The Word about the Three Youths and the Furnace of Babylon

1. A new, truly, and greatest spectacle of piety is represented by the face of the three youths, who withstood a wonderful competition in Babylon and amazed the entire universe with the miracle of martyrdom. The glory of the saints is not limited by place and the memory of the righteous is not limited by time, but “the righteous will be an eternal memory” (Ps. 112:6). Therefore, even in the case where martyrdom was committed in ancient times, the feat of patience is glorified in all centuries. The memory of history preserves events for us, reading makes deeds known, and the word, like a picture, depicts the lawlessness of the tyrant, and the confession of the saints, and the furnace blazing with fire, but not burning contrary to the command of the tormentor, and the faith of the martyrs, unquenchable by the threat of fire. However, what prevents us from presenting the exploits of the truly God-loving and blessed youths in order from the beginning? Nebuchadnezzar the king, or rather the tyrant (this should be the real name of this persecutor), although he was the owner of Babylon, was a barbarian at heart, and indomitable in his disposition. Intoxicated by great wealth, untruth and wickedness, he reached the point of oblivion of his nature and, not considering himself a man, demanded to be worshiped as God. The development of this excessive pride in him was due, on the one hand, to his characteristic madness, and on the other, to the long-suffering of God, because God tolerates the wicked, allowing them to become wicked for the exercise of the pious. The wicked man made a golden image, that is, a golden statue, and forced those created in the image of God to worship the image that he made. Great ambition prompted him to give his image a height of sixty cubits and a width of six; at the same time, he took care of the proportionality of the parts and the grace of the work, so that not only by the size, but also by the beauty of the idol, he would ensure the victory of the lie that rebelled against the truth. So, art did its job, gold glittered, the messenger trumpeted, the tormentor threatened, the furnace burned, and the so-called Musik organs aroused the insane to atheism; in general, the entire atmosphere of this spectacle was aimed at completely suppressing the minds of the spectators. However, despite everything, the wicked command could not prevail over the saints. But when a strong stream of deception, like a great storm, carried everyone into the abyss of idolatry, these three beautiful youths, unshakably establishing themselves in piety as if on some rock, stood amid the stream of untruth. They could rightfully say: “if the Lord had not been with us when people rebelled against us, then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their rage became furious against us, then the water would have drowned us: but our soul crossed the stream, our soul crossed the swift water” (Ps. 124:2-5) **. They were not drowned by the stream, were not carried away by the water, but courageously labored in piety and, as if soaring on the wings of faith, were saved by the tributary: “like a roe from the hand, and like a bird from the hand of a fowler” (Prov. 6:5.) The nets of the devil were spread over the entire human race, but the youths could say about them along with the psalmist: “sinners will fall into their net” ( Ps.141:10). The three captives, oppressed by so many, did not look at their weakness, but firmly knew that even the most insignificant spark was enough to burn and destroy the entire power of wickedness. Therefore, being only the three of them, they strengthened and confirmed each other. After all, they knew that “strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few find it” (Matthew 7:14). They remembered that Patriarch Abraham, remaining the only worshiper of God on the whole earth, did not follow the multitude of the wicked, but made it his law to follow truth and piety, which is why he quite rightly became a good root from which so many fruits of piety grew. From him are the patriarchs, and the legislator Moses, and the prophets, and all theologians; From him, primarily, this saving and immortal color of truth is the Savior incarnate; and the three youths themselves were aware of their noble descent from him. They also remembered Lot, who lived among the Sodomites, but was far from them in his morals; They brought to mind Joseph how he alone in all of Egypt maintained chastity and observed piety. So they, alone among this multitude, reflected that “strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few find it.” Looking at themselves and at the furnace, they remembered, on the other hand, that wisdom says somewhere that “the furnace is for gold, but the Lord tests the hearts” (Prov. 17:3). Therefore, neither the trumpet, which sounded a warlike song, frightened them, nor the lyre, enchanting the ear, did not destroy the power of piety, nor all the other agreement of the Musikians did not upset their beautiful and euphonious agreement in piety, but they opposed the beautiful melody with a beautiful unanimity. When it was announced about the friends of Ananias that they had violated the wicked command, then the evil and wicked tormentor, having puffed up his soul with the devilish spirit and, so to speak, taking on the very appearance of the chief of evil, calls them and says: “Do you deliberately, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, serve my gods, and do you not worship the golden image that I have set up” ( Daniel 3:14)? He considered their piety only apparent, and asks whether the preachers of piety really dare to contradict the royal commands? But he had to be convinced by experience that the people of God not only neglect the threats of the tormentor, but can even trample on the very power of fire by the power of piety. “From now on, if you are ready, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, the flute, the harp, the harp, the harp, the symphony, and all kinds of musical instruments, fall down and worship the image that I have made” (Dan. 3:15). 2. He expressed himself well about the worship of demons: “fall down and worship.” It is impossible to bow to demons without falling into the abyss of destruction, without falling away from the truth. “If you do not worship, you will be thrown into a fiery furnace that very hour” (Dan. 3:15). In any case, if there is a stove, then obviously there is fire; if there is fire, then obviously it is burning; but (the tormentor puts everything together, trying) to increase and intensify the threat in order to shake their firmness in piety. “At that same hour you will be thrown into a fiery furnace.” Until now, it was still possible to bear the claims of his arrogance, but look what he adds next: “and then what God will deliver you from my hand” (Dan. 3:15)? Here is another Pharaoh: and he said to Moses: “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice..?” “I do not know,” says the wicked, “I will not let the Lord and Israel go” (Ex. 5:2). Oh, the great arrogance of man! Oh, God's great patience! Man speaks, and God demolishes. The clay speaks, and the Creator is patient. The carnal tongue makes sounds, and the Lord of disembodied spirits descends, Lord, “You create Your angels with spirits and Your servants with a flame of fire” (Ps. 104:4). In this case, is it timely to remember the words of Isaiah (Sirach): “Why is the earth and ashes proud” (Sir.10:9)? Do you want to fully understand God’s long-suffering? Consider how unbearable the pride discovered here would seem to you if it touched you. It happens that someone is insulted by a servant; immediately the offended person, protecting his dignity as a free person, demands punishment for the daring act and subjects the offender to merciless execution. Or an ordinary private person will insult another similar member of society; immediately the offended, wounded by the insult, rushes to take revenge, not paying attention to the community of nature, nor to the equality of all, with complete disregard for the dignity of the offender. Meanwhile, one dignity of equality is characteristic of our entire race: we are all created from earth and turn into earth; we are one path into life, common to all, and one, common to all, outcome (before us). Each of us is created from dust - and now dust demands such advantages over its equals. But God, possessing everything both by nature and by law, and being as superior as the Creator can be imagined in comparison with creation, blasphemed and humiliated by the foolish, is not irritated, but remains impassive. But then he punishes those who are in madness a little later, being the Judge of truth and the impartial Judge. He postpones punishment so as not to destroy all sinners at once, and arms himself with patience in order to attract them to repentance. Let us return, however, to the subject of conversation. The man clothed with flesh dared to say: “Then what God will deliver you out of my hand” (Dan. 3:15)? The blessed youths, hearing this, did not resist the blasphemy, because they themselves were imbued with the spirit of divine long-suffering, but against the words of unbelief they raised the voice of faith and answered the tormentor, putting down lawlessness by law and defeating the threat of untruth with the freedom of truth, with these words: “let it be known to you, king, that we will not serve your gods and will not worship the golden image that you have set up” ( Dan.3:18). Abandon this madness, O man, be ashamed of the humiliating worship of an image! After all, if you yourself put the image, then how do you bow to what you did? Who should be whose creator - the people of God or the God of people? If your idols are really gods, then they must also be creators, but - as we have often said before - if art had not come to the aid of people, the pagans would have no gods at all. Meanwhile, if idols had any feeling, they themselves would begin to worship the people who made them. The law of nature is for the creature to worship the Creator, and not the Creator to worship the creature. Therefore, we, raised in piety, following the divine law, “we will not serve your gods, nor will we worship the golden image that you have set up,” but there is a God in heaven who will deliver us from your hand. Then, so that it does not seem that they are tempting God, or that they are neglecting fire in the hope of deliverance, they immediately add: “even if it does not happen” (Dan. 3:18), that is: even if it does not deliver, but allows fire to burn our bodies, then even then we will not betray piety, because we do not serve God for pay, but sincerely confess the truth. Hearing this sermon of faith, the tormentor becomes even more incensed and orders the furnace to be lit with the seventh. After all, the purest silver must be purified sevenfold: “the words of the Lord are pure words, molten silver, tested in the earth, purified sevenfold” (Ps. 11:7). That is why the furnace was kindled by the sevenfold, so that the saints would be cleansed by the sevenfold. And that the saints of God are called silver, remember the words of wisdom: “chosen silver is the tongue of the righteous” (Proverbs 10:20), and listen to what Jeremiah says about those who did not stand the test of piety: “they will be called rejected silver, for the Lord has rejected them” (Jeremiah 6:30). If the weak in piety turn out to be rejected silver, then it is obvious that the perfect are tempted silver: in this case, the more the furnace is lit, the more brilliance the martyrdom acquires. So, the three holy youths with faith went into the furnace and trampled the flames, breathing thin and moist air in the very heat of the fire. The Creator and Cause of everything softened the heat of the fire and stopped its scorching power, so that by this miracle the words of the song were actually justified: “the voice of the Lord cuts out the flame of fire” (Ps. 28:7). The fire was gentle and quiet, and the saints rejoiced, enjoying the promise that through the prophet Isaiah God proclaims to every soul full of faith and piety: “If you walk,” He says, “through the fire, I will be with you, you will not be burned, and the flame will not scorch you” (Is. 43:2). This promise was fulfilled here in practice. The fire did not touch the members of the saints: it did not scorch the eyes, directed towards piety and through the beauty of visible things, cognizing the Creator; did not damage the hearing, full of divine laws; did not reach the lips and did not singe the lips, respecting the tongues of the hymns and the singers themselves. And each member of the saints had its own protective means: hands - prayer and distribution of alms, chest - the power of piety dwelling in it, belly and hypogastric members - exercise in piety, legs - walking in virtue. But is it necessary to waste time listing everything separately? After all, fire did not dare to touch his hair, because piety covered it better than any tiara; He also spared their clothes, protecting the beauty of the saints. And what else? The fire burns the Chaldeans so that they would not think that the power of the fire was destroyed by magic, and thus would not darken the glory of the martyrs and would not slander the miracle of truth - therefore they remained calm inside, but the fire burned the Chaldeans outside, in order to completely convince the spectators that it was not by his own nature that he was inactive in relation to the saints, but out of respect for piety, just as the lions in the den (spared) Daniel. So, having formed a truly angelic face in the fire, the blessed youths turned to glorifying God, uniting all creation into one face of song - both the worldly and the beheld by the eyes. 3. It is impossible to leave without examining the circumstance for which they did not designate the entire creation in general, but listed the entire universe in parts. As much as was required for the truth, of course, it was enough to say: “Bless all the works of the Lord, the Lord” (Dan. 3:57); but since this great triumph of piety took place in the country of the wicked, it was necessary to give the Babylonians a lesson about what exactly creation is, and who is the Creator of everything. And they start with angels and end with people. Angels were revered as gods, and the pagans had a myth that the gods they bowed to were supposedly angels of the great God. And so, so that the foolish may learn that angels are not from those who are worshiped, but from those who worship, (the youths) cry out: “Bless the Lord, O angels of the Lord” (Dan. 3:58). The sun, the moon and the whole face of the stars were also objects of worship, which is why they are also included in the worship in the hymns. “Bless,” they say, “the sun and the moon, the Lord, ... the stars of heaven, the Lord” (Dan. 3:62–63). Then further: “all rain and dew is the Lord” (Dan.3:64). It is worth considering what these words mean: “all rain and dew” and “all winds” (Dan. 3:65). Lack of rain often occurs; Sometimes strong winds blow untimely. The servants of lies and vanity usually attribute all such disorders to some evil material principle, not knowing that nothing happens without the will of the Master, nothing happens in vain, but that everything is controlled by God, who directs everything to the admonition of people and the expulsion of wickedness. If the order of creation usually proclaims the Creator, then the violation of order testifies against the deification of creatures. After all, if rain or spirits had divine dignity, then there could be no disorder in them, because disorder is not reconciled with divinity. That is why (the youths) say: “all rain and dew” and “all the winds of the Lord.” The rains and winds were idolized, partly as feeders, partly as cultivators of the earth's fruits. The earth itself was deified, and its fruits were attributed to various deities: grapes to Dionysus, olives to Athena, and others to other works. And now the word of truth itself, confirming (divine participation in earthly works), says: “bless all the plants on earth, the Lord” (Dan. 3:76). After all, He is the Lord and Creator of everything – both the vegetative and the vegetative. Then the “mountains and hills” are further called upon. Well, aren't mountains and hills on earth? Certainly; but since demonic abominations were committed on the hills and idols were worshiped, then in view of this they were mentioned (separately): “Bless the Lord, mountains and hills” (Dan. 3:75). And having remembered the hills, they then remember the springs, rivers and seas: after all, they were idolized, and the springs were called nymphs, the sea - Poseidon, some kind of sirens and Nereids. Such veneration also extended to rivers, as is confirmed by the custom that still survives in Egypt: there they made a sacrifice in honor of the Nile, not in gratitude to the Creator for this work of nature, but honoring the water itself as God. That is why (the youths) list rivers in their chants along with seas and springs. Next come the birds of the air and cattle, since deification extended to them as well. Thus, among the birds the eagle and the hawk were revered; and the Egyptians even called animals and cattle gods, and this misconception was so strong that the names of cities were borrowed from idolized animals: they have cities named after dogs, sheep, wolves and lions. After all creation, the human race is finally called upon. “Bless the Lord,” he says, “sons of men” (Dan. 3:82). The human race ranks last - not in dignity, but in the order of creation. “O Israel, bless the Lord” (Dan. 3:83). Of course, the chosen people of God are also called (to bless the Lord), and since there were many divisions in them, from them in particular the “priests of the Lord” are called (Dan. 3:84), to denounce the priests of false gods. Next (mentioned) are “the servants of the Lord” (Dan.3:85). And then, so that the ancestors do not remain alien to this face, (the youths), together with the living, count them as participants in the doxology, saying: “Bless the Lord, O spirits and souls of the righteous... Bless the Lord, O ye righteous and humble in heart” (Dan. 3:86-87). Why are the venerable and the humble mentioned? To show that “The Lord resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (Proverbs 3:34): He burns the proud outside the furnace, but preserves the righteous and humble in the midst of the fire. Since fire was also present with the saints, it, along with other creatures, receives the command to sing praises to the Creator: “Bless the fire and heat of the Lord” (Dan. 3:66), so that the Babylonian magicians, for whom fire was an object of worship, would understand that it also belongs to the worshipers, and not to the worshiped. But let's turn to the conclusion of the song in order to stop the conversation. “Bless the Lord,” say the youths, “Ananiah, Azariah, and Mishael” (Dan. 3:88). Why was it necessary to finally add your own names to so many calculated ranks? Did they not, together with Israel, bless the Lord? Didn’t they include themselves among the servants of the Lord when they said: “Bless the Lord, servants of the Lord,” or, speaking about the reverend and humble in heart, didn’t they include themselves among them? So, what does this addition mean: “bless, Ananias, Azariah and Mishael”? Having physically entered the furnace, they trampled on the fire. This miracle was so extraordinary, so above human nature, that the spectators could move from one delusion to another - to recognize them themselves as gods and honor them instead of the fire, of which they turned out to be stronger: protecting the spectators from the temptation to fall into such a delusion, they declare their own slavery and render worship, saying: “Bless the Lord, Ananias, Azariah and Mishael.” At the same time, it becomes clear why exactly God did not allow Daniel to take part in this martyrdom. After Daniel interpreted the king's dream, the king worshiped him as a god and honored him with the name Belshazzar, derived from the name of the Babylonian god. So, so that they would not think that it was precisely the divine name of Belshazzar that defeated the power of fire, God arranged it so that Daniel was not present at this, so that the miracle of piety would not suffer damage. Anyway, that's enough. May we also, through the prayers of the shining ascetics, armed with the same zeal, be worthy of the same praises and achieve the same kingdom, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” The psalms are given in translation by P. Yungerov - Editorial “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: