Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

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 active voice and 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 more?

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 oper 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 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. But nowhere in history in the acts of Nebuchadnezzar-II this kind of act is recorded. Violating the king's command 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 thrown a blazing furnace." The king made the furnace heated seven times. The flames scorched away the soldiers who tried to throw away three young men. Generally the kings who ruled this part of the empire wanted to take the 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 disobedienc or did he wanted to take the victims life slowly making them realize what consequence they need to face going against the his commandments. Generally they opt for second one. How would the punishment of throwing the victim into a burning furnace take life slowly?

For this We need to look into travel further into the time of Persians. Darius-II (423-404 BC) inflecting the punishment on Sogdianus (424-423 BC), who tried to snatch away the throne from Darius-II. 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. Sogdianus was lowered into a pile of ashes and was suffocated till death.

My intuition is 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 they even don't smell the smoke (4:27). The smell of the smoke is written in 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 over our very God's presence with us in times of trouble.

God bless.

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

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Fiery-Furnace-Bible-Story-Worksheet-Games-Crafts-12707939