Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego - Old Bible story in the new light.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego - Old Bible story in the new light.

Most of us all are aware of this story in the Book of Daniel, 3rd Chapter. Now you may think what is new to say in this, because the story is in an active voice and in itself is like a calligram while going through it, and that's the end of it.

Is our visualisation true? Does king Nebuchadnezzar-II wanted to burn alive the three young men? Is this all what he wanted or did he wanted to torture them more? Let's find out.

Burning alive his captives or enemies is under the jurisdiction of a king. Assyrian Kings like Assurdan-II (934-912 BC), Ashurnarsipal-II (883-859 BC), and Shalmanesser-III (858-824 BC), all followed the same procedure of burning alive their captives. We don't know whether they did this act as a spectacle in an open air or not. This continued down to the Babylonian empire and to the Persians as well. To show his superiority over his subjects, and to discipline his subjects, kings generally used to torture their victims by gruesome techniques, by impaling, flaying of skin while alive etc.  

The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego according to the Book of Daniel happened in the reign of king Nebuchadnezzar-II (605-562 BC). But nowhere in the history in the acts of Nebuchadnezzar-II this kind of act is recorded. Violating a king's commandment is seen as an act of indiscipline. Punishments imposed are so cruel and torturous. From the Book of Daniel, 3rd Chapter, Verse 15, we read that, "you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace." The king made the furnace heated seven times than the normal. The flames scorched away the soldiers who tried to throw away the three young men. Generally the kings who ruled this part of the empire wanted to take their victim's life very slowly, which would be like a lesson for others who disobey the king. But this act of throwing them into the furnace that too seven times hotter than general will kill them in minutes. Did Nebuchadnezzar-II wanted to take their life so simply for an act of disobedience or did he wanted to take the victims life very slowly by making them realize what consequence they need to face for going against his commandments. Generally they opt for second option. How would the punishment of throwing the victim into a burning furnace take life slowly?

For this we need to travel further into the time of Persians. Darius-II (423-404 BC) inflecting the punishment on his brother, Sogdianus (424-423 BC), who tried to snatch away the throne from him. The punishment for treason is to "suffocate till death". A brick wall is built enclosed on all sides. The kiln is filled with wood and the victim is tied and lowered into it and sealed. The wood will burn until the oxygen is consumed within the kiln and the fire is extinguished. From the ashes comes smoke which will suffocate the victim filling his lungs with carbon-dioxide and slowly killing him. History says that, Sogdianus was lowered into a pile of ashes and was suffocated till death.

My intuition is that, Nebuchadnezzar-II also wanted to take life of the three young victims slowly and steadily, of course expecting cries of pardon for their disobedience to his commandment. But what happened is unexpected. Even before the furnace was sealed, Nebuchadnezzar-II saw four men walking around (4:25). And when they were brought out of the kiln, they even didn't smell the smoke (4:27). The smell of the smoke is written in the Amplified Bible, NLT, CEV, and Good News Translation. This word "smoke"*, made my intuitions strong about the slow and steady killing of the victim.

Whatever maybe the process of inflicting the punishment; in the midst of the trouble - God turns suffocation through carbon-dioxide into resuscitation of life with oxygen, sadness into joy, shame into glory, a place of pain and torture into a playful area, moreover, our very God's presence with us in times of trouble.

God bless.

*PS: Martyrdom of Polycarp, disciple of Apostle John :

From the eyewitness account -

....when he prayed, something miraculous happened. The fire swirled around him, but didn't burn. Also, witnesses say it didn't smell like smoke; instead, it smelled like bread baking or incense. The people around him were amazed that he did not burn, but when the emperor saw that he was still alive, he demanded that a sword be plunged into Polycarp....

Picture above is so close to my imagination - taken from -

https://www.biblecartoons.co.uk/blog/daniel-03-the-fiery-furnace

Adhering Your Word.

Adhering Your Word -

Changed History!

An Altered New History!

It is quite difficult for us to adapt to new history lessons. Isn't it? Then,

What if the alteration happend to our Sacred texts? Utter Chaos!

King Darius-I, who believes in Ahuramazda, had to rewrite the religious and civic law of Egypt. Egyptians has to accept it without any question. Both faiths are different. However, Darius-I with the assistance of the Egyptian priests writes down the law for them and he proudly propagandise it. Before Darius-I, his predecessor Cambyses-II has stopped/abolished the office of god's (Amun, primary god in Egypt) wife, a native sentiment in Upper Egypt. And even before Cambyses-II, Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep-IV or Akhenaten (changed name) has completely changed the order of worship. He destroyed the old sacred texts, tomb chapels, and images of god's etc.,

These events say that the Egyptian sacred texts were either destroyed or altered or spurious long back(?).

This is the same king Darius-I who also ruled Israel. Before loosing their kingdoms (Israel and Judah) to Assyria and Babylonia, the High Priest Hilkiah found the Book of God's Law and handed it over to King Josiah before their fall (2Kings 22 and 23rd Chapters). It was the same Law that was read over by Priest Ezra (Nehemiah 8:1-4; Ezra 6:18) after coming back from exile to the Promised Land.

In other words the Judahites must have carried the Law Book with them when the Jerusalem temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar-II of Babylon.

"Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,

 that I may follow it to the end.

Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law

and obey it with all my heart.

Direct me in the path of your commands,

for there I find delight.

...

May your unfailing love come to me, Lord,

your salvation, according to your promise;

then I can answer anyone who taunts me,

for I trust in your word.

Never take your word of truth from my mouth,

for I have put my hope in your laws.

I will always obey your law,

for ever and ever.

I will walk about in freedom,

for I have sought out your precepts."

(Psalm 119:33-35; 41-45).

What if we didn't adhere to His commandments? What if God has not restored the Book of Law to us? What if, if we have lost it forever? What if, if someone had took initiative to give the Law as did king Darius-I to Egypt (a new law code)? Is it a moment of pride for the Lord to restore His Law by Darius a pagan devotee of Ahuramazda? Even if it was restored or rewritten with the help of High Priests, who would be magnified through that book of law - the Lord of the Holy Bible or Ahuramazda? Utter chaos. If Darius-I had rewritten the law, then he would have certainly propagandised it and we would know this today  through his inscriptions, but our God has kept them intact. To put this in another way, isn't our Lord out of His foresight knew of such and such a work from a pagan king and out of His providence rescued His lost Scriptures to His loved ones. No doubt, this is His providence.

Bless God that our Holy Scriptures aren't burnt down by King Nebuchadnezzar-II and are kept safe in the hands of the High Priest Hilkiah and Josiah, King of Judah. We need to praise God today for having the right Scriptures coming down to us from years long gone. We need to glorify our Lord because, we come face to face with Him through the uncorrupted Scriptures today.

"Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are His judgements" (Revelation 19:1, NIV).

Additional Notes:

• Pharaoh Amenhotep-IV or Akhenaten reigned Egypt approximately from 1353 to 1336 BC.

• King Josiah of Judah reigned approximately from 640 to 609 BC.

• King Nebuchadnezzar-II reigned approximately from 605 to 562 BC.

• Fall of Jerusalem in 587/586 BC.

• King Cambyses-II reigned approximately from 530 to 522 BC.

• King Darius-I reigned approximately from 522 to 486 BC.