Daniel 3 - Stand Up for Jesus

The more you have to lose, the more you need to stand up for Jesus.

Faithlife.com

SINCE WE LAST LEFT OFF... God revealed Nebuchadnezzar’s troubling dream to Daniel, showing a succession of earthly kingdoms that will ultimately be shattered by an everlasting kingdom from heaven. The king honored Daniel, yet soon set up a golden image and commanded all to worship it. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused, faithful to the LORD alone, they were accused and brought before the king for defying his decree.

Daniel 3:13–30 (NASB95)

¹³ Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and anger gave orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego; then these men were brought before the king.

¹⁴ Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?

¹⁵ ...But if you do not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?”

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter.

¹⁷ “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.

¹⁸ “But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

¹⁹ Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath, and his facial expression was altered toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. He answered by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.

²⁰ He commanded certain valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego in order to cast them into the furnace of blazing fire.

²¹ Then these men were tied up in their trousers, their coats, their caps and their other clothes, and were cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire.

²² For this reason, because the king’s command was urgent and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego.

²³ But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up.

²⁴ Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, “Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?” They replied to the king, “Certainly, O king.”

²⁵ He said, “Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!”

²⁶ Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he responded and said, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the Most High God, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire.

²⁷ ...the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them.

²⁸ Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God.

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³⁰ Then the king caused Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego to prosper in the province of Babylon.

Heidelberg Catechism

Q&A 95

Q. What is idolatry?

A. Idolatry is

having or inventing something in which one trusts

in place of or alongside of the only true God,

who has revealed himself in his Word.

Summary

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego aren't just anonymous nobodies in the province of Babylon. After Daniel had interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's dream in the previous chapter, the king appointed Daniel ruler over the whole province, Daniel appointed his friends as administrators. Life was good.

So it's not like these three were a bunch of captured hostages with nothing to lose who were just taking advantage of the opportunity to stick it to the king in an act of public defiance. If anything, they had more incentive than anyone else to fall in line with this silly order from the king. Besides, the whole arrangement was likely a trap set by their Chaldean rivals. Protesting would be playing right into their hands.

All they needed to do was go out, listen to the music, fall down and "worship" for a few moments and move on. Then they could get back to doing the LORD's work in administering their departments for His glory.

But these three put it all on the line and immediately got called out by their Chaldean counterparts who ran tattling to the king. Nebuchadnezzar's bruised ego gave way to rage and anger as he ordered his three administrators to report. But his brains catch up, and rather than just executing them on the spot, he repeats his ultimatum and gives them a second chance.

  Dig Deeper  

But Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego aren't playing games. They don't even wait for the music to begin again. They flat out tell the most powerful man in the world that we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter! It's no wonder that we read that Nebuchadnezzar's facial expression was altered toward them!

But they don't stop there - they go on to contradict the king, who'd boldly claimed that no god could save them from him. Not true, said the three Jews. Our God is able to deliver us... and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But notice the humility in their boast. God could save them, but they weren't obligating Him to do so. But even if He does not, these three men swore that they are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image.

Our God did save His three servants, and in a most glorious way. The story ends with Nebuchadnezzar blessing their God, marveling at these men who yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God. Not only that, but the king caused them to prosper in the province of Babylon.

You don't need to worry about being ordered to worship a golden image, but there are thousands of ways that you can capitulate and just go with the flow in our own day and age. Don't do it. Take inspiration from these three men of old, and know that the God who saved them from the furnace has saved you even more gloriously through His Son.

AAA Prayer (About)

• ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who saves His people from the fire;

• ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the courage of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego;

• ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

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