Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 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. 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.”
(Daniel 3:16-18 ESV)
The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is a story we all know well. Who does not know how these three Hebrews were cast into the fiery furnace and came out alive? But today I would like stress on 1 point that Bible noted in verse 16-18 above which is the response from these 3 Hebrews men towards Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel 3 in itself told us how God is supreme above all other gods and kings on earth, and that He is the one that saves and preserves His people; and so, we can rely on God’s deliverance in our lives. For these 3 men (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) they might rely and have confidence with God’s word that came to Jeremiah: ‘Then the word of the LORD came to me: “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not pluck them up. I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.’ (Jeremiah 24:4-7 ESV)
The story here started when Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold whose height was 60 cubits, and he set it up on the plain of Dura (in the province of Babylon). Nebuchadnezzar then summoned all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of that image, and to fall down and worship the golden image that king Nebuchadnezzar has set up (after they hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music). The king then said that whoever does not worship this image shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. Therefore all the people worship the image except for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Nebuchadnezzar then became furious and brought these 3 men before him, he then questioned them of which god who will deliver them because they will be soon be casted into the fiery furnace.
The next is the response from Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego which is written on verse 16-18 above. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego have their confidence in God, and they show their faith and live according to their conviction even on such difficult moment that threatens their own life. It is interesting to see that their response does not stop on verse 17 where they said that God who is sovereign, and God whose power is above everything else is able to deliver them and save them from this fiery furnace. Their faith was displayed in their response on verse 18, that even when God did not save them, they still won’t worship that image. Do you know what this testimony tells us? It tells us that they did not look to God for temporal salvation when trial comes. Instead, they placed their faith in the God who is able to save them from death. Not necessarily the God who will, though we might hope for it. For us today, How do we view God in difficult times? Do you expect Him to always save you? Are we looking for temporal salvation or an eternal salvation? If Seeking a temporal salvation is what we are after above all, maybe we should ask ourselves: Am i seeking a self comfort and self assurance in other places except in God Himself?
It is essential to remember that God is God, no matter what. Remember what Job got for the answer from God? The answer was not an apology, nor a reason, but a question, “Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand.” If i may say it in other words, God was saying to Job: who are you to questioned ME? I am God no matter what the situation is. we must recognize that the consequences of standing up for our faith are real. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah really were not only sentenced to death, but pushed into the fire. For us today, we might also face a lower grade of consequences when we live by our conviction, let it be broken relationship, or less people acceptance, or anything else, but the question is are we living in faith? Where do our faith in Christ failed in our daily lives? Where is “dying to yourself” not even a thought, let alone a real option or urgent decision?
What is told in this passage was not an easy choice. Nevertheless, these three men, as defined and honed by their lifelong choices, allowed them to follow God in faith, rather than yield to the pressures of secular intolerance. I think the key why they decide to obey God no matter what the condition over self-comfort is because to them God is their “all in all”. Being publicly faithful neither forced God’s hand, nor won over their enemies. Rather, whatever the outcome is, God is truly their all in all. This is what their desire is: God. So what is of our heart? what is more important to you– the favor of God or of your someone else?
Hopefully, this short passage may reminds us again of what is our ultimate desire in life? Are we tempted to seek only temporal pleasures or our desires is in God who drives us to seek eternal pleasures. Let our live shows our faith in God who is faithful and able to save, make us witnesses to the “whole court of Babylon” (to our surroundings). Just like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego: Stepping unharmed from the furnace, they proclaim that only by dying to ourselves can we truly live.
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10:39 ESV)
Soli Deo Gloria.
~ Paul Hartono
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