What are the true colors of our faith and trust in God? When our faith is put to the fire, what will it show to the world? What does worshiping only God mean? How strong is our faith knowing we might not get what we want but we will do what God says anyway? What doe is mean to lay our lives down in obedience? All these questions have answers.
Daniel 3, The Message
Four Men in the Furnace
1-3 King Nebuchadnezzar built a gold statue, ninety feet high and nine feet thick. He set it up on the Dura plain in the province of Babylon. He then ordered all the important leaders in the province, everybody who was anybody, to the dedication ceremony of the statue. They all came for the dedication, all the important people, and took their places before the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had erected.
4-6 A herald then proclaimed in a loud voice: “Attention, everyone! Every race, color, and creed, listen! When you hear the band strike up—all the trumpets and trombones, the tubas and baritones, the drums and cymbals—fall to your knees and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Anyone who does not kneel and worship shall be thrown immediately into a roaring furnace.”
7 The band started to play, a huge band equipped with all the musical instruments of Babylon, and everyone—every race, color, and creed—fell to their knees and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8-12 Just then, some Babylonian fortunetellers stepped up and accused the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “Long live the king! You gave strict orders, O king, that when the big band started playing, everyone had to fall to their knees and worship the gold statue, and whoever did not go to their knees and worship it had to be pitched into a roaring furnace. Well, there are some Jews here—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—whom you have placed in high positions in the province of Babylon. These men are ignoring you, O king. They don’t respect your gods and they won’t worship the gold statue you set up.”
13-15 Furious, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be brought in. When the men were brought in, Nebuchadnezzar asked, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don’t respect my gods and refuse to worship the gold statue that I have set up? I’m giving you a second chance—but from now on, when the big band strikes up you must go to your knees and worship the statue I have made. If you don’t worship it, you will be pitched into a roaring furnace, no questions asked. Who is the god who can rescue you from my power?”
16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn’t, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn’t serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”
19-23 Nebuchadnezzar, his face purple with anger, cut off Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace fired up seven times hotter than usual. He ordered some strong men from the army to tie them up, hands and feet, and throw them into the roaring furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, bound hand and foot, fully dressed from head to toe, were pitched into the roaring fire. Because the king was in such a hurry and the furnace was so hot, flames from the furnace killed the men who carried Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to it, while the fire raged around Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
24 Suddenly King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm and said, “Didn’t we throw three men, bound hand and foot, into the fire?”
“That’s right, O king,” they said.
25 “But look!” he said. “I see four men, walking around freely in the fire, completely unharmed! And the fourth man looks like a son of the gods!”
26 Nebuchadnezzar went to the door of the roaring furnace and called in, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the High God, come out here!”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walked out of the fire.
27 All the important people, the government leaders and king’s counselors, gathered around to examine them and discovered that the fire hadn’t so much as touched the three men—not a hair singed, not a scorch mark on their clothes, not even the smell of fire on them!
28 Nebuchadnezzar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel and rescued his servants who trusted in him! They ignored the king’s orders and laid their bodies on the line rather than serve or worship any god but their own.
29 “Therefore I issue this decree: Anyone anywhere, of any race, color, or creed, who says anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be ripped to pieces, limb from limb, and their houses torn down. There has never been a god who can pull off a rescue like this.”
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn’t, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn’t serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”
I desire the faith of Daniel’s friends, don’t you? To avoid worship of anything other than God is the way to the kind of faith God desires in us. They knew God would be with them in the fire. They didn’t know the outcome of being in the fire, but they knew God. Because of their extreme faith in God, they would not worship anyone or anything else. And get this…the added faith statement says it all…”but even if he doesn’t (rescue us) we will not serve or worship your gods and statues!”
This is the true test result of our faith…even if God does not do what we prefer, we will worship God alone. Wow. Rest in this thought as we evaluate our faith right now. Take all the time you need, I am.
These three Jewish men knew the law of God—“You shall have no other gods before Me. . . . You shall not bow down to them nor serve them” (See Exodus 20:3, 5). Once the Lord has spoken on a matter, the matter is settled, with no room for discussion or need for compromise. To bow before the image even once, no matter what excuse the young men might have given, would have destroyed their witness and broken their fellowship with God.
If we feel God is not as close as we once thought in our lives, who moved in the relationship? The better question might be who or what are we thinking about most these days? That is where our worship lies.
Good news! God has provided us a rescue—He sent his son, Jesus! Leave the fiery furnace of all our sins that leave marks and scars and receive complete forgiveness by calling on his name! Believe and be saved. Forever. Once and for all.
Nebuchadnezzar saw four men in the furnace, and he thought the fourth was an angel who looked like “a god”. But the fourth person in the furnace was Jesus Christ in one of His pre-incarnate appearances in the Old Testament. Yes, He did. And He’ll do it again! Believe and be saved!
Lord,
Why worship anyone else but you? Lord, you are all I need. You have rescued me even before I knew I needed it. While I was yet a sinner, you died for my sin. If fact, you died for all sins that people would commit in the future. I believe. Thank you for saving my soul and making me whole. I worship you and praise you for all you have done for me. What kind of love is this? More than I can imagine or describe! Even if eternal life was not the goal, I will worship you because of your loving kindness and goodness. Thank you, Lord!
In Jesus Name, Amen
Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus) 