October 22, 2024 | Be God's Light
The Fiery Furnace
Scripture: Daniel 3(NIV)
1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.
4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”
7 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8 At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! 10 Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”
13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”
They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”
25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”
So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
Devotional
Some of the most famous, well-paid people in the world are folks who don’t really contribute that much. Face it. Sports heroes, movie stars, and music idols (especially country music) don’t really make or break a society. It’s the school teachers, construction workers, and first responders that are the backbone of a nation. But it’s been a long time since I’ve been to a middle school with a statue of the seventh-grade science teacher in front of the building.
In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that bothered him so much he couldn’t sleep. His magic men and soothsayers were useless, so finally the king sent for Daniel. The Jewish exile not only told the king the interpretation, but he told him what his private dream itself was. The dream was of a huge statue representing the king’s current Babylonian empire (a head of gold), and three future empires (chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, and legs and feet of iron and clay.)
Here in Daniel 3, King Nebuchadnezzar doesn’t mess around with all these future empires made of various materials. Rather, he made a ninety-foot-tall statue of his own empire, made completely of gold. The fiery furnace awaited anyone who refused to worship the king’s image. The newly appointed administrators of Babylon were three such people refusing to comply. Their Babylonian names were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
They famously survived the blazes without a hint of smoke on their clothes. They were protected by a fourth person who was perhaps an angel or maybe even Jesus Himself. Sometimes we have to do the right thing, no matter how it turns out. For these three guys, they ended up getting promoted.
They are referred to in the New Testament book of Hebrews, where the author is listing great people of faith, including those who “quenched the fury of the flames” (Hebrews 11:34). But things don’t always go so well for the faithful followers of God. This same section of Scripture also refers to believers who met their gruesome death by being stoned, sawed in two, or killed by the sword (Hebrews 11:37).
Have you ever had a time when you had to stand up for your faith, regardless of the consequences? Imagine a future in which you are pressured to comply with something that would compromise your faith. How would you respond? How far would you go?
Poem
In This World
In this world, we’ll face giants
Of mocking and disgrace
In this world, we’ll receive bad news
Which throws us on our face
In this world, we’ll have trials
Which tempt or try us sore
In this world, we will grieve and mourn
We’ll be rocked to the core
In this world, we’ll be tossed about
By storms and brutal weather
In this world, we will be betrayed
By once beloved brother
In this world, fiery furnace blasts
Will threaten our resolve
But even so, in this world, know
God’s sovereign reign will vow
To hold you steadfast in your faith
To keep you from denial
To strengthen you with courage strong
To stand with you in trial
