Isaiah 43:1-4 “But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Since you were precious in My sight, you have been honored, and I have loved you; therefore I will give men for you, and people for your life.”
Jewish Believers Disobey the King. Daniel 3: 8-29 “Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.”
Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
Saved in Fiery Trial
“Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king’s command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”
They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”
“Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”
Nebuchadnezzar Praises God
Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.
Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.”
God has allowed King Nebuchadnezzar to conquer Judah; however, he also conquered Egypt, Ethiopia, and all the other surrounding countries. Always on the lookout for talent, Nebuchadnezzar has identified Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as bright young men who can help him rule effectively. But there’s a hitch: these men worship the One True Living God and refuse to worship any idol. Nebuchadnezzar has set up a golden idol 90 feet tall by 9 feet wide and is demanding that everyone come worship this idol when they hear music playing. Those refusing to worship will be thrown into a fiery furnace.
We don’t know how Daniel escapes this particular challenge, but the other three young men refuse to worship the golden idol. Nebuchadnezzar is so enraged that he orders the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than it ever has before, killing the soldiers who drag the young men with their hands tied to throw them into the furnace. But a miracle happens, for these three believers find themselves walking through the fire unharmed, and a fourth figure who looks like the Son of God” is walking with them. When the king calls the young men to come out of the furnace, they appear unharmed; in fact, they don’t even smell like smoke.
Nebuchadnezzar orders all his people to refrain from saying anything against this God, threatening to cut such blasphemers in pieces and to tear down their houses, “For there is no other god who can deliver like this.” Sadly, Nebuchadnezzar refuses to follow this God; instead, he persists in worshiping his traditional gods and himself. It will take a severe personal trial before Nebuchadnezzar will become a true believer.
There are arguments surrounding the identity of the fourth man walking in the fire; however, why should we doubt Nebuchadnezzar’s words, that this man appears to be the Son of God? And why doubt that this pagan ruler is speaking by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit? God used a donkey to speak to Balaam, so why can’t a world ruler with vast experience make an accurate observation?
What does this prophecy and the story from Daniel have to do with us? We can rest assured that when we go through any kind of trial, Jesus will be there with us. Remember that one of Jesus’ names is “Immanuel,” or “Emmanuel.” No matter how you spell it, that name still means “God with us.”
Should we deliberately enter a fire to test God? No! Jesus refused to test God, so we too should refuse. Does this story mean that believers will never be injured or die in fires? No. We should take all precautions to avoid becoming trapped in a fire anywhere; however, we might still be injured or killed. But we can trust that no matter what happens to us, no matter where we are, whether we live or die, Jesus is still with us.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to always remember that You ARE Immanuel, that You are always with us. That You are closer than our own heartbeats. We praise You and glorify You that You have redeemed us and that You will be with us throughout all our trials. We pray in the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus, our Immanuel. Amen.
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