TALE AS OLD AS TIME... Those who will not bend, bow or burn
Nebuchadnezzar confronted them, giving them one last chance to obey his command. However, they refused, showing their unwavering faith in God, even when threatened with the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:19-23).
The king, enraged, ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be thrown into it. The soldiers who carried out the order died from the intense heat.
“And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in. So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames.”
- Daniel 3:22-23 NLT
The three young men survived their initial introduction to the furnace—a fire that killed the soldiers tasked with throwing them in. That was the first miracle. From a distance, the king made this observation:
“But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, ‘Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?’ ‘Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,’ they replied. ‘Look!’ Nebuchadnezzar shouted. ‘I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!’”
- Daniel 3:24-25 NLT
Astonished by what he saw, Nebuchadnezzar moved as close as he could to the furnace and called Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to come out.
“So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke! Then Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!’”
- Daniel 3:26-29 NLT
What critical lessons do we gather from this story?
The most important decision you make is whom you will worship.
This decision must be made based on truth to prevail against cultural pressure. Worship is important because every resource of your life will be aimed at whom or what you worship:
Your Time
Your Talent
Your Treasure
Your Energy and Influence
Whatever you worship will receive the best you have to offer.
2. The devil gets a report on you every day. He demands your worship.
“People of all races and nations and languages, listen to the king’s command!... to worship.”
Any worship not directed to God is available for false gods, such as:
Hedonism
Materialism
Polytheism
Pride
3. There is a cost or cross for worshiping the one true God.
“Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s defiance of the king’s decree exposed them to the blazing furnace. Every day, members of the body of Christ around the world are exposed to suffering for the gospel of Jesus. While your suffering may simply be ridicule or the loss of a social media friend, others across the globe may endure cruel beatings or even lose their lives.
Several years ago, on one of our mission trips to Romania, we arrived in Constanza just a week after three church members were killed. They were new believers who were to be baptized. Angry members of the township attacked the caravan on its way to the baptism location, beating many church members and killing three of the candidates.
One week after the attack, the church gathered again to worship Jesus. Why?
Because whatever fire you are in, God is in it with you.
“I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!”
This blog post is based on a sermon by Pastor Alan Kirkpatrick from the series "Tale as Old as Time."