DANIEL AND THREE BRAVE MEN. DANIEL 3:15
Three brave men face the fury of a heathen king – for the Lord they love.
Nebuchadnezzar gave the alternative to respond to the classical music of Babylon by falling down and worshipping the image he had raised, or facing a fiery end. “ You shall be cast the same hour into the midst of the burning, fiery furnace. “ He repeated the phrase ‘in the midst’ 8 times in this chapter. In the gospels our Lord Jesus is often described as ‘being in the midst’. Everything appeared hopeless for these young men
.
He further blasphemed the true and living God, “ Who is that God who shall deliver you out of my hands?” How frail ultimately is the power of a man! The sound of the orchestra is best translated as being animalistic, as the bleating of sheep or the lowing of cattle; physical as the crackling of lightning or the roar of thunder; or the yelling of a crazed mob. It was a battle of their minds, which were assaulted in this awesome ordeal.
These young men stood firmly as they answered the king, not being obliged to respond to his demands – especially in this idol-worshipping, highly-charged atmosphere. How many young people face similar public pressures to yield to the demands of the hour. Peer pressure seeks to mould young people into a pattern of compliance with the demand of the group or gang. S.M.A. ( for short ) were courteous in their responses but inflexible in their moral stand. ( v16)
Their eyes were ever on their God, and their testimony to His greatness encourages us, “ Our God Whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning, fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O King”. They had discovered the ability of their God, who had delivered the children of Israel from the threatening Pharoah, and the upright watery walls of the Red Sea. “ He is able to keep us from falling”, came from the pen of Jude, while Paul wrote that “ He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that you ask or think”. We should rediscover God’s omnipotence.
.
They repeat that delightful word “ deliver’ to assure their king that the Lord had the situation perfectly in hand, for, if they died, their God would deliver them into Heaven itself. Every saint speaks of God’s delivering, protecting and preserving care.
The king’s blood pressure soared, as he was filled with fury and anger. The Bible consistently linked Idolatry and hatred, as in Galatians 5:19, with wrath, strife and heresies. This contrasted with the 22nd verse of this remarkable chapter when the man or woman filled with the Holy Spirit showed glorious fruit contrasting with Nebuchadnezzar’s overflowing anger. V 19
The image of his appearance was changed against the three princes, while the golden image, the same Hebrew word, could not blush with shame or show compassion for the 3 brave young condemned men.
‘Heat the furnace seven times above its normal temperature’, commanded the tyrant king, not recognising that seven is God’s holy number for perfection, as in the colours of the spectrum and the rainbow, the days of the week or the layers of skin, as our beloved Creator designed.
The entire nation watched awe-struck, as the leading military officers hurled the faithful men into the blazing furnace. The coats, hose, turbans and other garments were tightly bound, denying any movement , certainly the possibility of escape. V21 All hope had gone. They must have longed to be in the Presence of their King, eternal, immortal and invisible, God, only wise. The shocked spectators anticipated sudden death for S.M.A from combustion, third degree burns, dehydration, intense shock, anoxia as the fire licked up the oxygen; with rapid onset of unconsciousness. Even the hardest-hearted would have grieved at the king’s brutality. They w ere not prepared for the immediate outcome when the leading generals hurled these young men deep into the fire, yet themselves died with the intense heat. Leaders often pay heavy prices for their godless exploits, often demanding followers to sacrifice themselves
Had Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego recently read the promise in Isaiah 43: 1-3, ‘The Lord created you, formed you, saying, ‘Fear not for I have redeemed you, I have called you by your Name. You are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned.
Nor shall the flame scorch you. I Am the Lord your God, the holy One of Israel, your saviour.’
Had this been their evening devotion as they prepared for this day with Dura packed with every provincial official? If so, the word of God had prepared them for precisely what Isaiah had predicted! ‘Hide God’s Word in your heart that you might not sin against Me’ applied to these young men.
The king confirmed with his counsellors that he had actually thrown 3 men into the burning fiery furnace ( v24 ). Garbled with excitement, he cried, ‘Look! I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt; and staggered to admit, ‘ the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.’( KJV )
The Lord Jesus Christ, Who had created all things and by whom all things were made, as John’s gospel states, stepped out of heaven in a pre-incarnate form and rescued these 3 courageous men. Hallelujah.
This is an exciting moment in bible history, and should awaken delight and worship from God’s people.
What a turn around for the king to approach the furnace, calling for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego , recognise that they were servants of the most High God, reverse his former decision, and call them out of the fire.’ Incredible! Sometimes God grants miraculous deliverances such as this, while He may allow others to perish in the flames and receive them into the wonders of heaven , with its glory and endow them with a resurrection body. There were more martyrs in the 20th century than in all the 19 intervening centuries since the cross. It is estimated that 139,000 will die for their Lord in the year 2000.A.D.
What a powerful witness they were for all the authorities observed ‘these men on whom the fire had no power, the hair of their head was not singed, nor were their garments affected, and even the smell of fire was not on them.’ ( v27) Saul, later the mighty apostle Paul, watched the first martyr perish, heard his prayer and forgiving cry as Stephen went home to heaven. How many of these royal , judicial, or governmental officers ultimately sought and found the God of these young men? Such unforgettable impressions mould men.
Nebuchadnezzar added his testimony, ‘Blessed be the God of S.M.A. Who sent His Angel and delivered His servants, Who trusted in HIm, and they have frustrated the kings’ word, and yielded their bodies, and they would not serve nor worship any ( metallic or substitute ) god except their own God.( v29)
The king of the first empire of the day proclaimed a decree, ‘if any people, nation or language speaks anything wrong against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, he shall be slain, their homes made a rubbish dump, because there is no other God Who can deliver like this.’ A similar experience in our generation would demand that the President of the US, the Prime Minister of Russia or China or India would decree that the true GOD be alone worshipped. The influence of the courageous stand of 3young men.
How is your moral and ethical stand in your community, university, sporting or business community?
Conscience compelled Nebuchadnezzar to ‘promote Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.’ ( v30) They had yielded their bodies a living sacrifice acceptable to God as a reasonable service.
Heaven smiled at the commendation of a heathen ruler. God longs to honour you.