The Accusation Against the Jews
3: 8-12
The accusation against the Jews DIG: Who accused Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? What was the motive of the accusers? How were their accusations anti-Semitic? Why would Satan want to attack and destroy these three Jews, and all Jews everywhere? What were the three accusations against them?
REFLECT: Have you ever stood up for “the Jews” in any way? In your community? At your place of work? At church? Have you ever stood up for God in the same places? Why? Why not? How are Gentiles saved to make Jews jealous (Romans 11:11)? Is your conscience held captive to the Word of God? Why not? How so?
Standing up for God will often be a lonely activity.
After the command to worship the golden statue (to see link click Bl – Nebuchadnezzar’s Decree to Worship the Statue), there were three men in that great crowd who stood tall when everybody else bowed low. Their faith was in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and in His TaNaKh that He had spoken to His people. Knowing Jewish history, Shadrach (Hananiah), Meshach (Mishael) and Abednego (Azariah) were confident that ADONAI was in control and they had nothing to fear. The prophet Isaiah had written: But now, this is what ADONAI says, He who created you, Jacob, He who formed you, Isra’el, “Don’t be afraid, for I have redeemed you; I am calling you by your name, you are Mine. When you pass by the waters, I will be with you; when you pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched . . . the flames will not burn you” (Isaiah 43:1-2). Faith means obeying God regardless of the feelings within us, the circumstances around us, or the consequences before us.122
Apparently, the crowd was so vast that Nebuchadnezzar could not see Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego standing. But the writer of Dani’el reveals the identity of the accusers. At that time some Chaldeans, in other words, some Babylonian nationalists, came forward and brought an accusation against the Jews (3:8). These were not other magi, because they owed their lives to a Jew (Dani’el 2). Since there appears to have been no reason to point out their nationality, the designation seems to reflect a resentment specifically toward the Jewish people, and their religious practices that caused them to act so very differently than the rest of the world.123 The original Aramaic term (see Ac – Dani’el from a Messianic Jewish Perspective: Languages), brought an accusation, keratz, is rather graphic, it means to slander or to backbite. It refers to malicious accusations that devour the accused piece by piece. Hence, more literally, the idiom means that the Chaldeans ate their pieces and tried to turn Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into chopped liver, to use a Jewish synonym.124 The Adversary knew that the Messiah of Isra’el and the Savior of all mankind would come through God’s divinely chosen people. They are the people of Isra’el, chosen to be God’s adopted children. So God revealed His Sh’khinah glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them His Torah. He gave them the privilege of worshiping Him and receiving His wonderful promises. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors, and Messiah Himself was an Israelite as far as His human nature is concerned. And He is ADONAI, the One who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise (Romans 9:4-5 NLT)!
The Chaldeans reminded King Nebuchadnezzar of his decree as if he had forgotten his own words. Their approach was to be polite at first: May the king live forever! Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace (3:9-11). Getting to their main point, they finally spelled out their accusation? But there are some Jews (they keep making the point that they were Jews) whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. The accusation against the Jewish captives implied a subtle accusation against the king himself. After all, Nebuchadnezzar himself had appointed them to top positions of authority within the Province of Babylon (2:49). The anti-Semitic overtone was hard to miss.
Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were identified as the guilty parties and accused of three things: First, these men . . . have no regard for you (3:12a). This accusation implies that the Jewish men had no respect for the one who had so graciously appointed them to positions of authority. Secondly, they do not serve your gods (3:12b). This information was not new to the king. He knew from his previous encounter with Dani’el that the Jews only worshiped YHVH. And thirdly, [They did not] worship the image of gold you have set up (3:12c). This accusation described a clear act of disobedience to Nebuchadnezzar’s decree.125 With this approach, Nebuchadnezzar’s reaction was predictable (see Bn – Dani’el’s Friends Questioned).
True faith isn’t frightened by threats, impressed by crowds, or swayed by superstitious ceremonies. True faith obeys the Lord and trusts Him to work out the consequences. These three Jewish men knew the law of God – You shall have no other gods before Me . . . You shall not bow down to them nor serve them (Exodus 20:3 and 5). Once ADONAI has spoken on a matter, it is settled and there’s no room for discussion or need for compromise. To bow down before the statue even once, no matter what excuse they might give, would have destroyed their witness and broken their fellowship with God. The tense of the Greek verb in Matthew 4:9 indicates that Satan asked Yeshua to worship him only one time, and the Savior refused. Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah would not bow down to the golden statue even once because it would lead to serving Nebuchadnezzar’s false gods for the rest of their lives.126
It is worth noticing that there were only three men in the whole vast crowd who refused to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s statue. This highlights the fact that standing up for God will often be a lonely activity. There are times when choosing to do what is right means that we cannot simply hide in the crowd. We have to stand more or less alone. Sometimes it will seem that the whole world is watching, as when Martin Luther stood before Catholic authorities in Worms, Germany 1521. Called upon to abandon his commitment to justification by faith alone, Luther boldly declared, “Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason . . . my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me.” Luther’s example shows us that at times we may even have to stand alone for what’s right, even within the Church itself.127
Dear heavenly Father, praise You for Your steadfast love for Isra’el. Thus says ADONAI: “Only if heaven above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, then also I will cast off the offspring of Isra’el (Jeremiah 31:37a). Those who love You must also love Your Jewish children, for it is from the root of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1) that the promised Messiah would come (Matthew 1:1, 2 Samuel 7:12-16, Jeremiah 23:5-6). But until then, Jews and Gentiles are united into one Body, which is a picture of an olive tree with branches of both Jew and Gentile (Romans 11:17-24)? Thank You for loving and opening the door to heaven to all who believe in You as their Lord and Savior – Jew and Gentile, male and female, rich and poor (Galatians 3: 25-26, 28). Thank You for being such a wonderful Father, always loving on Your me and seeking to draw me to be united in Messiah (Ephesians 1:9-10). To the One who sits at Your right hand. Amen
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