In this message we will consider the victory of the young descendants of God's degraded elect over the seduction of idol worship.
In chapter three Satan's strategy was to seduce the young overcomers among God's defeated elect in the worship of idols through Nebuchadnezzar's blindness (vv. 1-7). Nebuchadnezzar made a great image of gold, sixty cubits (ninety feet) in height, and set it up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon (v. 1). He might have been influenced to make such an image by the interpretation of his dream in chapter two. Nebuchadnezzar sent word to assemble the high officials and all kinds of officers and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image he had set up and commanded all the peoples, nations, and languages to worship his golden image (vv. 2-5). Whoever did not fall down and worship was to be thrown into the midst of a blazing furnace of fire (v. 6). Daniel's three companions were among the high officials gathered, but Daniel, the chief of the prefects over all the wise men in the province of Babylon, was not present. This seems unusual. I believe that Daniel stayed in a hidden place and prayed concerning the situation.