THE FIERY FURNACE

King Nebuchadnezzar and the fiery furnace may be a very familiar story to most of you. I heard it many times as I was growing up, and the way it was told revealed three Hebrew boys that were willing to die for a God that may or may not be able to save them.  When God showed up in the furnace, there was always a sigh of relief.  He was able!  Now, getting Him to do it for you was a crapshoot. You could strain and hope and strain some more and just maybe God would, but then again, maybe He wouldn’t.  Who knew?  I would like to tell this story again in a way that reveals God for who He really is, our willing and able Father.

Jehoiakim, king of Judah, did evil in the sight of God by following the ways of his ancestors.  As a result, Judah fell captive to Babylon.  An entire nation of people, those that followed the wicked leader of Judah and those that did not, went into captivity.  Obviously there are times when bad things happen to good people.  However, this story reveals to us how faith kept in the midst of trouble allows us to live in freedom and victory.  Notice the radical, unwavering faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  They had a revelation that only comes from close fellowship with God.  This relationship gave them boldness to stand in the midst of trouble and win.

Daniel 3 reveals a golden image set up by King Nebuchadnezzar.  This image was to be worshipped by the entire province of Babylon.  An entire nation assembled for the dedication.  The people were warned to fall down and worship the image when the music played, or be cast into the burning fiery furnace.  No one was exempt.  The time came.  The music played and the people fell on their faces and worshipped the idol.  Imagine the pressure to conform, especially at the thought of being burned alive.  Yet when an entire nation fell to the ground at once, three men boldly and defiantly stood.  They had heard the edict of the king and knew death was the reward for their actions.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were government officials set over the affairs of Babylon at the request of Daniel.  They were highly visible.  There was too much at stake to allow this transgression to go unpunished.  King Nebuchadnezzar had the three men brought before him for questioning. 

Daniel 3:13-15 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.  Then they brought these men before the king.  Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?  Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well:  but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

Think about it.  This man obviously has the power and authority to follow through with his threats.  His army has taken all of Judah captive.  It is a small thing to throw three men into a furnace and watch them melt away.  In the natural, they should be quaking in fear, but instead they boldly answer the king:

Daniel 3:16-18 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.  If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

These men of faith didn’t choose their words carefully to appease the anger of the king.  Their allegiance was to The Living God alone!  No milk toast Christianity here!  Verses 16 thru 18 reveal three men who know God intimately.  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are very sure of what God can and will do on their behalf.  Their faith is obvious.  However, this is not how these scriptures have been interpreted in my experience.  More than likely you have also heard it interpreted this way:

…if it be so (that our God is able to deliver us), He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.  But if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Read the original scriptures again more closely.  The subject of this sentence is whether or not the king will throw the men into the furnace.  However, many traditional ministers change the subject mid-sentence to reflect the inability of God to deliver.

Did you catch that?  If you are not paying attention to the subject here, you will turn these men of faith into men who are willing to die for a God who may not be able to save them.  Stop for a moment and think about it.  Men die for causes they are sure of, things they truly believe in, not for “Maybe so, Maybe not!”

If the words “But if not” in verse 18 truly are referring to the inability of God to deliver, then the rest of the verse does not fit.  Read it closely.  If God is not able to deliver them, they will be dead and dead men are not able to worship anything.  This certainly is no threat to the king.

Verses 17 and 18 should be interpreted this way:

If it be so (that you throw us into the furnace), Our God is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.  But if not (if you choose not to throw us in) be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

The subject does not change mid-thought.  The true picture painted here is that of unwavering faith even in the face of death.  Some will no doubt want to argue the point, but the fact remains that these three men received exactly what they said.  They were acquainted with a God that was able to deliver them.  In addition, they were convinced that He would do it for them.  The meditations of their heart escaped their lips and became reality.  I see father-son relationships here.  I see God’s love received.  I see true faith at work.

The king had the furnace heated seven times hotter than before.  He had Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego bound.  The soldiers that threw them in the furnace died from the heat escaping the entrance.  When the king looked into the furnace to watch the men die for their insolence, he saw four men loose and walking around in the midst of the fire unharmed, and the fourth looked like the Son of God! 

                                                                                           

Having an intimate relationship with God and His Word is imperative if we are to walk in unwavering faith.  Faith in God not only protected their bodies, it brought the very Son of God on the scene.  It changed the king’s word and the law of the land and brought promotion to those that believed in the midst of captivity. (verses 28-30) 

USED BY PERMISSION

FROM "SACRED COW TIPPING"

COPYRIGHT PENDING