God’s Commitment In My Life
Daniel 3
Background
The Names: When I was a little boy in Sunday School, the teacher asked my little brother, Cory, the names of the three Hebrew children that were thrown into the fiery furnace. He thought for a moment and then a smile came on his face and he said, "Shadrach, Meshach and a Billy Goat." So close.
Their original names were not Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, those were the captivity names, meant to erase their identity. Their true names were Hananiah which means "God has favoured" it was changed to Shadrach = "royal" or "the great scribe", Mishael = "who is what God is" to Meshach = "guest of a king" , and Azariah = "Jehovah has helped" to Abed-nego = "servant of Nebo" Daniel = "God is my judge" it was changed to Belteshazzar and can mean Bel is life, Bel is treasure or Lord of the straitened’s treasure.
The Dates
The books of Ezekiel and Daniel were written during Exile, that period of time when the Jews were forcibly removed home and resettled in Babylon. Daniel is the last of the five major prophetical books (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel). In the Hebrew Bibles however, Daniel is not in the prophetical books at but instead is placed as a historical book in the section called the Writings.
Daniel 1:1-4 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god. 3 And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes; 4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
The conquest of Judah and Jerusalem occurred over time in three invasion.
First, in 605 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar defeated Jehoiakim and carried off royal hostages, among them were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: (Dan 1:1-6; see below on 1:1). Whose names were changed to Daniel 1:7 Belteshazzar; Shadrach; Meshach and Abednego.
Eight years later in 597 B.C., the kings Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar and he again punished Jerusalem and carried away 10,000 captives, including king Jehoiachin and the young prophet Ezekiel (Ezk 1:1-3; cf. II Chr 36:10; II Kgs 24:8-20).
Finally, in 587 B.C., after King Zedekiah rebelled once more, Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to the city and once the walls were breached he destroyed it and the Temple and took away all those that survived the siege leaving Jerusalem a town of memories and wild animals. (II Kgs 25:1-7; Jer 34:1-7; 39:1-7; 52:2-11)
There are two major themes in the Book of Daniel
– prophecy related to the coming of the Messiah
and the faithfulness of God’s people when living among pagans and their sin. It is that second theme we will be looking at today. How do God’s people stand up when the world has fallen down?
Daniel, Hananiah, Misael and Azariah lived as examples of keeping their commitment to their God no matter what was happening around them.
Introduction:
The Call From Flight 93
This is based on the known facts of the flight and some remembered phone calls as well as an interview with the operator, Lisa Jefferson, but the actual phone call was not recorded.)
Todd: Hello. Operator. Please Listen -- I can’t speak very loud. This is an emergency. I’m a passenger on a United flight to San Francisco. We have a situation here. Our plane has been hijacked. Can you understand me?
Lisa: (exhaling a deep breath to herself) I understand. Can the hijackers see you talking on the phone?
Todd: No.
Lisa: Can you tell me how many hijackers are on the plane?
Todd: There are three that we know of.
Lisa: Can you see any weapons? What kind of weapons do they have?
Todd: Yes. They don’t have guns. They took over the plane with razor knives -- like box cutters.
Lisa: Ok sir, please give me your name.
Todd: My name is Todd Beamer.
Lisa: Ok Todd, my name is Lisa. Do you know your flight number?
Todd: It’s United Flight 93.
Lisa: Now Todd, can you try to tell me exactly what happened?
Todd: Two of the hijackers were sitting in first class near the cockpit. A third one was sitting near the back of the coach section. The two up front got into the cockpit somehow; there was shouting. The third hijacker said he had a bomb. It looks like a bomb. He’s got it tied to his waist with a red belt of some kind.
Lisa: Has anyone been injured?
Todd: Yes, they…they killed one passenger sitting in first class. There’s been lots of shouting. We don’t know if the pilots are dead or alive. A flight attendant told me that the pilot and copilot had been forced from the cockpit and may have been wounded.
Lisa: Ok Todd, what’s going on with the other passengers?
Todd: Everyone is really scared. A few passengers with cell phones have made calls to relatives. A guy, Jeremy, was talking to his wife just before the hijacking started. She told him that hijackers had crashed two planes into the World Trade Center
Todd: Lisa, will you do something for me?
Lisa: I’ll try if I can. Yes.
Todd: I want you to call my wife and my kids for me and tell them what’s happened.
Lisa: I promise – I’ll call.
Todd: You have the same name as my wife. Lisa. We’ve been married for 10 years. She’s pregnant with our 3rd child. Tell her that I love her (choking up) I’ll always love her..(clearing throat) We have two boys. David, he’s 3 and Andrew, he’s 1. Tell them (choking) tell them that their daddy loves them and that he is so proud of them. (clearing throat again) Our baby is due January 12th.
Lisa: (barely able to speak) I’ll tell them, I promise Todd.
Todd: I’m going back to the group -- if I can get back I will...
Lisa: Todd, leave this line open...are you still there?
Todd: (breathing a little heavier comes back to the phone) The plane seems to be changing directions just a little. It’s getting pretty rough up here. The plane is flying real erratic. I have talked with the others -- we have decided we would not be pawns in these hijackers suicidal plot.
Lisa: Todd, what are you going to do?
Todd: Four of us are going to rush the hijacker with the bomb. After we take him out, we’ll break into the cockpit. Lisa, will you do one last thing for me? Lisa: Yes. What is it?
Todd: Would you pray the Lord’s Prayer with me? They recite Our Father which art in heaven…
Todd: (softer) Heavenly Father, help us...Jesus, Lord be with me...
Todd: Are you guys ready? Let’s Roll...
Where does that kind of courage come from? Where can you find the ability to stand when you know you will pay a heavy price, perhaps even death for doing what it right? In the case of Tod Beamer it came from the love of his country, the love of his family and the love of God. That same foundation of strength is what has always given courage. It was true on 9/11 and it was true in ancient Babylon for H, A and M.
Image of Gold - Daniel 3:1-3
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Veneration Assimilation
The King’s image of gold was very tall and very thin, roughly 90 ft tall by 9 ft wide. This meant it was probably a statue that was set upon a tall pedestal or perhaps an obelisk, like the Washington Monument. It could have been an idol, it could have been the image of King Nebuchadnezzar or something that represented his kingdom, like the Babylonian lion. What is important is the command given to the people.
Daniel 3:4-7 Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, 5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: 6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
When they heard the music playing, they were all to bow down and do obeisance to the image and to what it represented.
Several times in the passage we are told, all people, all the officials, from all the conquered lands, all the nations and all the languages were to bow down. And in verse 7 that is exactly what they did. Everywhere you could see in this vast area set aside to worship the figure, everyone fell on their face and worshipped the figure. Everybody bowed down, except for three lone figures, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. Can you imagine what that must have looked like and how they would have been so easy to spot with all others on their faces and H, A and M. standing there, refusing to go down.
Conformation Temptation
God’s people have always needed the lesson of Daniel’s book, how the people of God should live in a world that denies God.
There are many “images of gold” in our society today. Everything from pop culture, to fashion, to sexual pleasure, to drugs and alcohol. Today you are expected to bow down to sexual deviancy, to murder in the womb and murder in the hospital bed when you’re too old or too sick. You are expected to support the rights of those who practice the worst forms of sexual perversion and not only allow them to spread like a malignant cancer in our society but to also support them while they seduce and groom your children and grandchildren.
You must go along in order to get along is what many Christians believe. Don’t say anything. Don’t do anything. Just go along. Love the sinner and love their sin as well. Keep your opinions to yourself and go with the flow. The vast majority of so-called Christians do exactly that.
After all what was so bad about H, M, A bowing before the idol? They didn’t believe in it. They could just go along for the time, not rock the boat, not embarrass themselves, not suffer the cost. Besides, they were officials in the Babylonian empire and so they better go with the official Babylonian law.
But they did not! They understood then what you and I must understand today. If you bow down once, you’ll bow again and again and again. They knew and we must know, that the only way you can bow to the things of this world is if you turn toward the world and turn away from God!
There is room in our hearts and lives for the worship of one and only one. You can worship and belong to this world and the god of this world, or you can worship and belong to the God of all creation, but you can’t belong to both.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
That is what the three Hebrew Captives understood and did then and that is what we must understand and do today.
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah won’t bow down and the story resumes in vs 8.
Standing Bold - Daniel 3:8-18
8-12 Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews. 9 They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever. 10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image: 11 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Commitment Contentment
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah take their stand for God and His Word. When the King hears from these “certain Chaldeans” that they did not bow down, the Bible says he challenges them in his rage and fury, Daniel 3:14-15, “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? Now if you are ready when you hear the music to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you will be thrown into a fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”
The most powerful King in all the earth at this time, tells them to get their act together, join the crowd and bow down! He threatens them with death in a fiery furnace. What he is talking about is a smelter, a furnace that is made to melt down metal. Possibly this was the very furnace that was used to melt the gold and other materials to make the golden image they were to bow before. If they would not save their lives by bowing before the golden image, then the fire used to make the golden image would take their lives.
Think about it for a moment, gold melts at 1,945 degrees Fahrenheit, the human body burns to ash at only 650 degrees. The king is making sure no one will ever defy him again, even their bodies won’t be left behind as witness of their stand.
Why did these three stand when all the others fell down? It was because of who they were and who their God was. They were the children of Israel, and their God was Jehovah, the creator of earth, sky, ocean and stars. Jehovah was the only true God and Jehovah was the only God worthy of worship. Their God had commanded them never to bow to an idol and because they were His they would not bow they would not fall. They may have been in captivity, stolen from their home and family but they still belonged to God.
Their answer reveals the depth of their conviction and belief. Daniel 3:16-18 O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. (There is no need for us to answer this question, it did not need to even be asked.) 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.
They had the conviction of their faith and their identity as believers in the One true God. They did not hesitate to consider their answer, they did not need time to find a compromise, they knew immediately that they would disobey the kings command, because their God was greater than the king of Babylon and all other earthly kings.
They had faith that God would deliver them, either by death into glory or by a miracle, but, it did not matter if they knew the how of deliverance, because they already knew the who of deliverance, the Living God of Creation. They knew that one way or the other He would deliver them and they would not bow down.
Renunciation Determination
There is great strength of will for the person who knows they belong to God. When you know who you belong to, then you will also know that you can stand up when others are bowing down. You’ll stand just Hananiah, Mischel and Azariah stood, like Daniel stood in the lion’s den, like Peter and John stood before the Sanhedrin and like Paul stood before they stoned him. You’ll stand because you are His and those that are truly His will always stand!
David said it this way in Psalms 27:1-3 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh,they stumbled and fell. 3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
Hebrews 13:5-6 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
David Livingstone
In 1856, David Livingstone was camped along a river and faced great danger as he tried to share the Gospel in Africa. Once as he was passing through the territory of a hostile tribe and its chief, he heard reports from his own native bearers that the chief was raising other tribes to attack and kill him. Alone in his tent, Livingstone opened his Bible and read the promise on which he had staked his life. Afterwards, he wrote in his diary.
“January 14, 1856. Evening. Felt much turmoil of spirit in prospect of having all my plans for welfare of this great region knocked on the head by savages tomorrow. But Jesus said, ’All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations … and lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ This is the word of a Gentleman of the most strict and sacred honor, so that’s the end of fear. I will not cross furtively tonight as I intended. Nay, verily, I shall take observations for latitude and longitude tonight, though they may be the last. I feel quiet and calm now, thank God!”- Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times, (WORDsearch, 2004).
David Livingstone knew that he belonged to God and was called by God to take the Good news of Jesus Christ to people who had never heard it and killed any stranger in their land. He stood against the fear and impossible odds because he served God.
Fire Turned Cold - Daniel 3:19-30
19-23 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. 20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Conflagration Protection
The King in his fury orders the furnace heated “one seven time more” than it was normal to heat. The idea of one seven times is an Aramaic phrase which means the furnace, a particular furnace, probably the biggest and the hottest. They didn’t have a way to accurately measure temperatures like this then so the phrase means as hot as possible, seven being the number of completeness.
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah are bound and thrown into the furnace, into the smelter, So hot was the fire that the men who threw them in were killed just from breathing the superheated air.
Daniel 3:24-25 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. 25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
Then Nebuchadnezzar looks into the flames, (I’m sure from a good distance away, after seeing what happened to the guards) from that safe distance he sees them walking around in the middle of the fire and someone else is walking with them. Like four friends taking a stroll on a cool autumn day.
Nebuchadnezzar sees this One, the extra person that was there waiting for his faithful men and the one the king sees stands out, even brighter than the superheated flames.
Now he is a pagan and he would not know deity from a doughnut, and he did not know exactly who he saw when he looked in that furnace, but he knew the One he saw no ordinary man, the One he was supernatural, literally, like a son of a god.
The one Nebuchadnezzar did not know we do know and the KJV translators, wanted to make sure you would know who was walking with the Hebrew children. When the king looked in he saw Jesus Christ who truly was the Son of God.
Jesus was with them protecting them from the fire and I believe that as they were thrown in and fell down in their bonds, Jesus picked them up and stripped away the bonds and set them free.
This was a miracle of deliverance and protection so amazing that every detail was recorded. They were meekly thrown in but they boldly walked out, they went in like bound slaves but they came out unshackled and free, they went in to be burnt to ash but when they emerged from walking with the Savior, they did not even smell of smoke. That is the power of knowing you belong to God and obeying the One who alone can deliver you.
Resolution Validation
In this day of denial and age of antagonism against God we need to be standing with the outstanding One. just as boldly as did Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah on that day.
Yes, if you stand up for what you know is right, if you stand up for what is true, if you stand up and declare I belong to God, then prepare yourself because you will be punished in this fallen, pagan world. You’ll be punished by ridicule, by exclusion, by backbiting, by pressure from your peers and even your family.
ISIS and the Christians - In many countries today God’s people are still suffering the fate of H, M & A. When Isis invaded Christian towns and neighborhoods in Iraq, they crucified men on lightposts and burned entire families in iron cages lowered into the flames. They marked them and their houses with the 14th letter from the Arabic alphabet, the letter noon, like our letter N and it stood as a mark of identification to those who belongs to “the Nazarene” those who belonged to Jesus Christ.
But Jesus has promised to be with his own in the fire. His promises are personal and they are powerful.
I am with you always even until the end of the world.
I will never leave you nor forsake thee
I will not leave you comfortless I will come unto you.
Is it worth the cost? Can I say along with those who have suffered over the centuries or those who being persecuted today in the middle east or Africa or India, Can I say with them, “I would rather be in the fire with Jesus than escape the flames and be without Him?
Listen to what Paul said, in Romans 8:14-19 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
The earnest expectation, the intense desire of creation, is waiting to behold the revealing of the children of God! And when will the children of God be revealed? When they come through the fire. When they stand up in a falling down world!
Illustration: The Path I Feared
I said, "Let me walk in the field."
He said, "No; walk in the town."
I said, "There are no flowers there."
He said, "No flowers, but a crown."
I said, "But the skies are black,
There is nothing but noise and din."
He wept as He sent me back.
"There is more," He said, "there is sin."
I said, "But the air is thick,
And fogs are veiling the sun."
He answered, "Yet souls are sick,
And souls in the dark undone."
I said, "I shall miss the light,
And friends will miss me, they say."
He answered, "Choose tonight
If I am to miss you, or they."
I pleaded for time to be given.
He said, "Is it so hard to decide?
It will not seem hard in Heaven
To have followed the steps of your Guide."
I cast one look at the fields,
Then set my face to the town;
He said: "My child, do you yield?
Will you leave the flowers for the crown?"
Then into His hand went mine;
And into my heart came He;
And I walk in a light Divine,
The path I had feared to see. -George McDonald
Conclusion:
What are you standing for? What are you bowing before?
This world will make you believe that the most important things are popularity, money, acceptance or agreement. It, like all the world’s beliefs are lies and should you achieve those things you will be broken- hearted, empty and dissolute when you realize how terrible were the lie you believed.
Take a stand! Tale a stand for eternity! Take a stand for God. Take a stand for the Gospel. Take a stand for you brothers and sister in Christ. Turn your back upon this world and look into the loving eyes of our Savior, then go where He leads, do what He commands, stand where He tells you to stand. Yes, you will pay a price, but the reward will be worth it all.`
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