Probably it wasn’t long after the king’s decree was made, that certain Chaldeans went to the king to complain about certain Jews, who had disobeyed the king’s command (Daniel 3:8). There always seems to be some jealousy and competition for power in the higher ranks of government, in an effort to be the first to have the king’s ear, or even to be the power behind the throne, so to speak. Although Daniel had saved their lives (Daniel 2:24), and although the other wise men of Babylon were, no doubt, relieved that the king was no longer about to execute them, they must have been, undoubtedly, taken aback by Nebuchadnezzar’s command to put this young man, Daniel, in an office as chief over all the wise men of Babylon (Daniel 2:48), and, at his request, his three friends were also placed in authority over them, as they assisted Daniel in executing his great authority (Daniel 2:49). After all, hadn’t these young men been only recently released from the authority of the prince of eunuchs (Daniel 1:18)? What was the king thinking?
Therefore, it isn’t surprising that the Chaldeans conspired to have Daniel and his three friends destroyed. For example, if they, in fact, were busy bowing to or toward the image of gold, erected in the king’s honor, how would it be possible that they knew certain Jews didn’t obey the command? If one’s obedience required one’s eyes to be fixed toward the ground, how could they notice anyone not doing so? Therefore, their intrigue seems obvious. They, then, came into the king’s presence and reminded him of the decree he had made, concerning his image of gold. Then, they reported that certain Jews, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, were disobedient to the king’s decree, refusing both to worship the king’s gods and to bow before the image of gold that he had set up (Daniel 3:8-12).
In his rage, therefore, Nebuchadnezzar commanded that the three young men, whom he had placed in such high offices in the government of the province of Babylon (Daniel 2:49), be brought before him (Daniel 3:13).
In light of the fact that the Chaldeans wanted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego out of the way (and, no doubt, Daniel as well), it seems likely that the Chaldeans had a hand in the wording of the king’s decree (cp. Daniel 6:1-13). In fact, they may even have had a hand in encouraging Nebuchadnezzar to reconsider his declaration that Daniel’s God was the God of gods and the Lord of kings! Just because political intrigue isn’t overtly expressed in the text, it doesn’t necessarily follow that there isn’t any political maneuvering going on, nor does it follow that such political activity couldn’t be logically drawn from what is said in the text. It seems, at least to me, that throughout his service to the kings in Mesopotamia, Daniel was in danger of the men, over whom those kings had placed him in authority, because they tried, desperately, to undermine his relationship with the reigning king and have Daniel and/or his three brethren destroyed.
Returning, now, to chapter three of the Book of Daniel, when the king questioned the three men and understood from them that they had disobeyed his command, and, moreover, boldly made it clear that they wouldn’t obey such a command, even if it were offered them to save their lives (Daniel 3:16-18), Nebuchadnezzar commanded that the furnace be heated seven times greater and that the three men be cast into its flames (Daniel 3:19).
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