5-5-14. Daniel 3:19-30. THE FOURTH MAN IN THE BLAZING FURNACE

– my devotional

  Daniel 3:19-30                              Kevin E. Jesmer                                      5-5-14

“He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”” (25) (ESV)

Dear Lord heavenly Father, thank you for the quiet times, where we can turn our hearts heavenward and seek you. It is in those quiet moments, when we are all alone with you, with nothing else vying for our attention, that we can hear you whisper, “I love you” in our hearts. We can learn your wisdom and find clarity and direction in life. We can find your answers to our life’s questions. Thank you Lord, for meeting us in the quiet times. Help us to not be so busy as to ignore seeking out these valuable moments with you, our God, our Lord, our Father, our confidant and our friend. May the young people of our nation learn to put “talk time” with you, as a top priority in their life. May they hear the shepherd’s voice every day. Please help me to accept you word and your wisdom in my heart this morning. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

Part 1: The Blazing Furnace (19-23).

Verses 19-23, “Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he ordered some of the mighty men of 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 cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22 Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.” ESV

Nebuchadnezzar had favored Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, but when they defied his order his attitude toward them changed violently. He cranked the furnace up to seven times normal and ordered that the three men be thrown into the furnace. It was so hot that those who carried them up to the furnace door were killed by the flames.

We can see the fickleness of people, that is, the changeability of those who do not have Jesus as their Lord. The king liked Daniel and his friends as long as they were interpreting his dreams and serving his kingdom and obeying him. But when they were going against his decree he had no grace. He was willing to subject them to a horrible death and even kill others who were sent to kill the three innocent men. People are so changeable.

I can see this in the world too. People like someone, as long as they are complimenting or serving that person in some way, but as soon as there is some conflict then they become very angry and unforgiving. Nurses see people who are seeking narcotics. They love the nurse who gives them what they want, on time, around the clock. But as soon as the nurse puts the breaks on dispensing the narcotics, the patient gets mad and angry. There is no grace. They “de-friend” you out of their lives. If they could, I bet they would throw you into a fiery furnace too. This is shown in incidents of road rage and the rise in shootings by people who are bitter and can not forgive. I think it is because people have let go of the Gospel. People are ignoring Jesus and as a result unable to exercise the virtue of grace towards other people. They are only capable of supporting people who buttress their own agenda and personas.

We, as God’s people need to practice grace. We need to not just like those who uphold our own persona and agenda, but also those who may oppose us at times and call us out, telling us we are wrong. This takes great humility. This humility comes from knowing Jesus personally. Jesus is the example of one who showed extreme grace, even to those who opposed him. He loved and prayed for and taught and tried to save those who persecuted him and even betrayed him (Judas). He is full of grace and truth. He is our example. Jesus can help us to be ambassadors of grace in this world.

I also took notice that the men who were escorting Daniel and his friends into the fiery furnace also died. They died, submitting to a madman’s crazy orders. The king whom they served cared nothing for their lives. They did not have the courage that Daniel and his friends had. Yet, they died. This leads us to an important fact. We are all going to experience death one day. But how shall we live our lives? Are we going to live by the truth of God and stand up for what is right, or are we going to bend to the demands of the idols of our culture and die with the words, “It might have been” on our lips? Daniel and his friends show us the right way.

Part 2: The Fourth Man In The Furnace (24-30).

Verses 24-30, “Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together 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. 28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.” (ESV)

That should have been the end. Instead the king saw an amazing thing: he saw four men in the fire, and all were walking around unharmed. The fourth man is the Son of God. He did not save the three out of the fire, but he walked with them in the fire. In him we see Jesus who saves us, not by taking us out of the fires of our life, but by being with us there. When the Son of God walked with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, they were safe, even in the blazing furnace.

God does not save us from what he wants to perfect us through. If God leads you to it, he will see you through it. We can see this in this passage. God is right there with them. They are protected even from the hottest flames. They are delivered by God. We can see this fact revealed in the world mission command of Jesus. Matthew 28:18-20, “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (ESV) Behold, Jesus is with his disciples to the very end of the age. He was with King David, which David wrote about in Psalm 23:4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” He is with each of his people of faith, right now. He is with you…can you sense his presence?

God has led our family through some very hard times, with relationship issues and other emotional things. There was a real shake up. But do you know what? God was always right there with us. He has been at our side, leading us through it. He did not steer us away from the hard times, but he has been with us, guiding us and showing us the way. He has also strengthened us through it all. We can now help others to who are struggling in similar ways.

When the king saw this he didn’t demand the three to worship his image. He recognized the Lord as the Most High God. This is a great way to reveal God to unbelieving world. It is not just preaching the truth, it is living the truth in the hard times and standing up as a witness that it is the Lord that has delivered you through it. This is the best testimony. I am reading the book, “The Conquering Indian” volume 1. It contains 70 short testimonies of Native people who have been delivered from so many vices and trauma. They were delivered though the power of the Gospel. The book is so strengthening to my faith. Their stories reveal the power of Jesus in a person’s life. This is the most effective way of sharing the Gospel. When people see what you have gone through and the inner strength that God has given you through faith in Jesus, people will perk up and listen. Their hearts will be moved. They will identify with your struggle and want what you have, saving faith in Christ.

God raised up Daniel and his friends and blessed the whole family of believers through their faith and through courage. Look at the king’s decree in verses 29-30 again. “Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.”  People who shared Daniel’s faith, the family of believers, were protected. And the four were promoted to positions of authority in the empire so that they can continue to be a blessing.

God does this. He protects his people. (However there are times of persecution and martyrdom for believers. But all believers will make it into the eternal kingdom of God.) But for the most part, Christians find themselves elevated to positions of authority and influence. They are put in these positions so that they can glorify Jesus and reveal the power Gospel faith to the world.  God has helped Julie and I to be a nurse, and executive assistant, and church liaisons for the Mission To The North and the Network of Nations and facilitators for Art of Marriage, for a reason. It is to reveal Jesus to a world that desperately needs to know the Way the Truth and the Life. How has God been raising you up in the world? Why is he doing it?

“Lord, thank you for walking with me in all the things of my life. Help me to worship only you each moment.”

One Word: Jesus walks with us