2008-07-01 12:38:00
"Then Nebuchadnezzar said, 'Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent His angel and rescued His servants! They trusted in Him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God'" (Daniel 3:28).
This weekend our family made a trip to northern Pennsylvania and saw many friends in that area where we pastored for nearly sixteen years. I had the opportunity to preach in the church we established in St. Marys in the morning service and in Mt. Jewett later that evening.
On the way up we stopped at a restaurant called the "Bread of Life" in McAlisterville, PA. This restaurant is unashamedly Christian themed with a reference to John 6:35 on the front of the menu. Christian furnishings tastefully decorate the walls and a friendly owner greeted the customers while they came and went. As we opened our menus we chuckled as we read the many food items based on Biblical names or themes. This included three types of sandwiches: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego!
That was neat because of the message I was sharing the next day about these courageous young men whose story is recorded in the book of Daniel. Their testimony is an extraordinary example of uncompromising allegiance to Almighty God in the face of the relentless enemy.
While in exile they were given the Babylonian names, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. I once shared a message about these three young men while several Bible College students and graduates were in attendance so I asked, "Does anyone know their Hebrew names?" Without hesitation nine year old Garrison raised his hand and with a knowing smile confidently responded, "Rack, Shak and Bennie." Now if you have children or grandchildren you're probably laughing as you might recognize these are their nicknames based on a popular Veggie Tales video. I can understand why a child (or others) might guess these were the Hebrews names! But in actuality their names were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (Daniel 1:11).
The account of these men of faith is surely one of the greatest stories of deliverance in the Bible. These three young men demonstrate to believers of all ages the incredible power of faith and obedience. They got into serious trouble because they refused to compromise a core commandment of God in bowing down to King Nebuchadnezzer's golden image that stood over 9 stories high.
Interestingly God chooses to miraculously deliver these men, but their deliverance was not without a great deal of suspense. They were subjected to the fury of the king as his attitude changed toward them. It wasn't enough that they were going to be thrown into the hot fire, but now the fire was heated seven times hotter than usual. There could be no quick escape as the strongest of soldiers was ordered to bind them. Then, before their very eyes, they watched these strong soldiers die from the blazing flames that they were about to be thrown into. Most importantly they were not delivered from the hot fiery furnace but they were preserved through it. Not a hair on their head was singed, their robes were unscorched, their bodies unharmed and there was no smell of fire on them. Wow, that's a dramatic and miraculous deliverance!
The daily verse is actually a statement made by the secular King Nebuchadnezzar, after he personally witnessed their miraculous deliverance. They had earned his respect.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego demonstrate four qualities so needed by genuine followers of Christ today. (These were the main points to my message.)
• Uncompromising Convictions (Daniel 1).
• Unwavering Commitment (Daniel 3:12).
• Unswerving Courage (Daniel 3:16, 17).
• Unshakable Confidence (Daniel 3:18).
They trusted the living God, defying the wicked command of the secular king, fully knowing the stated consequences. They were willing to give up their lives for this conviction. I believe true followers of Christ will increasingly need these particular characteristics as the world's system grows increasingly hostile to Christ, His followers, and the standards of the Bible. Can this growing disdain and hostility be denied?
I urge you this day to live by core convictions that you will not violate, so that when the time of testing comes, you, like these three young men will stand firm in your faith. Elton Trueblood has written, "Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation." If you're in the suspenseful stage of the Lord's deliverance, don't be alarmed but stand firm. For He has promised, "Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you."
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, the dynamic story of the three Hebrew men has been a favorite story of Your miraculous deliverance for all ages and throughout all generations. Their unyielding devotion to You is a tremendous example to those of us who call You our Father. You are not only our Father who watches over us but also our Deliverer in times of trouble. Faith that cannot be tested is faith that cannot be trusted, so it is in times of fiery testing that we prove Your power and You prove our allegiance to You. Help us to be willing to give up our lives rather than serve or worship any god except the one true God. Amen.
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