 Throughout my life, I've increasingly found that reading scripture in public isn't just about feeding our own spirits and minds. It's about rehearsing the mighty acts of God for God's glory. So let's think together about Daniel, chapter 3, verses 3 and 4. And first, let's have some tea. So the satraps, the prefects, the governors, the councillors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates and all the officials of the provinces assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. When they were standing before the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had set up, the herald proclaimed aloud, You are commanded, O peoples, nations and languages, that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, you are to fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. I hope when the Bible is funny, you have the courage to laugh at it. I think Daniel 3 is a classic comedy scene. It reminds me of some passages in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas where all these officials of Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom, the satraps, the prefects, the governors, I can imagine them all in their rather overblown uniforms, like some dictatorship from the communist era, which has everyone lined up in their over fancy dress with their medals and all the bits and pieces. And it's all far too heavy-handed and pompous, and they're fond of their own arrogance, and here they are, and this is repeated two or three times, but then they're told that you and everybody, all peoples and nations and languages, are to worship the statue, this great idol that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. And Daniel rubs it in, when are you to do this? Well, when you hear the sound of the music, but it's not just the music, it's the horn, pipe, la, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensembler. And the author of the book of Daniel likes that list so much that he says it four times, here they come, the band as before, again and again and again. And this over-heavy-handedness, this sense of pomp and circumstance is a deliberate parodying of all the might and splendour of pagan Babylon. Over against that in this story, we have the three young men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the three Jewish heroes with the irresistibly rhythmic names, and they say, we're not going to do it. Shock horror, all the satraps, prefects, counsellors, and all the people who are playing the harp, la, trigon, etc. What do you mean you're not going to do it? This is what you have to do. Nebuchadnezzar has said, you're going to worship this statue. This is a way of Nebuchadnezzar uniting his kingdom around the worship of him and his gods, and they say, no, we're Jews, we don't do that stuff. There is one God, the God of heaven. And Nebuchadnezzar's rules are that anyone who doesn't worship his golden statue is going to be thrown alive into the burning fiery furnace. And they say, well, if that's what you're going to do, that's what you're going to do. Our God is our God, and that's how it's going to be. And so as they're thrown into the burning fiery furnace, they have a song which they sing. This song is found in the extension of the book of Daniel, which comes in the Apocrypha, which is known as the song of the three, the three young men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And when they're in the fiery furnace, they sing, oh, all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord, oh, ye angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord, oh, ye heavens, oh, ye sun and moon, oh, ye waters above the firmament, bless ye the Lord. And so on, all through the world of nature, all through the animal kingdom, and then all through the human kingdom, climaxing in, let Israel bless the Lord. This is the worship that they are offering as opposed to the pomp and circumstance of the pagan worship, which is going on in Nebuchadnezzar's court. And of course, as they worship, so the fire cannot touch them. And indeed, Nebuchadnezzar, when he comes to see, he discerns a fourth person in the fire with them. This is the strangest moment for Nebuchadnezzar, and he realizes that despite all his pomp and pageantry and all the arrogance of his court, there is a God who is so far superior. He is the Creator God, and he has delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from his burning fiery furnace. So here in the heart of the Book of Daniel, we have this picture of pagan arrogance, but of the true God calling his people to worship come what may and of God's deliverance of them in response to their worship of him. So may God give you courage and strength to resist the apparent blandishments and pomp and circumstance of the pagan world and to worship and serve the true God. Amen. How is this passage speaking to you? Let us know in the comments, like and subscribe, or check out our other videos.