I never tire of reading about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace. Because these three men refused to serve the gods of king Nebuchadnezzar, or worship the gold statue he had set up, the king's rage moved him to throw these Jews into a blazing furnace. I want to highlight some of the reasons why this account of what happened excites me every time I find myself studying this passage.
First, these three men were dedicated to integrity. They had resolved to follow the Lord always and it is from this place of determined decision that they were able to carry out their actions without wavering. We cannot wait until we find ourselves faced with a difficult choice and expect to automatically respond in a God-honouring way. We have to take steps prior to the arrival of the tempting predicament. The way of obedience must be certain before the point of crisis appears.
Next, we see that obedience does not guarantee safety. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did everything right. They held to truth. They refused to worship any manmade idol. They remained loyal to the One and only God. They trusted in the Lord, regardless of the outcome. Even living so completely surrendered to their Heavenly Father, they were still led to a fiery furnace.
I love how those first two sentences in the verses above flow without any gap or added information in between. Our three securely tied heroes fall into the blazing flames and instantly we read, "But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed...I see four men...and the fourth looks like a god!" God's appearance with His children is immediate. He always meets us in the midst of our fire. There is never a second that He is not with us. He is often seen most clearly in the middle of our furnaces.
And look at the incredible description! Although tied securely before falling into the flames, now they are unbound...walking around...still in the fire...but unharmed. Each one of those phrases is remarkable! The flames only destroyed the ropes that had bound them!
The king's next command is one of complete belief and faith. The ruler shouts, "Come out! Come here!" Nebuchadnezzar fully believes that they are alive and able to come out! One would not shout to corpses. God's presence not only helps us endure fire, enabling us to make it, but exclaims to anyone watching, His great love and faithfulness to His people. God is seen with us through our suffering.
The Lord stands with us when life gets "hot". In our trials today, is His presence with us obvious to others?
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