Nebuchadnezzar’s Golden Statue
May 23, 2021
Commentary
Most Bible scholars agree that between eighteen and twenty three years have taken place since the events of chapter 2 and the building of this image in chapter 3. When Nebuchadnezzar made this huge statue he showed that his devotion to Daniel’s God was soon forgotten (vv. 1-2). The king appreciated the wisdom of Daniel but he had no heart for the God who had inspired his servant.
At the height of his power it was easy for Nebuchadnezzar to forget the Word of the Lord through Daniel. It is in the time of our health and strength and prosperity that most of us forget God. The gigantic image he constructed was 90 feet tall and 9 feet thick which was placed on the plain of Dura (v. 1). At the dedication of this image all of the nations and tribes that were subject to Babylon were ordered to send a delegation to the ceremony (vv. 2-4). At a given signal in the ceremony all were to bow down and worship the golden image or be thrown into a fiery furnace (vv. 5-6). This fiery furnace was not a small oven for cooking dinner. It was a huge industrial furnace that could have been used for baking bricks or smelting metals. As soon as the people heard the music, they bowed down and worshiped the gold statue that the king had set up (v. 7).
Application
It is very easy to forget how God has blessed me over the years and just take all of His blessings for granted. Lord help me to never worship the gods of this world but to always be praising you.
Daniel 3:1– 7 (NET)
1 King Nebuchadnezzar had a golden statue made. It was 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide. He erected it on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent out a summons to assemble the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other authorities of the province to attend the dedication of the statue that he had erected. 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other provincial authorities assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had erected. They were standing in front of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had erected.
4 Then the herald made a loud proclamation: “To you, O peoples, nations, and language groups, the following command is given: 5 When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must bow down and pay homage to the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has erected. 6 Whoever does not bow down and pay homage will immediately be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire!” 7 Therefore when they all heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations, and language groups began bowing down and paying homage to the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had erected.