Taking The Heat

Feb. 7

Read: Daniel 3:8-30

Taking The Heat

“Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?” (v.14)

There will always be aggression towards the people of God for the ways that we do not conform to the patterns of this world… remember that it is severely “offensive” to those who worship the “golden statue” to see someone who does not! In this case, it was a group of Chaldeans who came and complained to the king. Have you ever thought to ask why? Why were these Chaldeans so bent out of shape that *Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (from now on “SMA”) didn’t “bow down” when the music played? Was it really about the “principle of it”? Beware of the complaints that come couched in the language of “principle”… there are often other, deeper, motives. Were they jealous? Were they vindictive? Did they want SMA’s jobs as their own? What is clear is that these men were maliciously against SMA.

How do WE respond in the “face of the furnace”… when we are staring down fire? How do we react to the accusations and attacks that come our way when we refuse to defile ourselves? When SMA get called in front of the king, he asks them a basic question: “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?” We should be asking ourselves this same question every day… “is it true of me that I am not serving some lesser god, nor bowing down to worship the glimmer and shine of some golden statue / idol?” The answer that SMA gives to the king is fascinating: “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.” (v.16) They don’t even answer the question! Imagine that… “is it true that you don’t serve or bow down?”… “I am not even going to answer that.” For SMA they let their actions speak for themselves. For SMA, they wanted to remind the king of who they were… the same men who roll with Daniel - the one who risked his life to interpret the kings dreams. They served the TRUE GOD who has power, unlike the gods of those around them. I think that the answer of SMA was most directly pointed at the last part of the kings longer question: “who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” (v.15) In essence, SMA tell the king, “You are about to find out.” (v.16-18)

SMA knew what was coming. They knew what God was going to deliver them from the kings hands! They were not even going to talk about… they were simply like “watch and see”. How quickly king Nebuchadnezzar forgets the power of the God of Daniel and SMA. For us as the children of God, we need a little less talk and a little more action. We need to learn from SMA and boldly move forward in life…with a “just you watch and see” confidence in the Lord. SMA did not know for sure whether or not God was going to spare their lives, but what they DID know was that they were not bowing down to that statue - even if it meant catching heat! They knew that both martyrdom and miraculous rescue would speak for them. There is no life for God’s people in simply seeking to “avoid the heat of the furnace”. “Life" is going to throw you into the furnace sooner or later! God is going see that you “pass through fire” sometime or another. (cf. 1 Peter 1:3, 1 Cor. 3) The real question is, are you going to run your mouth or take the heat?

The entire system of worshipping this golden statue brings nothing but discomfort and death to those who give in. These Chaldeans are torn up with jealously and malice. King N is furious with those who don’t play his game, and spends his time trying to deal with it. (Wouldn’t he rather be eating grapes and relaxing… doing typical ancient king stuff instead of having to play “principal” for the tattle-tails ?) The guards who throw SMA into the furnace burn up and die. (v.22) Meanwhile, SMA walk into the fire and out without a scratch!

A million sermons have been given and gallons of ink have been spilt concerning this final part of the story… nevertheless it is true. God DOES NOT stop them from being thrown into the furnace, but he meets them there and saves them by bringing them through… out the other side… unscathed. The furnace left no bodily scars on them. It did not destroy them nor consume them. “The fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them.” (v.27) And did you see what happened afterwards? SMA got promoted… by the king! (v.30) This is not some “prosperity gospel”, but it is a concrete biblical example. You are not fit for promotion until you have faced the fire… have been tested… taken the heat with the Lord by your side. Another way to put it: promotion comes after the trial… not before it. Promotion will never come from “bowing down” and being triggered by the music like the rest of the masses. Promotion follows risk and a willingness to lay your life down, regardless of wether you make it out or not.

Stop running from the threat of the furnace. Stop serving these lesser gods - money, influence, escapism into substance abuse, sexual immorality, social media followers, etc. The list is endless really. Wake up! Just because the music comes on doesn’t mean you need to bow down. Let your actions begin to speak to the power and glory of God. In a day and age filled with fear, God is calling you to live with bold freedom from fear in Christ. He is calling you to live like SMA. May we look at the world and declare “watch and find out”… this will answer your questions more than anything else. We are no longer slaves to fear… we are children of God. The furnace of Covid 19, or economic collapse, or being “canceled”, or being called “politically incorrect”, or whatever it is has no sway over us. The Lord is with us. In the midst of the fire… he is near. Love you guys. - JDP