11/09/2016 - DO NOT BE INTIMIDATED BY THE ENEMY’S FURY

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Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.  Daniel 3.21

The foolishness of a wicked person makes them think they are better than others. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, thought so highly of himself that he made an image of gold and set it up so that everyone could worship it. When he heard that three young Jews refused to fall down and worship the golden image, as he had decreed, Nebuchadnezzar became very angry and tried to bargain with the Jews, hoping to persuade them to change their minds and perform one simple act; if they agreed, they wouldn’t be punished for their disobedience.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego said to Nebuchadnezzar that they had no need to answer the king in this matter, and if that was the case, their God whom they served was able to deliver them from the burning fiery furnace, but if He didn’t, they still wouldn’t serve his gods nor would they worship the golden image which he had set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated (verse 19). It was a battle between evil and God’s heroes.

Nebuchadnezzar commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind the rebels and cast them into the burning fiery furnace (verse 20). But not even that made those three young men attempt to spare their own lives; after all, they believed that the Lord was able to deliver them. So they were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. On one side there was a king full of fury and, on the other side, three young servants of the Almighty. What a beautiful picture!

The events that followed were, however, surprising. Because the king’s command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. And the three young men fell down bound into the midst of the fire. At that moment, God worked an unprecedented miracle: instead of getting hurt, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were walking in the midst of the fire, which didn’t have power to burn them, thus proving God’s intervention.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered to the king, “We did as you commanded”. However, Nebuchadnezzar saw four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they were not hurt. Shaking, he said that the form of the fourth is like a son of the gods. But he was mistaken, because the Son of God had decided to stay with his servants (verses 24-25).

What an important lesson the king learned! Even under the threat of being cast into the burning fierce furnace, God’s servants were not intimidated and did not retreat. The truth of the Lord is different from that which man or hell says. If they had worshiped the golden image, they would burn with unquenchable fire; but because they did not give in, the furnace of the king had no power over them. Trusting in the Lord is worth it.

God’s servants cannot negotiate their salvation to save themselves. If we have to die for our faith in the Savior, we will stand firm until the end. Nevertheless, if the sentence has not come from God, it will have no effect on us. If he has chosen that we serve him in a way that seems cruel to natural man, we must march on, because on the other side he will be waiting for us.

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares