-Persian empire. Daniel was probably set over the whole kingdom as the king had planned (Dan 8:3).

Is your life a consistent witness of your faith? Do you stand out as different from the unbelievers at work or school? If you look and act just like those who don’t believe, why would they turn to you and expect you to have access to the living God? (1 Pet 3:13-17)

Darius, having just conquered Babylon, set about establishing Medo-Persian rule by appointing 120 satraps throughout the kingdom. These were lower-level officials who reported to three higher officials of which Daniel was one. In his role, Daniel became distinguished above all the other administrators and satraps because of his excellent spirit. Evidently, Darius recognised God’s hand on Daniel and he sought to promote Daniel over the whole kingdom. By this time Daniel was over eighty years of age. The two other administrators and the satraps (probably not all 120) became jealous and looked for a way to discredit Daniel but they were unable to find any grounds for complaint or any fault because of his faithfulness. They realised that the only way they were going to get to Daniel was through his religion.

These administrators and satraps colluded and went to the king. They presented an exaggerated case that all the royal administrators were in agreement that the king should establish a law that for the next thirty days, no one should petition any god or man except to the king. The penalty for breaking this law was death by being thrown into a den of lions. This law probably wasn’t about elevating Darius to a deity to be prayed to, but more likely that Darius was to be the priestly mediator through which anyone should petition their gods. In this sense, it would have been seen as a good way to bring unity and show loyalty to the newly established government. They encouraged the king to formally establish this injunction and personally sign the document so it could not be revoked. The king was persuaded and he signed it into law.

Knowing about the law, Daniel continued to go to the upper chamber of his home and with the windows open toward Jerusalem, he continued to pray on his knees three times a day as was his habit. Praying towards Jerusalem was probably based on Solomon’s prayer during the dedication of the temple (2 Chron 6:21). Daniel was a man of courage and conviction. He continued to praise God despite the danger. He continued to openly serve God and didn’t change or hide his faith even in the face of death. Daniel deliberately defied the law of the land which goes against the Bible’s instruction to obey civil authority (Rom 13:1-2). This can be reconciled because the Bible also teaches that God’s law is higher than any law of man and “we must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

The men who were against Daniel came together by agreement and found Daniel praying to God as he was known to do. They approached the king and by way of reminder asked the king if he had not issued the decree forbidding any petitions to any god except through the king. The king agreed that he had signed it into law and that according to the law of the Medes and Persians, it could not be revoked. Then they revealed that Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, paid no attention to the king or his injunction which he signed, and continued to pray to his God three times a day.

Do you live your life with such godly integrity that the only fault people could find with you would be to go after your faith? If they did go after your faith, would you stand firm in your habits of Bible reading and daily prayer? If you did not confidently answer those two questions, what do you need to change from today?

Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings that are easily applied to everyday situations. Consider carefully which of the sayings you’ve read today are particularly applicable to you today and in the coming week. What do you need to change or do more of to make use of God’s wisdom in your life?

About thirty years after the events of chapter four, Nebuchadnezzar had been replaced by Nabonidus, and Belshazzar, his son, was co-regent. Nabonidus had just suffered a crushing defeat by the Persians and fled. Only Babylon held out. While the Persians lay siege to Babylon, Belshazzar hosted a large banquet for thousands of his nobles. Perhaps he held the celebration to boost the morale of his subjects. Babylon had a strong wall, the Euphrates river ran through the city and they had a stockpile of food to last years. As the wine flowed, Belshazzar ordered that the vessels of gold and silver that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem be brought in and everyone gathered drank from them. They not only drank from these vessels, but used them to praise their idols of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. This was an act of sacrilege and blasphemy against the God of Israel.

The celebration was suddenly interrupted by the appearance of a human hand that wrote four words onto the plaster of the wall. The king got a huge fright. His colour left his face, his legs became weak and his knees knocked together. He immediately called for the wise men of Babylon to interpret the writing on the wall. He offered a reward of being placed third in charge within the kingdom (after him and his father) along with royal robes and a chain of gold. The wise men came in but they could not decipher the meaning of the writing.

The queen, or perhaps the queen mother, heard about the situation and came to the banquet hall. She reminded Belshazzar about Daniel, a man in the kingdom who had the spirit of the holy gods whom Nebuchadnezzar had appointed as chief over the wise men of Babylon. Daniel had been able to interpret dreams and solve problems for king Nebuchadnezzar so she advised Belshazzar to call him in to interpret the words on the wall.

The king offered Daniel the same reward he had offered his wise men if he could interpret the writing. Daniel refused the king’s offer. He likely wanted to make it clear that God’s help could not be bought. First Daniel reminded Belshazzar of his ancestor Nebuchadnezzar who had built a great nation but allowed his heart to become proud. God had humbled him by removing his sanity and leaving him to live and eat with animals until he acknowledged God was the Most High and had the sovereign right to establish the rulers of human kingdoms by His will. With knowledge of what happened to Nebuchadnezzar, how could Belshazzar have acted with similar pride against the Lord of heaven? He had taken the vessels from God’s house and used them to worship manmade idols which do not see or hear or know anything. At the same time, he had refused to honour God who has control over his every breath.

Then Daniel interpreted the writing. There were four words inscribed, “mene, mene, tekel, and parsin”. The individual words would have been understood as “numbered, numbered, weighed, and divided”. But together their message was not understood. Daniel explained that God had numbered the days of his kingdom and brought it to an end. Belshazzar’s reign had been weighed or measured and found wanting. As with all of us, the king’s actions were placed on one side of the scale and God’s holiness and laws on the other and he was shown to be deficient. Belshazzar’s life didn’t measure up to God’s standard of righteousness. Finally, his kingdom was going to be destroyed or dissolved and given to the Medes and Persians.

Belshazzar rewarded Daniel with all he had promised but the reward was worthless because that very night the king was killed as the Persians invaded Babylon and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom aged sixty-two years old.

If you compare your life to Belshazzar, the scales might tip in your favour. But when your life is put on the scales against God’s righteousness, the Bible tells us we all fall short. The only way we can measure up is if Christ puts His life on the scales instead of ours. While we were God’s enemies, Christ died for us so that we can be reconciled with God and not face His wrath (Romans 5:8-11). If you have not placed your faith in Jesus for your salvation, there is no better time than right now (Eph 2:8-9; John 11:25-26). Only Belshazzar got writing on the wall to tell him his life was going to be taken from him that same night.

But the king did not heed Daniel’s advice. Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of his royal palace in Babylon when he spoke words of great pride, saying “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” While the words were still on his lips, God spoke from heaven and declared that his kingdom had been taken from him and as previously predicted, he would be driven away from men to eat grass in the fields for seven years until he was ready to confess that God is sovereign over the kingdom of men and establishes their rulers according to His will. King Nebuchadnezzar’s sanity left him and he lived like an animal exposed to the elements and his hair grew long like eagles’ feathers and his nails grew like birds’ claws. Daniel later added that the king lived with wild donkeys, Dan 5:21).

Seven years later, at the end of the days, Nebuchadnezzar lifted his eyes to heaven and his sanity was restored to him and he gave praise and honour to God, the Most High. He acknowledged that God’s kingdom is an eternal kingdom and by comparison, the people of earth are as nothing. God does what He wills both in heaven and on earth. No one can stop God and no one has any right to question Him (Job 33:12-13; Rom 9:19-20).

Because Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged God’s right to rule, his sanity and his throne were restored. He was more blessed and received greater honour than he had experienced when he walked in pride. As a result, he praised and glorified and exalted God, the King of Heaven. He acknowledged that God is right and just in all He does and that He humbles those who walk in pride. The description of Nebuchadnezzar’s praise and honour of God suggests an ongoing habitual attitude towards God from that point on. There is a strong indication that Nebuchadnezzar had been humbled and his attitude towards God changed such that we can expect to see Him one day in heaven.

God chose to use Gentile nations as His instruments in judging Israel. But He didn’t leave them to their own devices. Even though the nations of the earth continue to rebel against God, He will humble them and bring them into subjection to Christ’s authority. One day “the kingdom of the world [will] become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” (Rev 11:15).

Chapter four is a unique chapter in the Bible as it is the only chapter written by a pagan. It is written from Nebuchadnezzar’s point of view and is the testimony of God’s work in his life. It opens and closes with a prayer of praise. The parts of this chapter not written in the first person describe the period of the king’s madness to which he would not have been a rational witness. The events described happened toward the end of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, about thirty years after the incident with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and the furnace.

King Nebuchadnezzar was living in a state of ease and prosperity. He had conquered and subdued his enemies and was in a period facing no threat to his authority. But God gave him a dream that shattered his peace and left him afraid. Once again he called all the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers to interpret his dream. This time he told them the content of the dream but they were still unable to interpret it. For some reason, Daniel was late in arriving before the king. Whatever the reason, God used the delay to once again show that the wise men were unable to interpret the king’s dream. The king acknowledged that Daniel was unique because he had “the spirit of the holy gods” with him. The inclusion that Daniel had been named Belteshazzar after the name of his god, is a reminder that the king was a worshipper of other gods at this point in his life.

In his dream, the king saw a tall tree in the middle of the earth. The tree grew tall and strong so that it reached high into the sky and was visible throughout the earth. It had beautiful leaves and abundant fruit that provided food for all. Animals of the field found shade under it and the birds lived in its branches and everything was fed from it. Then an angel came from heaven and made a proclamation to have the tree chopped down but to leave its stump in the ground protected with a band (or fence) of iron and bronze. At this point the proclamation begins to use a personal pronoun, the tree clearly represents a man. He was to be exposed to the elements of nature and to eat grass like animals. His mind was to be changed from that of a man to that of an animal. He would begin to believe he was an animal, a psychological phenomenon known as boanthropy (when a person believes themself to be a bovine). This infliction would affect him for seven periods of time. This is believed to mean seven years, seven full cycles of all the seasons.

After the king told Daniel the dream, he was alarmed and shaken by the implications. Daniel would have preferred that the dream and its interpretation were for the king’s enemies rather than for the king. He explained that the tree that had grown large and provided food and shade represented the king who had become strong and his dominion had reached the ends of the known earth. The message was a decree from God, the Most High, that he would be driven away from men to live amongst the animals for seven years in order to recognise that it is the Lord who rules the kingdoms of men and gives it to whom He wills. God remains sovereign over every human ruler and they only hold the position they hold because God has established them to do His will. But there was a glimmer of hope. The protection of the stump meant that Nebuchadnezzar would be restored to the throne once he repented and acknowledged God’s sovereignty (that Heaven rules). Daniel then offered the king counsel, that he discontinue his sinful pride and practice acts of righteousness including acts of mercy to the oppressed. If he were to forsake his pride and submit to God, then there was the possibility that God would relent from punishing him and he could avoid the seven years of predicted judgment.

The book of Jonah shows us that God’s judgment can be avoided if we turn from our sin. As believers, we can avoid much painful discipline if we are quick to humble ourselves and confess our sins. If we are quick to confess, then God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and restore us to an abiding relationship with Him (1 John 1:8-10). Is your pride keeping you from a right relationship with God today?

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22 Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

(ESV)

King Nebuchadnezzar had just issued a challenge, “who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” (Dan 3:15). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego boldly declared that they had no need to make a defence, their minds were made up. They had faith that the God whom they served was able to save them from the furnace, but they knew that He is sovereign and may choose not to. Either way, they refused to serve foreign gods or worship the golden image the king had erected.

The king was furious. He had offered them a second chance to worship the image and now his whole demeanour changed. He ordered the furnace be heated to its maximum and got some of the strongest men in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and have them thrown into the furnace fully clothed. Why did he need such strong soldiers? Perhaps because he wanted to ensure no chance that anyone, god or man, could intervene. The furnace was so hot that the soldiers who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace were killed in the process.

Then the king saw something unbelievable. He first conferred with his councillors that they had only thrown three men into the furnace. They confirmed his count. But Nebuchadnezzar saw four men walking around in the fire. The only thing that had burned was their restraints and they were unharmed. The fourth man looked like a deity. The fourth person may have been an angel but most Bible commentators agree that it was most likely the Son of God, Jesus in a pre-incarnate appearance.

The king called Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego out of the furnace. When the king and his counsellors examined them they saw that the fire had not affected them in any way. The hair on their heads was not singed, their clothes were unharmed, and they didn’t even smell like fire. The king’s response was to praise their God who sent an angel to rescue them. They had trusted their god, ignored the king’s command, risking their lives for what they believed. They were prepared to die rather than worship any god except their own God. Because of this, the king decreed that any person who profaned the name of their God would be torn limb from limb and their houses laid in ruins because no other god is able to rescue in this way. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Is God all-powerful? Yes. Does God deliver believers from all trials? No. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn’t know how things would end. They did have firm faith that the God who delivered Israel from Egypt, who parted the red sea and did countless other miracles could save them. They also most likely had a firm belief in eternity with God that is far superior to anything here on earth. They literally got to live the promise, “when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” (Isaiah 43:2). One thing we can be sure of is when we go through trials, Jesus is there with us (Heb 2:18).

King Nebuchadnezzar erected an idol of gold. It stood 27 meters high by 2.7 meters wide. With those dimensions, a statue of a man would have been grossly disproportionate. It is possible that a more proportionate figure was placed on top of a tall base, otherwise, the statue may have been more like an obelisk. The king called for all the officials of the provinces to come to the plain of Dura outside of the city of Babylon for the dedication of this image he had erected. As they stood before it, a herald proclaimed that all were commanded to fall down and worship the image when an orchestra of many instruments began playing. Whoever failed to obey this command and worship the image would be immediately thrown into a burning fiery furnace. The furnace that had been used to smelt the gold and prepare bricks was probably on sight and billowing out smoke as a very real and ominous threat. So as soon as the orchestra began playing, all fell down and worshipped the golden image. All except three who stood alone.

Some wise men of Babylon came to the king and accused the Jews. They were malicious in their intent. They were probably motivated by personal jealousy and saw this as an opportunity to rid themselves of these foreigners. They greeted the king with a customary greeting and then reminded him of his decree to worship the golden image or face the death penalty. Then they brought their charge against the Jews. Specifically mentioning their nationality suggests anti-Semitism and resentment against the people and their religious practices that kept them very distinct from the rest of the world. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were named as individuals whom the king himself had appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon but who refused to worship his gods or worship the golden image he had erected. Either they were highlighting their level of insubordination having been given such positions, or they were suggesting that the king had made a mistake in their appointment.

In a rage, the king summoned Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and he asked them if it was true that they refused to serve his gods or worship the golden image he had set up. Then for some reason, he gave them a second chance. Perhaps he valued them in their positions and didn’t want to lose them. Whatever the reason, he had the orchestra play again and if they were to fall down and worship the image, then he would overlook their initial refusal. But if they refused to worship the image, then they would immediately be thrown into the furnace. Nebuchadnezzar added the challenge, “and who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” Even with his prior experience with the God of heaven who is able to reveal dreams, Nebuchadnezzar couldn’t see how any god could protect his followers from death in the furnace.

As the world moves further and further into godlessness, are you prepared to stand apart and alone and do things God’s way? (1 John 2:15; Jas 4:4)

Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings that are easily applied to everyday situations. Consider carefully which of the sayings you’ve read today are particularly applicable to you today and in the coming week. What do you need to change or do more of to make use of God’s wisdom in your life?