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Shadrah,
Meshah and Abednego (Daniel 3:16-18)
In Daniel 3 we read
about three men Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men,
together with Daniel, had been appointed to authority positions
in the province of Babylon (Daniel 2:49). They were godly Jews to
whom God had given "knowledge and skill in all learning and
wisdom" (Daniel 1:17), and whom He had furthered to these
authority positions. Because of their position, they would
probably enjoy many things that not only the Jews but also most
of the natives didn't enjoy. They were certainly blessed people.
However, one day the situation changed. Nebuchadnezzar, their
boss, had made a gold image asking everyone to worship it. All in
the kingdom had to worship this image and if someone disobeyed,
he would be burned in the den of fire. Thus, Shadrah, Meshah and
Abednego faced a challenge: Would they follow the king's command,
defending their lives, their blessings, their families, their
positions, and then probably asking "sorry" from God,
or would they obey to His Word, never bowing to this idol? Daniel
3:8-12 tells us that they finally chose the latter. Thus, they
were brought before the king, and though he was very angry with
them, he decided to give them one more opportunity: "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?" (Daniel 3:15), he told them. Then,
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied:
Daniel 3:16-18
"Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego answered and said to the
king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in
this matter. If it be so, 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"
Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego had determined that they would by no means worship this
idol. Though they knew that God could deliver them, they didn't
consider it as given. They obeyed God unconditionally, and even
if He didn't deliver them ("But if NOT") they would
still not worship the king's idols ("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"). As Daniel 3:28 says: They
had delivered their bodies to worship Him. Their reply
made the king even angrier and the den even hotter. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were immediately cast there. Yet, something
unexpected made the king and his counselors astonished: instead
of being burned instantaneously, these people were walking in the
den, not alone but together with someone whose form was
"like a son of God" (Daniel 3:25)! Immediately, the
king commanded to take them out. His response is recorded in
verses 28-30:
Daniel 3:28-30
"Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, "Blessed be the God of
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, 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 Abednego 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. Then the
king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of
Babylon"
Sometimes, what we
focus in passages like these is the blessings and the deliverance
of God. And yes they should have our attention. Yet what I would
like to also point out today, is the obedience of those three
men, and especially the fact that it was unconditional.
Really, these people wouldn't obey God only if He delivered them
but also if He didn't deliver them. Turning this to us, we should
obey God unconditionally, because we have decided to fully submit
ourselves to Him. It is unconditional submission that is the
source of our obedience. Of course God can deliver, yet our
obedience is not to be based on this or on any other condition.
Tassos Kioulachoglou
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