Daniel Chapter 3, Emphasis:16-18, 24; Isaiah 43:2-3

Recurrent Thought

Christ-devoted Followers understand that their God has the capacity to deliver them from the trials and difficulties of Life. They also know that God’s Will and Purpose always come first.

Christ-devoted followers are known for their faith in Christ and His Beliefs. Their lives are marked by their pursuits to fully know Him and make Him known to others. They are usually separated and driven by specific behaviors such as not being ashamed to worship their God, willing to testify of His goodness and love for humanity. Due to their allegiance to Yahweh, Christ-devoted followers usually find themselves at odds against many other people in society who don’t believe in Yahweh as they do. Ordinarily, the behavior of people who don’t believe in Yahweh against those who do may range from merely joking about them to all the way demanding to kill them. The differences are huge; it is the difference between light and darkness. In this passage, we see the four young exiles from Judah who now work as administrators in the government of a dictator called Nebuchadnezzar, being persecuted for their faith.

Chapter three seems to be a confusing sequel to the previous chapter. The previous chapter ends with King Nebuchadnezzar praising the God of Daniel after presenting and interpreting the dream that rattled the king. Now chapter three reveals that the King sets an image of gold in the valley of Dura and demands all peoples to worship it. It seems the King did not truly understand how Yahweh demanded worship of Himself and nothing else. It also seems that the way God used Daniel to tell him about the dream and its interpretation thereof, did not really impact his life

One suggestion is that this is not immediate, but that there are at least ten years between chapters 2 & 3 and hence the King’s appreciation and understanding of the God of these foreigners had waned off. One surprising thing is the fact that Daniel is not part of the Event. Where was he? No easy answers. Some think this was done in the provinces far away from the Capital where Daniel resided, yet others conclude that he could have been on Government duty outside of Babylon

The setting:

• These Young men are who were taken from Judah in Babylon's first raid on Judah in 605 BC. They were trained in the Philosophies and cultures of Babylon and worked in the government
• The King makes es an Image of gold and demands that at a specific time in a public square, everyone would be called upon to worship it.
• The actual identity of this Image is not fully described other than that it was an Image of God. Could it be that he picked up the Image in His dream where his Kingdom is projected as gold?
• Based on the description others tend to think it was some sort of an Obelisk, an object or a monument used to honor kings, events, etc. The dimensions are that it was 90 feet (30 meters) high and 9 feet (3 meters). It is likely it was made of wood and waylaid with gold on the outside.
• The King wanted all to worship it; and pay reverence to it. If not, be cast into the furnace of Fire
• Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not kneel or worship the Image
• They were tied, and thrown in the furnace that was now heated seven times more than normal

Daniel 3: 16-18

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.[d] 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.

Out of this text, we see how their firm conviction of their belief in Yahweh separated them totally

1. Christ-devoted followers are marked by serving of their God

   • They declared that the God we serve is particular in the way he demands worship
   • Their behavior in society is a reflection of their relationship with God
   • What they behave in society is a demonstration of what their God demands
   • How they answered the King stems from how they know their God.
   • Notice the Knowledge of their God is commuted to serving of their God.
   • Convictions express Your form of spirituality. Worship the Image was against the Law of God  (Exo. 20:4-5)
   • The three Hebrew men demonstrate an understanding and knowledge of their God. They demonstrate that they have an allegiance to another God such that they cannot worship another.
     
     The Case of Civil Disobedience
   • Can Christians practice civil disobedience? It seems the bible shows that whenever a law of Man contradicts the law of God, followers of God must disobey and follow God. However, they have to do it being clear of the consequences
   • Exodus 1 the midwives feared God and refused to fear the King.
   • Peter says we must obey God rather than Man;
2. Christ-devoted followers, by their lives, demonstrate faith in the God who delivers
   • The three exiles stated unequivocally that God was able to save them from the wrath of the king
   • The Three Young Men had a strong trust in the capacity of God to perform miracles that would deliver them
   • This passage shows us two main ways God delivers His Children
   • First, God delivers his children by preventing them from entering into trials and all manner of difficulties. He delivers by miracles of Prevention
   • Believers believe that God is able to come through by miracles that would deliver us from Difficulties. Our God is able to perform miracles of Prevention in many ways
   • Second, God delivers His Children by Preserving them while they are in the Fire. He delivers by miracles of Preservation
   • Despite that God is able to deliver by preventing one from danger, they too know that they cannot presume on God’s Will.
   • God does miracles based on His Will and Purpose. Thus, many times he does not answer us with the miracles we desire
   • Interestingly, we see that throughout our lives, God usually answers us through the Fire.
   • The three young men stated clearly But if not: They understood that God’s will may not necessarily be a miracle of prevention. His will may be different.
   • Believers, like Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, would do well to know that their will may not be necessarily God’s will in the miracle they seek. Jesus is quoted in Luke 22:42, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done
   • Paul also sought God three times over a thorn in the Flesh, but God gave him a miracle of Preservation. He called it the Miracle of Sufficiency of Grace.  2 Corinthians 12: 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore,   I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
   • What believers bring to the Lord is their submission to His Will. God has the power to prevent us from entering into difficulties, but we must also accept His will when he acts contrary to our desires and expectations.
   • Their convictions was in God's Will and Way. We trust him even if he does not perform miracles. God can say Yes, No, and not Now.
   • Many times, God does not prevent us from the Fire but he preserves while in it. He shows his faithfulness while we are in the fire.
   • They did not doubt God’s ability, but neither did they presume to know God’s will
   • God has the ability and capacity to deliver us from trials, but we also must accept that many times he miraculously sustains and strengthens us while in trials. It is a miracle of Preservation.
     
     The Case of State Religion (Ch. 3:29)
   • The Reaction of the King is extraordinary and radical. He testifies of the presence of the Fourth Man
   • The King testifies of the Miracle of Preservation of the Young men Ch. 3: 27  . . . and saw that 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. 
   • He then Declares and Decrees a State Religion. This is not healthy at all. He moves from one state religion to another. We are not told how the young men responded. What God desires for the State to do is to give an enabling environment for the Worship of Yahweh but not legislated religion. People volitionally follow God by their Free Will

Conclusion

Pentecostal spirituality by its nature is largely driven to pursue the Miracle of Prevention. It does not want to suffer at all. But Maturity demands for us to know and understand that God has a Will and Purpose in our existence.

Read 2 Corinthians 4:7:12

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you

Altar Time

We celebrate the Lord who prevents us from entering into Fires and yet still we rejoice in the Lord who preserves us while in the Fire