These four young men, captives in a strange land, eating and drinking nothing but bread and water, were brave, faithful and obedient.
"They had set the Lord always before them." Their one aim was to please Him; and as we go on with their story, we shall see that God was with them, and enabled them to be "more than conquerors through Him Who had loved them."
[XXXVI. THE SECRET IS REVEALED TO DANIEL]
IN those days, dreams and their meanings were much thought of, and great kings had their soothsayers and sorcerers, their magicians and astrologers, who were always at hand to explain doubtful or hard questions, and to pretend to look into the future.
Many of them were extremely clever, and from long practice and observation, many of their answers and explanations seemed very plausible.
So when Nebuchadnezzar, the great king, had a perplexing dream, which worried him very much, he sent for these soothsayers and magicians; and they at once, of course, asked what the dream had been, so that they might furnish the interpretation.
But Nebuchadnezzar had to confess, that though the dream troubled him, he could not recall what it was!
So the magicians were greatly alarmed; as they said, no king would ask his magicians to tell the dream, as well as the interpretation!
But the king was angry and furious; and at length sent out an order that all the magicians and soothsayers in Babylon were to be destroyed.