Alfred North Whitehead said, "The key note of idolatry is
contentment with the prevalent gods." Nebuchadnezzar, as we saw
in the conclusion of chapter 2, had been convinced that Jehovah was
the God of gods. Even after this, however, he did not feel compelled
to forsake his lesser gods. Like many Oriental people today he added
the true God to his collection and went on in his allegiance to his old
gods. Here in chapter 3 we see him setting up an idol of gold to be
worshipped.
Commentators disagree as to how to interpret this idolatry. Dr.
Gill says it was due to his pride. In the dream and interpretation of
chapter 2 he was the head of gold, but he was going to do better than
that and be the whole image of gold. The image represents himself,
and it is his attempt to outwit the dream and make himself superior.
Whether or not he felt this image represented himself we do not
know, but we do know he was very serious about it being
worshipped, for he threatens immediate death to all who would bow
to it. what ever his motive he is determined to get all to worship his
golden image. It meant a great deal to him.
Joseph Seiss takes an opposite view of the matter. He says the
king is to be congratulated here for this noble act of reverence. He
says Nebuchadnezzar is building this image as a memorial of the
dream God gave him so as to never forget. The purpose then is to
glorify the God of heaven and not to detract from Him. It is
wonderful to be able to see such a noble motive, but the evidence is
opposed to this optimistic view. If it was true that he was honoring
Jehovah, why would the whole chapter be about the opposition of
God's men to the whole thing? In verse 18 they say they will not
serve his gods or worship the golden image. It is flying in the face of
the facts to suppose Nebuchadnezzar is doing anything here but
demanding idolatrous worship. It helps to know that chapter 3 does
not come immediately after chapter 2 in time. Nebuchadnezzar is not
to be pictured as getting up the next day and ordering the image to
be set up.
Since chapter 2 Nebuchadnezzar has been to Jerusalem and has
destroyed the city, and so this is 19 years later. Possibly he is now no
longer impressed with the God of the Jews whose city he has
destroyed. He is feeling very supreme himself, and he says to the 3
Jewish friends in verse 15, "And who is the God that will deliver you
out of my hands?" If the God of the Jews could not deliver them in
their holy city, He will certainly be no threat in Babylon is what he
was thinking. Nebuchadnezzar had lost the impression he had when
the dream was interpreted. He settled back into his contentment
with the gods of Babylon. He was in the same frame of mind as king
Robert of Sicily. He heard the words of Scripture being chanted by
some priest. They were saying, "He hath put down the mighty from
their seats, and exalted them of low degree." His scornful response
of pride was-
Tis well that such seditious words are sung
Only by priests in the Latin tongue,
For unto priests and people be it known,
There is no power can push me from my throne.
It was in this spirit that Nebuchadnezzar raised his 90 foot high
golden image and expected all to bow down. Even if it did not
represent him, his ego was directly involved. We get an idea of his
attitude from the famous India House Inscription in which he tells us
how he renovated two great temples and built many others. Of one
of his palaces he says, "That house, for admiration I made it, for the
beholding of the hosts of men I filled it with magnificence.
Awe-inspiring glory, and dread of the splendor of my sovereignty
encompass it round about; the evil, unrighteous man cometh not
within it." He came very near to playing God with his great power.
Verse 2 says that he called all the officials together for the
dedication of his image. A tyrant always has a good crowd at his
formalities. It is a matter of survival to attend such a function.
Daniel is not present at this ceremony, and was likely on a trip of
some important government business. His three friends, who were
lesser officials, were not so fortunate, and they were forced into a
showdown. They had survived all these years as servants in a pagan
government, but now they faced a test of loyalty between God and
their government. No free man could tolerate the demands of
Nebuchadnezzar. He denied religious liberty and demanded worship
of his idol or else. This would be no problem for most of the officials,
for they could worship another god without denying their own god.
There was no inconsistency for them. It was just a matter of
common courtesy that you honored the gods of the area you were in.
It was a different story for the Jews, however, for their God
forbid the recognition of all the false gods of men. Idolatry was a
serious sin of disloyalty, and so they were really in a bind. They were
government officials performing useful service in the government for
years. They had not had to compromise their loyalty in serving
pagan people in this way, but now their loyalty is being challenged.
Will they bow to a false god to hold their office and to stay alive?
Will they compromise their faith to hold on to the good life they had,
or will they risk it all by being loyal to their Lord? The fact that they
lasted this long shows that a believer can be a good politician in an
unbelieving society. Sooner or later, however, they were run into a
conflict of interest and be forced to choose between loyalty to the
state, or to God. In a government like that of Babylon the danger
was even greater, for there was no separation of church and state.
In America no government official could be compelled by decree
to bow down to any idol. If such ever came to be the case Christians
would have to defy the government in loyalty to God. This incident
in Babylon shows us that Christians are justified in getting involved
in politics, but also in resisting a government that compels obedience
to what is contrary to the will of God. This means that groups that
have nothing to do with government, and those who say my country
right or wrong are both without biblical support. The biblical
position is to do all that is possible that is consistent with God's will,
and to resist all that is contrary to His revelation.
In verses 4 and 5 the herald explained what was expected at the
sound of the instruments. Times have not changed that much. Here
is your typical gathering of dignitaries being instructed as to what to
do when the band begins the program. Music plays a major role in
all the affairs of men. This is true in all lands and religions. The
Babylonians had a very musical nature. Monuments have been
found with musicians playing instruments. Here is an impressive list
of instruments they used. Music unites people behind a common
cause. Every nation has its patriotic music to unite its people. The
role of music in nationalism is essential. The onward march of
Christianity has also been in step to the great hymns of the cross.
Many feel that political unity was the goal that Nebuchadnezzar had
in mind here.
Verse 6 says that the ones not falling down at the commencement
of the music would be given a free cremation at government expense.
It was bow or burn with no waiting. Burning was the typical method
of capital punishment in Babylon. In Jer. 29:22 we read, "The Lord
make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon
roasted in the fire." Nebuchadnezzar had little compassion, and
when he said you will roast you can count on roasting. Verse 7
shows that the officials were well aware of this, for as soon as the
music began they all fell down immediately. Here was instant idolatry.
Sound the music and in a moment they were all idolaters.
This scheme for instant idolatry did not work on everyone, for the 3
Jewish friends were not interested in it, or even in a slower version of
it.
Verse 8 shows that some of the Chaldeans were glad they
refused to bow, for they despised these foreigners coming in as mere
captives and rising to positions of political power. Here was their
chance to get rid of them, and so they maliciously charged them
before the king. Now the book of Daniel clearly states that
Nebuchadnezzar is in power by the will of God, and all his glory is
the gift of God. He is God's man in God's appointed place.
Nevertheless, if that power is used unjustly it is to be defied. It is
better to be guilty of treason to your king than to be a traitor to your
God. No power on earth has the right to command a man's
conscience concerning his ultimate loyalty.
The separation of church and state is of the very essence of our
success as a free nation. No nation can long remain free where the
state has the power to determine a man's ultimate loyalty. God never
intended the state to exercise this power. Man is to be free to
determine who will be his God. It would be wrong even for a
Christian dictator to force people to worship the true God. Where
freedom is allowed the Gospel will compete with all other values for
man's loyalty. What is surprising is that many Christians believe
Jesus is going to do the very thing that is condemned in all others.
They believe He will set up a kingdom where men will be compelled
by force to be loyal to Him. I see no biblical basis for this. When
every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord it
will be due to inescapable conviction, for when Christ comes again in
great power and glory no one will be able to doubt His deity.
There will no one in hell including the devil himself who will
doubt the Lordship of Christ, but none will be forced to love Him or
be loyal to Him. They will be free to curse Him for all eternity. If
force was justified Jesus would be obligated to force all to repent and
be saved. What is evil in Nebuchadnezzar in his demand for instant
idolatry ought not to be attributed to the King of Kings, for this
makes might right, and if might alone determines right, then this
demand for instant idolatry would be right, but it clearly is not. In
our next study we will consider the consequences of three Jews not
joining in on this instant idolatry.
