Daniel 3
The absolute ruler of
The behavior of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego becomes a matter for the consideration of the king through a report of Chaldeans who accuse them concerning this matter. The contention is that these particular Judean exiles simply will not obey the king’s directive to fall down and to worship this golden image at a given signal. The broader point is also made that these men do not serve the Babylonian gods. This is something of a surprise for two reasons. First, in every other way these men do seem to be submissive to the king. It would not have been that difficult for them to fake obedience to this directive, but they refuse to do so Second, the history of God’s people has been full of false worship. It is surprising to think that these men might actually have been willing to obey the Lord on this matter when so many of their ancestors have made the free choice to worship false gods without the excuse of any outside compulsion. This is worthy of further examination. Could it be that God’s servants have become examples of faithfulness in the most unlikely place for their obedience to him, in the seat of Babylonian power?
The king was in no mood to ignore this report of religious insurrection. We are told that he was in a furious rage about the matter. He brings them before him and puts them to the test. He also makes a point of challenging the power of their god. This is certainly a contest, and he is expecting to win. He says, “Who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”
These three brave men are not intimidated by these threats. They profess their faith in the Lord’s power to deliver them, but then they say something that is shockingly faithful, and that should be inspiring to all of us. “But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” Even if the Lord determines to let them be destroyed by the king, they will still refuse to violate His commandments. This is a statement of loyalty and love that goes beyond the fact of what God will do for them in answer to their immediate plea. This is the kind of commitment that Christ would show to His Father in the garden of Gethsemane as written in Luke 22:42, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” There is a commitment here that is far beyond the immediate comfort of the one who makes the petition. In the case of Jesus Christ, this kind of commitment was necessary if the victory of the cross was to be secured by the Messiah.
The king was infuriated by this response. He took every effort to insure that he would be the victor in this contest. The men were bound. The furnace was especially hot, so much so that some of the servants of the king lost there lives just from bringing the Hebrew exiles close to their doom. Yet when the critical moment finally came, these three men were not destroyed. Instead, they were joined by a fourth man who seemed to be a divine savior. The men who had been cast into the furnace were safe and unbound. They were not hurt.
After examining his prisoners, the king was deeply impressed by this divine act of deliverance. This display was not a private matter. There were observers there who saw everything, and they certainly received the testimony of the Lord’s intervention with amazement. These men showed no visible result of this dangerous ordeal. Other men had been killed, but these three would live.
The king seemed to be changed by this interaction, though perhaps only for a brief time. He uses all his force to insist that no one say anything against the Lord at the risk of their lives. He insists upon this with the same kind of force that he would have used against God’s people according to his earlier plans.
When Christ came to die for us, He did not need the help of men in starting the community of the faithful. He did what He did, not because of the power of men, but in spite of it. We who now proclaim the message of His cross have no interest in the coercive force of rulers to aid us in our efforts to preach the good news of Christ’s kingdom. We will resolve to obey the Lord even if the full force of the power of any state is against us. As our Savior was true to His mission when He was a victim of Roman injustice, we trust that He will use us, even if we face the hatred from men that our King once faced. Our God is able to deliver us. Even if he allows us to die at the hands of unjust men, we will not worship anyone except the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
posted by Pastor Magee @ 7:00 AM
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