Why the Three Youths Waited for the King as Noah Waited for God

Another interpretation of "Go forth from the ark" (Genesis 8:16). This is what Scripture says: "I keep the king's command, and that in regard of the oath of God" (Ecclesiastes 8:2). The Holy Spirit said to them: I adjure you that if a kingdom should decree decrees upon you, do not rebel against it in anything that it decrees upon you; rather, "I keep the king's command." But if it should decree upon you to nullify the Torah, the commandments, and the Sabbath, do not listen to them. "I keep the king's command" in every matter that it requires; but "in regard of the oath of God, be not dismayed; go from before him, [stand not in an evil thing]" (Ecclesiastes 8:3). Why? Because they are not nullifying you from the commandments, but rather that you should deny the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore, "in regard of the oath of God." And so did Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah do, at the hour when Nebuchadnezzar set up the image. They said to him: What do you suppose, that you cast us into the midst of the fiery furnace and the Holy One, blessed be He, does not deliver us? Whether He delivers us or does not deliver us, we do not bow down to the image, as it is said: "Behold, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and out of your hand, O king, He will deliver" (Daniel 3:17). And it is written after it: "But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up" (Daniel 3:18). Nebuchadnezzar said to them: Is it true what you say, as it is said: "Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach [and Abednego]?" (Daniel 3:14). They said to him: "We have no need to answer you in this matter" (Daniel 3:16). They said to him: Everything that you decree upon us—crop taxes, imposts, and poll taxes—we listen to you; but to deny the Holy One, blessed be He, we do not listen to you, "in regard of the oath of God, be not dismayed; go from before him." When he heard this from them, he began to rage, as it is said: "Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury" (Daniel 3:19). When they had heated the furnace, they cast them in bound. When they descended into the midst of the furnace, they lifted their eyes to the Holy One, blessed be He, and said: Master of the worlds, You know that we did not trust in our deeds but in Your name. "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Your name give glory" (Psalms 115:1). And behold, this wicked one had gathered all the tongues, as it is said: "Then the satraps were gathered together" (Daniel 3:3). [Why should the nations say...] Immediately the angels sought to descend and to free them. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: Was it for your name that they descended? For My name they descended, and I will descend and free them, as it is said: "[who executes judgment for the oppressed]... the Lord looses the prisoners" (Psalms 146:7). Immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, freed them, and flooded the furnace, and brought them up, and leveled it with the ground, for it had been deep. When the angel saw this, he said to them: Go forth from here, for the Holy One, blessed be He, has freed you and performed miracles for you and leveled the furnace with the ground; go forth! They said to him: We do not go forth without Nebuchadnezzar, lest they say they fled from the furnace. "I keep the king's command"—with his permission we entered here, and with his permission we go forth. When Nebuchadnezzar came and saw them, he was astonished, and he began to cry out to them, as it is said: "He spoke and said: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, [come forth and come]" (Daniel 3:26). "Come forth and come up" is not written here, but "come forth and come"—from here that the furnace was leveled with the ground. Immediately they said to the angel: Now we go forth, as it is said: "Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came forth [from the midst of the fire]" (Daniel 3:26). From whom did they learn this? From Noah, who entered the ark by the permission of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said: "And God spoke unto Noah [Go forth from the ark]." And when the earth had dried and the ark had rested, as it is said: "And the ark rested" (Genesis 8:4), his sons said to him: Let us go forth. He said to them: Heaven forbid! By the permission of the Holy One, blessed be He, we entered, and by the permission of the Holy One, blessed be He, we go forth. And when the Holy One, blessed be He, heard this, immediately He gave them permission, as it is said: "And God spoke unto Noah, Go forth from the ark" (Genesis 8:15-16).