Bold & Bullet-Proof Faith

Daniel 3:12-18 (NLT) 

[Astrologers speaking to King Nebuchadnezzar]

But there are some Jews—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—whom you have put in charge of the province of Babylon. They pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They refuse to serve your gods and do not worship the gold statue you have set up.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him. When they were brought in, Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

This is such a powerful passage! Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego KNEW what would happen to them if they didn't bow down to the king's idol - certain death - and yet they chose, in the face of imminent death, to stand up and obey God.

The boldness of the statement, "even if" is so powerful - it shows extreme faith in the fact they know that God can save them at any time - and yet, if God in His infinite wisdom chooses not to save them, they are still willing to do His will because of the example and message it sends to all the people.

At all times they are respectful while speaking to King Nebuchadnezzar, but remain forceful in their convictions of obedience to God. We need to remember to be respectful to those in authority over us, even if we disagree with them.

So to defy a king comes with consequences...the passage continues:

Daniel 3:19-30 (NLT)
Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully dressed in their pants, turbans, robes, and other garments. And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in.

So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames. But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?”
     “Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,” they replied.
     “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!”

Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”

So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!

Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!”

Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon.

The boys are rewarded for their obedience with powerful positions in the kingdom. More importantly, their obedience to God illustrated to Nebuchadnezzar that God was the ultimate and only God and that He is the only one truly worthy of our worship.

Have you ever been so bold in your faith to stand in front of a bullet as the boys did? When it counts, when you have to stand up for your faith and what you believe in, will you? God does not promise safety, He promises eternal life with Him through His son Jesus, so know what you believe, stand firm in it, and don't flinch when faced with a situation like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego - worst case scenario is you'll get to spend even more time with your Savior!