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5-2-14. Daniel 3:1-18. GOD IS ABLE TO SAVE – my devotional

5-2-14. Daniel 3:1-18.  GOD IS ABLE TO SAVE – my devotional

i will not bow down

Daniel 3:1-18                                          Kevin E. Jesmer                                                5-2-14

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.”(17)

Dear Lord Jesus Christ. Thanks for helping us to focus our thoughts and our minds on Christ, the gospel, heaven and the mission of Christ. Thanks for always showing us the best way to go in our lives. You are the shepherd that guides our hearts and minds each day. Where would we be without you? Please fill my mind and my heart with images of your glorious Gospel and your truth. I thank you for this time. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

 Part 1: Forced To Worship The Image (1-7).

Verses 1-7, “King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” 7 Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.”(ESV)

Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold that was ninety feet high–a monument to the glory of his nation and his kingship.  He made all people, including his provincial officials, bow down to the image in worship. The penalty for failure to obey his edict was to be thrown into a blazing furnace. Compliance was almost universal–but not quite.

The same pressure is happening today for believers. There is pressure to bow down to certain things in society or else there would be reprisals. Believers will suffer to varying degrees. Mostly they will be rejected and forced to not talk about religion or their beliefs. But in other countries there are much worse reprisals.

 

As believers we must be aware that there will be pressure to give up our stand on the gospel and we must be determined to stand as Jesus’ witnesses no matter what the cost.

Part 2: We Will Not Worship The Image (8-18).

Verses 8-18, “8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. 9 They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 10 You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. 11 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “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? 15 Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” 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. 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.” (ESV)

 

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow to the image and worship it. When they were reported by the other officials, the king was furious with rage, but the three remained resolute; they would not bow down and worship the image. They would not do as all the other people did. They would live or die with the consequences, but they would not comply with the demand. In this most challenging time they trusted in the power of God to save, and in his mercy and willingness to do so. This is how they would worship the Lord, and not an image.

 

It is at this time that I ask myself, “Am I bowing down to any graven image…in a spiritual sense?” There are many things in this society that demands that I lay down. There is pressure for me to make my Christian faith a personal hobby that I should not talk about with other people. There is pressure to confess that the purpose of my life is to live for personal happiness and success and not bringing up controversial things such as religion. There is pressure to conform to the belief that physical, emotional and mental health, are the most important pursuits ignoring religion and faith, (even when faith helps to achieve physical, emotional and mental health).  We are forced to believe that religion is the worst enemy to world peace, when in reality it is nationalism. We are forced to concede that all religions are the same and that being a good person is enough to get you into heaven. In some countries you must bow down and pledge your allegiance to another religion or you may very well loose your life or live in poverty and danger. There are many things that pressure us to deny the truth and bow down.

 

But we must stand firm in the gospel. We must stand firm in Christ. How?  1 Corinthians 16:13, “13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love.”  Ephesians 6:13, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” 1 Peter 5:12, “
By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.” Galatians 5:1, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,”

 

Obviously we need to stand firm in our faith, in the Gospel, in the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the grace of God. (But definitely NOT in our church legalisms and personal legalisms.) God will help us to stand. He is able to make us stand.

 

We may be tempted to be fearful, but we need not be fearful. Daniel was not fearful. Look at verse 17 again, “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. 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.” Daniel had confidence that God was able to deliver. God is able to deliver. We will not go one minute before our time is up. God is able to intervene at the right time. He can also deliver from death. If we do die, he will bring us home to himself. If God led us to it, he will see us through it. Praise the Lord.

“Lord, teach me your power to save and your mercy so when I meet the challenge to let go of faith, I may stand up as your witness and glorify you.”

 

One Word: The God we serve is able to help us to stand in faith.




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