3 friends, the heroes of Daniel 3

Daniel 3:8-30

At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "May the king live forever! Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon - 

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego - 

who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up." Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

So these men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true,

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,

that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego

replied to him, "King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty's hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,

and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego

and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,

and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, Your Majesty." He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods." Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted,

"Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,

servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego

came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,

who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of 

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego

be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way." Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

6 musical instruments listed in Daniel 3

Daniel 3:4-15

Then the herald loudly proclaimed, "Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: As soon as you hear the sound of

the horn,

flute,

zither,

lyre,

harp,

pipe

and all kinds of music,

you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace." Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of

the horn,

flute,

zither,

lyre,

harp,

(pipe not mentioned the second time)

and all kinds of music,

all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews.  9  They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "May the king live forever!  Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of

the horn,

flute,

zither,

lyre,

harp,

pipe

and all kinds of music,

must fall down and worship the image of gold,  and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace.  But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon - Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego - who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up."  Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king,  and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?  Now when you hear the sound of 

the horn,

flute,

zither,

lyre,

harp,

pipe

and all kinds of music,

if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"

8 sorts of provincial official listed in Daniel 3

Daniel 3:1-3

King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. He then summoned

the satraps,

prefects,

governors,

advisers,

treasurers,

judges,

magistrates

and all the other provincial officials

to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. So

the satraps,

prefects,

governors,

advisers,

treasurers,

judges,

magistrates

and all the other provincial officials

assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.
Also in verse 27 we read that

the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around

Shadrach, Meshach adn Abednego.

16 foreign nations referred to in Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel

7 nations prophesied against in Ezekiel 25-32

25:1-7
A Prophecy against Ammon
25:8-11
A Prophecy against Moab
25:12-14
A Prophecy against Edom
25:15-17
A Prophecy against Philistia
26:1-28:19
A Prophecy against Tyre
28:20-26
A Prophecy against Sidon
29-32
A Prophecy against Egypt

10 nations spoken about in Jeremiah 46-51

46
A message about Egypt
47
A message about the Philistines
48
A message about Moab
49:1-6
A message about Ammon
49:7-22
A message about Edom
49:23-27
A message about Damascus
49:28-33
A message about Kedar and Hazor
49:34-39
A message about Elam
50, 51
A message about Babylon

12 nations spoken against in Isaiah 13-23

13:1-14:23 Judgement on Babylon

14:24-27 An oracle concerning Assyria
14:28-32 An oracle concerning Philistia
15, 16 An oracle concerning Moab
17 An oracle concerning Damascus (and Samaria)
18 An oracle concerning Cush
19, 20 An oracle concerning Egypt

21:1-10 Babylon’s fall is reiterated

21:11, 12 Edom is threatened
21:13-17 Arabia is prophesied against
22 An oracle concerning Jerusalem
23 An oracle concerning Tyre and Sidon

8 judgements pronounced on Judah and her neighbours in Amos 1, 2

1:3-5 Aram

This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Damascus, even for four, I will not relent. Because she threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth, I will send fire on the house of Hazael that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad. I will break down the gate of Damascus; I will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden. The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir," says the LORD.

1:6-8 Philistia

This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Gaza, even for four, I will not relent. Because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom, I will send fire on the walls of Gaza that will consume her fortresses. I will destroy the king of Ashdod and the one who holds the sceptre in Ashkelon. I will turn my hand against Ekron, till the last of the Philistines are dead," says the Sovereign LORD.

1:9, 10 Tyre

This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Tyre, even for four, I will not relent. Because she sold whole communities of captives to Edom, disregarding a treaty of brotherhood, I will send fire on the walls of Tyre that will consume her fortresses."

1:11, 12 Edom

This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Edom, even for four, I will not relent. Because he pursued his brother with a sword and slaughtered the women of the land, because his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked, I will send fire on Teman that will consume the fortresses of Bozrah." 

1:13-15 Ammon

This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Ammon, even for four, I will not relent. Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders, I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah that will consume her fortresses amid war cries on the day of battle, amid violent winds on a stormy day. Her king will go into exile, he and his officials together," says the LORD. 

2:1-3 Moab

This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Moab, even for four, I will not relent. Because he burned to ashes the bones of Edom's king, I will send fire on Moab that will consume the fortresses of Kerioth. Moab will go down in great tumult amid war cries and the blast of the trumpet. I will destroy her ruler and kill all her officials with him," says the LORD.

2:4, 5 Judah

This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not relent. Because they have rejected the law of the LORD and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods, the gods their ancestors followed, I will send fire on Judah that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem."

2:6-16 Israel

This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not relent. They sell the innocent for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals. They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name. They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. In the house of their god they drink wine taken as fines. "Yet I destroyed the Amorites before them, though they were tall as the cedars and strong as the oaks. I destroyed their fruit above and their roots below. I brought you up out of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness to give you the land of the Amorites. "I also raised up prophets from among your children and Nazirites from among your youths. Is this not true, people of Israel?" declares the LORD. "But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy. "Now then, I will crush you as a cart crushes when loaded with grain. The swift will not escape, the strong will not muster their strength, and the warrior will not save his life. The archer will not stand his ground, the fleet-footed soldier will not get away, and the horseman will not save his life. Even the bravest warriors will flee naked on that day," declares the LORD.