Dan 3:27 | KingComments | STEP | Nebuchadnezzar has already risen from his throne, but is now moving on. He goes as close as possible to the door of the furnace of blazing fire to speak to the young men. He starts by naming their names. It is striking how often the names of the friends are mentioned in this history. The Spirit of God finds His joy of always mentioning the names of people who have made God great. He honors those who honor Him. Nebuchadnezzar then addresses them as “servants of the Most High God”. This is an open testimony of the faithfulness of the friends. All those who in the course of the centuries until the end of time have ever persecuted the faithful will be forced to give this testimony (cf. ). Persecuted believers who have remained faithful to their confession of the living God are given this testimony. Nebuchadnezzar commands them to come out. They would have been able to leave through the door before and to place themselves triumphantly in front of the king. However, they only leave the furnace on the king’s orders. Additionally, the company of the Son of God will have filled them with so much joy and peace that they would have gladly stayed with Him in the midst of the fire. But by order of the king they come out of the furnace and stand in front of him. There they stand before Nebuchadnezzar, as faithful to him after they have been in the furnace of blazing fire as before. The fire has not changed their appearance, nor their behavior. Then all those who charged them before Nebuchadnezzar come to the king. They do not come up with a new charge. That is not possible, because the verdict has been executed. What they observe is that the fire has had no effect on the young men, yes, that there is not even a smell of fire on them. Here is also an important application to make. Believers who have been in a severe trial because of their faithfulness to the Lord will not make a fuss of their salvation from it. They will not boast about it and will not spread great stories about it. There will be no self-glorification. If they say anything about it, it will only be to make the Lord great, but upon themselves there will be “no smell of fire”. Their faithfulness to the Lord after the trial will be as great as before.

‏ Daniel 3:27

Out of the Fire

Nebuchadnezzar has already risen from his throne, but is now moving on. He goes as close as possible to the door of the furnace of blazing fire to speak to the young men. He starts by naming their names. It is striking how often the names of the friends are mentioned in this history. The Spirit of God finds His joy of always mentioning the names of people who have made God great. He honors those who honor Him.

Nebuchadnezzar then addresses them as “servants of the Most High God”. This is an open testimony of the faithfulness of the friends. All those who in the course of the centuries until the end of time have ever persecuted the faithful will be forced to give this testimony (cf. Rev 3:9). Persecuted believers who have remained faithful to their confession of the living God are given this testimony.

Nebuchadnezzar commands them to come out. They would have been able to leave through the door before and to place themselves triumphantly in front of the king. However, they only leave the furnace on the king’s orders. Additionally, the company of the Son of God will have filled them with so much joy and peace that they would have gladly stayed with Him in the midst of the fire.

But by order of the king they come out of the furnace and stand in front of him. There they stand before Nebuchadnezzar, as faithful to him after they have been in the furnace of blazing fire as before. The fire has not changed their appearance, nor their behavior.

Then all those who charged them before Nebuchadnezzar come to the king. They do not come up with a new charge. That is not possible, because the verdict has been executed. What they observe is that the fire has had no effect on the young men, yes, that there is not even a smell of fire on them.

Here is also an important application to make. Believers who have been in a severe trial because of their faithfulness to the Lord will not make a fuss of their salvation from it. They will not boast about it and will not spread great stories about it. There will be no self-glorification. If they say anything about it, it will only be to make the Lord great, but upon themselves there will be “no smell of fire”. Their faithfulness to the Lord after the trial will be as great as before.