Three Boys in a Furnace - Daniel - Part 3

Daniel three is probably one of the best known and felt love stories and all the Bible. Almost everybody knows the story of Shadrach me shack and Abednego going into the fire, but there's much more here than a simple children's story. I believe there is a powerful message of this chapter for every believer in every age when it comes to the issue of taking a stand for Christ.

Let's look at it together. Daniel chapter 3 verse one, King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of goal 90 feet high and 9 feet wide and he said it on the plane of door in the province of Babylon suffer from over the timing with the events of chapter 3 Take Pl. is not really stated both commentators feel chapter 2, three and four are in chronological order, and I agree.

Chapter 2 verse one says that it occurred in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, 4603 BC chapter 4 doesn't actually save the day in which it was, in which it happened, but it does say in chapter 4 verse 30. If you look there.

Chapter 4 verse 30 the king looked out and said is this not the great Babylon that I have built is my royal residence by my power and for the glory of my Majesty.

We know from Babylonian records that Nebuchadnezzar was a great builder for the talk more about that next week but we know that most of his building projects were completed at the end of his reign that the beginning of his reign, subjecting all the kingdoms of the ancient near East to live and in the end of his reign returned home and spent his time building city with very likely the chapter 4 occurred at the very end of his reign when he was able to stand on the top of the pallet to look out over his gray project now coming to completion and therefore probably happen to his death. He died in 552 BC.

Chapter 3 is somewhere in the middle of those two edits commonly thought the chapter 3 occurred after the fall of Jerusalem after the conquering of Tyre and Egypt, since it if it is at that point that the events of chapter 3.

Make the most sense. You see, chapter 3 makes sense if you understand that Nebuchadnezzar had a very widely spread out far-flung Empire composed of many kingdom with differing languages, different cultures, different religions and that he felt that now something was necessary to pull them all together people of all unified people all marching to the beat of the same drummer and what that was, was a state religion with its center in Babylon and around King Nebuchadnezzar and so in chapter 3 the purpose of the image is to set up a central state religion to which people from all over the Empire would be drawn with loyalty. They would come to Babylon to worship and it would get his empire together, assuming that that's right were probably looking at a date here sometime after the fall of Jerusalem and that's important figures in the story in just a moment so Nebuchadnezzar decides to build a huge statue through itself 90 feet high 9 feet wide, made of gold but it was made of solid gold or not. We don't know. Very likely it was, would lay overlaid with gold. That's a lot of gold even if it is overlaid over one and the reason he probably made a gold statue is because of Daniel's interpretation of the dream and chapter 2 when Daniel said to him, you owe King are the head of goal you probably prefer that would be about the head of gold, go back to myself I would go so we did set up in the plane of door outside the city of Babel and a large level flame. Obviously because he expected people to be coming from all over the Empire in gathering here, and he knew they couldn't fit inside the city so he put them outside in the plain executive place. The kind of be like a Babylonian Mecca known and saying people everywhere we come to the plane.

I look on and see what happened. Verse two and he summoned all of his governors, can read all the work for Malcolm read that and he said I want you to come to the dedication of the image I set up so the satraps and reflects and governs all of God came verse four. And the herald loudly proclaimed.

This is what you command to do old people. As soon as you hear the sound of the horn of the flu the visitor and a liar and a pipe in the other way got interesting when we would get this book and graduate study of these words might sound like it will make a difference to you, but we had to memorize all the dumb words probably horn the pipe and all the stuff that I still remember the well anyway forget it. But anyway you have to fall down when you hear the music from the van and what you have to do is you have to worship the image of goal. The King Nebuchadnezzar has set up and whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into the blazing furnace. Therefore, there they heard the sound of the horn a lot of arsenals of the they all fell down and worship the image of goal.

Nebuchadnezzar had set up Nebuchadnezzar called people from all over his empire, the leaders of the Empire, not just the people because he knew he could convince the leader they would go home and convince the people and this worship would feed down through the rest of the Empire told him when I said this is a command performance for everybody who's been authority in my Empire, you better be here and when I blow the horns. Everybody gets on her knees and we worship and wrinkle appears here. That is the furnace. He did tell of the furnace was there. We invited but he also built a furnace outside near the statue. He apparently anticipated. Maybe not everybody might be excited about bowing down to a furtive beheading heated up like the hot on the day they gathered their and he said by the way, did a worship or fraud. At this worship will cook you like a scrambler you will the wonder verse seven says therefore not.

Therefore, why that choice when they blew the horns. Everybody got Dale Versace now that time. Some astrologers came forward and told and announced the Jews and they said the King Nebuchadnezzar king you've issued a decree that everyone will hear the sound of the horn include visiting on heart. They got fall down and worship the image of goal and whoever does not work, you will be thrown in the furnace. There are some Jews whom you have sent over the affairs of the province of Babylon.

Some of the leaders of your very phone, they don't pay any attention. King they will serve your gods and they won't worship the image of goal set up help reading between the lines a little bit. I get the feeling these guys little jealous you get that feeling and so they become tattletale.

They knew Shadrach me shack and Abednego had showed up. They were looking for.

We were there when illuminated show up. They ran to the king in a 16 game gains and income, and bow down for the porch of the house works in political circles. Everybody above you both all the more provisional you so that live Washington only thing that that's the way it was, they might ask where was Daniel. Well, we don't know where Daniel was the Bible doesn't say where he was. Some people if he arrived, Daniel was out of town on submission of state because he was a very high official that he was out of town, but we know it needed a bit had been in town. We know he was about down but he wasn't here, Shadrach me shack and Abednego were here and they didn't even come get the command performance thing show up the king to put it mildly went ballistic. Look at verse 13 furious with Ray. Nebuchadnezzar is not the guy you want to make man Uranus with Ray Nebuchadnezzar Sherman, then Shadrach me shack and Abednego and they came in before the king and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, is it true Shadrach me shack and Abednego you don't serve my God to worship the image of goal that I set up don't you understand how this is. Don't you understand what the rules were here maybe you didn't get it. Maybe the word didn't get to you maybe did your foreigner, you don't understand, so let me explain this to you one more time. When I when I read this I got to thinking many of you have seen the movie on television cool hand Luke and remember where the fellow fans up and said what we have here is a failure to communicate. And that's what I thought of when I read the Nebuchadnezzar said folks, Shadrach technical what we have here is a failure to communicate. Let me tell it to you one more time guys thought he said when you hear the sound verse 15 of the horn of the group is given a lot of our compliance.

If you're ready to fall down and worship the image that's great you know I'm going to throw you in the blazing furnace and what God is going to be able to deliver you from my hand eyeball to eyeball Nebuchadnezzar repeats to them what is looking for and that represented a real challenge to the remember they were King of official Nebuchadnezzar had been very kind and very generous to these men.

They had comfortable positions of these they had positions of power. They were eating good food. There were living high on the hall. They knew that God's chosen Nebuchadnezzar to be the ruler of the near East.

At that time you go back and Daniel food to verse 37 and 38 you'll hear Daniel himself say that God made Nebuchadnezzar the king and for all kingdoms under his control, and they knew they were under obligation from God, to obey this ruler, the thought of putting goal, but they also knew God, they also knew that one of the 10 Commandments said commandment number two you shall have no other gods before me.

You shall not make for yourself. Any car image, nor shall you bow down to them nor shall you serve them. For the Lord your God am a jealous God and do that to this always had been one of God's most fundamental commandment, so would Nebuchadnezzar was asking them to do was in direct violation of one of the most sacred laws of the word of God and as a result, they decided that if Peter for 600 years later, we must obey God rather than when talking about them 66 King you can do whatever you want to do and we don't even care if you throw in the fire. We are not bowing down at this. Now for an aside for a minute. It might be asked how in the world.

Nebuchadnezzar could make a statement like what God is there for 15 who can deliver you out of my hand by me if you go back to Daniel chapter 2 the end of the chapter, you'll see that the same Nebuchadnezzar said in verse 47. He said surely you are God is the God of God and the Lord of pains and a revealer of mysteries, the guy who said that about Jehovah God turn around and say a chapter later what God is there who could possibly delivery doesn't seem like it come from the same lesson.

Remember I said that the date of chapter 3 helped us understand why chapter 3. If we data correctly take place after Nebuchadnezzar had captured and burned Jerusalem to the ground. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city.

He looted and destroyed the temple. Now, in the ancient near East. It was believed that when one nation defeated another nation in battle. It was because the God of the victorious nation were greater than the God of the defeated nation. That's how they explain battlefield victory.

That's how they explain the political movements of warfare that when we beat you are God the greater than your God. Remember when Elisha kept telling the king of Israel where the Syrians were and they would go out and ambush him and beat him in the hill country and the Syrians would say well it's because the God of the hill country are greater than our God with the logo down to find them in the plane and the Navy them in the plane and they say well the God of the flame must be greater than our God will take him somewhere else. This is how they softly thought the Nebuchadnezzar had beaten Jerusalem he is Vern God's temple. And so, as far as he's concerned, that's proof positive is God and he must be greater, the God of Israel, or otherwise, how could it happen the idea that the God of Israel was disciplining his people and using Nebuchadnezzar as the pool of that discipline was in control the whole time that ever occurred. Nebuchadnezzar I believe meant what he said in Daniel chapter 2.

Many years later, obviously, is reevaluated his position on the God of Israel and can looted the vandal two was a fluke that the God of Israel really was inferior to give God and so God decides it's time to give all Nebuchadnezzar a refresher course, God. It that's how I understand now to see what happened. Well, I think we know them for the first 19 and so Nebuchadnezzar was furious.

Shadrach me shack and Abednego, and his whole countenance changed toward you to see them get red in the faith and just rambling.

He so mad he just doesn't know what to do. The order the furniture to be heated up seven times hotter than usual.

He said you turn that furnace of Royal Pass 550. That's what they do anything that you timely manner and he gave it to a stronger code of anything you take Shadrach me check them in our product so they did.

And if there's a burn.

It was so hot.

Verse 22, that the flames killed the man who took Shadrach me shack and Abednego the program when they got close enough to actually form it was so hot that those men died in into the furnace when Shadrach me shack and Abednego will 24 Nebuchadnezzar leapt to his feet to see what would happen and he said we throw three men in the fire, you know, 123 God Shadrach me check that all yes can you write about that you can count absolutely. 123 pennies that will I see four men walking around on found no rope going out.

Never they talk to them to go up to the rope going up on a farm and the fourth one.

Looks like some of the God help the people of argue whether this was Jesus himself because some translations will they look like the son of God. I'm not really sure that Nebuchadnezzar would've known with the son of God looked like. Frankly, the correct translation is the way the NIV does that. He looked like a son of the God needing some kind of angelic being probably an angel sent by God to protect these premium and obviously we are dealing with nothing short of a miracle near is no other way to explain it no other way to define it. God with an absolute control of where that bar when it what it did with the noted, the fire burned the rope off the man's hands and feet in such a myth and burn the quote they can smell like five wind up with the fireplace, where my wife about going to 5. I would even in how it is near you guys needs God protected a certain because they stood up firmly for him. It is proven God of the number of people in every age. He did for Mordecai Woodhaven was apprehended Mordecai fit.

I will not bow down to you, Haman. I don't care what you do. Haman came after him with everything he had forgot that I remember Moses and Pharaoh. God protected Moses member.

When Joseph stood up the fodder for his wife and that I'm not going to do this thing fodder for why Wyoming all kinds of trouble God proper, Martin Luther stood up and oppose the Catholic Church and said no you don't get saved by buying gold don't go to heaven by crossing the Pope go to heaven by trusting Christ you know for a while.

His life was actually in danger think Frederick of Prussia had a hiding hassle under the capital building the confound God protected on Martin. Even today, we see it with Randall Terry and Operation Rescue God protect God's promise is a good broth is it what Shadrach me shack and Abednego, in fact, Isaiah wrote books of the Lord, would you pass through the border.

I will be with you when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, nor shall the flame kindle upon you. Isaiah 43 to think that it been written from 200 years before the events of Daniel three. I can prove it but I like to cherish the notion that Shadrach me shack and Abednego may very well have known those verses and then reciting them to themselves when they got grown and that burned the Lord because you said the firewood verdict.

See if you can view from God looks out for not quite over, God save the Park.

Leah verse 28 then Nebuchadnezzar said, praying the God of Shadrach me check and Abednego send his angel and rescued his son, they trusted in God and they define the king's command were willing to give up their love rather than serve works if any other God except their own.

Therefore, I agree.

16 the people of any nation or language say anything against the God of Shadrach me shack for Abednego will be cutting the pieces, their houses, turning the piles of rubble accountable, macho type guy were dealing with. Get that impression. For no other God can save in this way.

I don't think he'd make it in the present-day management system but anyway he was running the kingdom in those days, and then the king promoted Shadrach me shack and Abednego the province about rather therefore than going down it went up the right. What I want to see in these verses, and that is the final result of these three men standing for Christ was not simply the God rewarded them personally did, but far more important than that is what God did for Nebuchadnezzar you notice that the three boy there. Standing on their feet for crying brought Nebuchadnezzar to his knee Christ to see what happened.

The real aim of this miracle. I believe with the convert Nebuchadnezzar and to produce the kind of Royal decree that went out all over the Empire bringing glory and honor to the God of Israel, and it all happened because three boy Shadrach shack, Abednego reexam the prime standing firm for crying these three boys gave God a whole, upon which he could bring glory to himself, a platform he would never they had just gone along with the tide and refused to stand for the word of God and this is the deeper reason why God did this miracle your friend. God did not do this miracle just to save three boy. God did this miracle, far more so to bring honor and glory to his name throughout Babylonian that I bring this to the important question broth day and that is thank you so what hereby like to suggest I think the beginning we needed to answer the question why should we stand up for crying were faced with the opportunity. Why should we take the consequences.

That always is the answer we see it right here, because by doing so, we give God a form upon which he can glorify himself.

We give him a platform and we take a stand for Christ and God are at the only God. God gives us a platform to share Christ with unbelievers. God gives us up a platform where you can demonstrated power to deliver. God gives us a platform upon which we can stand and share Christ with others whenever stamp crime humbly righteously nice one automotive is to give God a chance to honor himself never have to fear God not going to come through because God's highest agenda in the universe not to take care you. God's highest agenda in the universe is not the bless you God highest agenda universe is to bring glory to himself. You getting those, platform. You never have to worry about godly, will let you down. What you are doing is creating a way to God for God to carry out the greatest agenda in the flesh, giving him a chance. If you would both want to do this work and it doesn't always have to be in mega crises even there a lot of ways and everything circumstances in life that we can sample Christ kind of chance is it doesn't have to be in the way crises everything.

My family and I were laughing this past week as we reminisced about such a challenge that I face of the Little League code years ago.

The team that I was coping with the T-ball team.

We were undefeated matter. Matter you undefeated in T-ball yeah with MacLean in matters MacLean the matter anywhere else in the real world, but in MacLean brother. If competition all the way everything matter, so we were undefeated and we were towards the end of the season and we were in a game where we were, fighting for live yell at me one supposed to be that talk frankly but coming in the last inning before Ron behind what we came up with little batting.

We cut the lead down two runs that the bases-loaded the 12th. This really happen on the making of the and again came up the battle name was Lori never forget Lori was the precious kid he was such a precious kid with a precious kid swing the spirit of everything now having said a lot heavyset, Lori, I want to bath on its feet out of it. He had one of the single all year batting average. What great sweet kitty came up. Anyway I put them right up there to back, and he hit the ball farther roving in the outfield.

I've never seen can get that Bob all that far in anywhere from thinking about you clear the bacon war even got the second got the second California get the ball friend unbelievable everyone again. I would jump up and down and cheering all the stale and apparent in the code while the other code came up and he said wait a minute, we were ready that you click that and we were ready out without the try to get Mikey ready we were ready.

You cheated my assistant coaches always bring equipment no doubt that anybody get real what your problem you the bad loser. They were yelling at him and ragging on him and he just kept looking and saying are you going to accept the wind by G going listen to them with my coaches over there to get looking at me and going to you going to accept when bocce the nearby got quiet by looking at me.

By the way, everybody knew I would reach talk about child talking undefeated season on the line here friend you've never covertly you not relate to the story all you have. You know what I'm gonna talking undefeated season would lock in first place in the league on the line not my coaches. We can't win like I will. God want us to win.

I talked to Michael like that they didn't know Christ like that anyway.

God wants us to live. Lori will have another one just like that with all the think of Plato, they think you're crazy to know I don't want to win like that so everybody went back to the place Lori returned employing and I went up to talk to and I don't like his face got down on my knees are looking like the face and I said roaring yard That Now Want to Hit That Ball.

He Looked Me Right in the Faith.

I'll Never Forget It Will Send.

I Don't Think I Can Hear Another One like That and I Quit Doing More. You Say That's on You in the Lab When Then You You Know What You Did Last Sunday July Don't You Tell Me You Can Hit Another Ball like That You Can Write up That You Both on and You Didn't Want to Do It Again Okay Code and I Walked Away and I Looked up the Lord Not the Lord I'm Not Sure You Knew My Mother Would like That Either.

I'm Not That We Know Will Friend Some Time.

There Is Joy in Mudville Know What I'm Saying Sometimes It Happened and I Wouldn't You Know It. That Kid in the Second Ball Farther Than Any of the Current Call Couldn't Believe It, Looked up in Heaven That All Jesus, Aren't You Good.

Thank You God.

God Bless You. I Could Not Believe It Only Got a Double. But He Didn't Clear the Bank and We Won the Game and We Went Undefeated in Our Postseason Victory Bash That We Had at One of the Parents Tell When I Was Called upon by the Parent Say A Few Words. You Know the Code to Come up If You Were. I Was Able to Recall Their Mind That Event, You Know, We Wouldn't Be Undefeated. You Will Remember When I Went to School and I Got Tremendous Opportunity to Say to Them You Know What You Know Why I Did That.

I Know Y'all Didn't Agree with Is That I Know the and I Knew What Was Wrong, Then I Went on to Share a Little Bit about My Testimony and Challenge These Children and Their Parents Trust Christ and the Neat Thing Is, Because I Don't What Was Right Because I Taken the High Road That You Talk about Lack of Form You Talk about the Credibility I Would Never Had That Kind of Platform to Fight off the 50 Yard God Honored and the Result Was the Same General What Even If We Lost Again so Helpless Really Given Having a Platform More Important, I Would Have a Platform I Never Got a Friend. What I'm Trying to Safety. If It Doesn't Have To Be Major Will Crises That Will Talk about the Sample, Christ We Can Take a Sample Christ. Even the Little Things A Lot Use Do Things with No Job to Go in the Highest Reason to Take a Sample Christ Is Not Simply Because God Bless You. That's Not a High God Will the Highest Reason Is Because It Gives God Che's to Create a Platform on Which We Can Bring Honor to Christ and Share Christ Just like He's Boys with Nebuchadnezzar.

Just like I Was Able to Do with That Little Leaking Just like You Are Able to Do with Students in Your School and the People in Your Office and the Neighbors in Your Neighborhood and the Relatives in Your Family Take a Stand. That's Why God from Time Leads Us down Because He Wants Us to Have Joy Creating Platform. We Share Christ and Those the Next Time You're Faced with This Kind of Challenge. Like Our Friends, Shadrach Me Shack That Go over Challenge of Standing up Christ for the Call Number God's Trying to Take Goblin Will Protect Remember It Better to Be in the Furnace. Jesus Is to Be in the Palace with Nebuchadnezzar. The Only Way You Get This Not Stand up Going for Use As You Will and Going Furnace.La Niņa Usually God of Glory for Himself Really Father, Thank You for Your Work Tonight. Thank You for Challenging Our Hearts with the Lives of Shadrach Me Shack That Go, Lord Jesus Remind Us That the Reason You Give Us These Opportunities to Take a Stand Is Not Just so You Leftists or Not. So You Can Embarrass Us, Lord, Are Not by Our Faith.

Although All Things Have First and Foremost Reason Because You're Trying to Give Us That That's an Opportunity to Create Credibility with the Living God. See Stands for Christ for Help Affect Our Fans Lovingly, Not Obnoxiously Take Our Stand Tenderly, Effectively Overtake Her Saying Those Things Were. We Know You Don't Want Us Ground. Lord Jesus, Help Us Remember Your Word That When We Have To the Water. They Will Overflow with Slowly Go through the Fire Burns Will Be There to Hold Her Hand like You Were Shadrach Me Shack This Week. Your Lord Everything You Want to Have One Chance in the Public Be Sensitive to It Was Taken Help Us Take the Right Reason That Is over, Creating an Opportunity for More Self User This Week, Lord. As a Result Bring Honor to Getting Pray. Jesus Forgot People to