The Fiery Furnace

Somewhere in time, this week, I was watching an end time’s movie from the 1990’s. Its fun watching movies that try to figure out what will happen after Christ’s return and the church is taken from this earth.  It is believed that many people will come to faith in Christ during this time and they will be persecuted for their faith.  In this particular story, the Christians are placed in a furnace.  It reminded me of the Bible story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

In the third chapter of Daniel, it recounts this story.  What you need to know about the setting for this story is that Israel has been conquered by Babylon and thier King carried the best and the brightest people Israel into captivity in Babylon.  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were three such people. They were respected and had earned their way into a position of power in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom.

King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold ninety feet high.  He must have been pretty proud of it because he showed it to his advisors so they could see the wonders he created. They all decided that when anyone heard music, they should bow and worship this image.  A group of the king’s advisors were a little jealous of the position the Israeli’s had achieved, so they took it upon themselves to share with the king that three of the Israelites did not bow and worship the golden image. This made Nebuchadnezzar furious.

He called in Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to talk to them.  He basically gave them an ultimatum.  They could worship the image of gold, or be burned to death in a fiery furnace.  This was their response.

Daniel 3:16 – 17 (NIV) “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king. “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.””

This made Nebuchadnezzar so mad, he heated the furnace up seven times hotter than normal.  He then ordered the three to be tied and thrown into the furnace.  The soldiers that had the unpleasant task of throwing three live human beings into a fire did not survive. The heat of the furnace killed them.

Sometimes it seems like the struggles of life have taken us out of the pan and into the fire.  Standing up for the truth, holding to your convictions can at times by hard.  After days and months of hard times, it may be hard to hold onto the knowledge that God never leaves us or forsakes us.  We get caught up with the reality of the fire and don’t see the deliverance that is coming to set us free.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had the courage necessary to face the flames. They knew that God could deliver them, but even if he chose not to, that God was still in control. When we are going through hard times, God may choose to deliver us, or He may choose to walk with us through it.  Either way, God is still with us.

 In the fiery furnace, the King watches on.  He wants to see his perceived enemy die for disobeying him.  Instead what he sees is four men, up and walking around.  The ties that had held their hands and feet together were burned, but nothing else was.  The king notices that one of the men looks as if he is the son of God.

Think about this.  Times were hard, they were in a furnace, but God was in the fire with them.  God was walking through the hard spot with them.  He didn’t rescue them from the fire. He protected them and walked through the fire with them.  If things are looking bad, just remember that God is walking through the hard time with you.

The truth that these three men, did not die in the fire, instead they are alive and well was enough to impact the hard heart of King Nebuchadnezzar.  He yells into the fire for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to come out.

Daniel 3:29 “Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”

When times are hard, remember the fiery furnace and realize there is no other God that can save this way.  No other God that is able to save us from our sins and lead us to eternal life.  No other God is God.

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