Faith through Fire
Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abed-nego were three faithful Jews who refused to worship the golden image that
king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon set up. They were cast into the midst of a
burning fiery furnace, but they were protected by a fourth “man” in the fire,
and they emerged without even the smell of fire upon them.
Daniel
3:8-18
“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.
13
Then
Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king. 14 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? 15 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?
16
Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are
not careful to answer thee in this matter. 17
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. 18 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 stood up for their God,
the true living God that is powerful. That they were not to bow down to any
graven image, and to serve any other gods that were set up by the king.
Exodus
20:3-6
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.4 Thou shalt not make
unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is
in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in
the water under the earth: 5
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God
am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children
unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto
thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”
Daniel
3:19-30
“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.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar
the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto
his counsellers, 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. 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar
came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and
said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come
forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth
of the midst of the fire. 27
And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellers, being
gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor
was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the
smell of fire had passed on them.
28 Then
Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted
in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they
might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a
decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against
the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their
houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver
after this sort. 30 Then
the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.”
Deuteronomy
4:27-29
“And the LORD shall scatter you among
the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the
LORD shall lead you. 28And
there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which
neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. 29But if from thence
thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him
with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”
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