Faith

FAITH

Daniel 3;8-30

Three men by the names of HANANIAH, MISHAEL, AND AZARIAH – were of great intelligence and upright character and also were prince’s – they were chosen for

Service in the Royal Court of the King

They were placed in training for a period of three

Years, to be taught

The Language, Customs, And learning of the Chaldeans

In general

The King Nebuchadnezzar re – named these great guys

SHADRACH, MESHACH AND ABEDNEGO

Among the privileges these guys had during their

Training was a supply of food right from the

Kings own table….Which consisted of meats along with alcoholic beverages and so forth…

They had a friend named Daniel which was

also with them in the training and felt that they

shouldn’t eat the meats or drink the intoxicating wines and asked for the plain vegetarian food and water..

after about ten days or so they found that they were

fairing better than the others that were eating the meats

and so forth from the Kings table…

now these guys really advanced very rapidly compared to everyone else and were well prepared for the positions they were being trained for…

their training also consisted of Luxury, Idolatry, and

was filled with

SUPERSTITION AND SORCERY…

But these things never even began to turn their

Hearts from GOD!

Now if you want to talk about faith, these guys had ENORMOUS FAITH in the LORD JESUS CHRIST…

Once they were put into their positions

That they were trained for….they were expected

To obey all the rules of the kingdom…

The King had this silly rule – when you heard

The music you were to bow down and worship the Golden Image which the king had set up for this purpose.

Now this statue was 90 feet high and nine feet square at the bottom and was covered with gold from top to bottom…

This thing was so bright and shiny and tall it could be seen for fifteen miles…

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had been put

In charge of the Affairs of the Province of Babylon – This made the other Prince’s very jealous

Because of Their superior intelligence.

So they told the King that the three didn’t and wasn’t bowing at the sound of the music nor were they

Worshipping the Golden Image which the king had set up for everyone to worship to…

Now obviously this ticked off the King

(Ticked off is Hillbilly for real mad)

So it ticked off the king that they were worshipping GOD

And not his golden image – so he ordered them

To be brought before Him…..

Now you have to realize that this King has little

Or no faith in the Lord…

But praise the lord hi is really setting himself up and

GOD WILL eventually make a believer out of him…

AN OLD INDIAN ONCE SAID;

NO MAN SHOULD CRITICIZE HIS BROTHER UNTIL HE HAS WALKED IN HIS MOCCASINS!

So the king asked Shadrach, Meshach, And Abednego

If they bowed and worshipped his golden image

At the sound of the music

Now this is the part where it starts to get really good..

Use your imagination a little and try to think back

To the place and time this is taking place

Probably around 600 BC

So now the king tells them that if they are not worshipping his golden image that in the same hour, he will have them cast into the burning fiery furnace

And he wants to know who is this GOD that shall deliver you from my hands.

Now this king has no idea of the power of our God, But Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego do

They know That God can do the impossible

But He likes to be asked….

And you can guarantee that they are beginning to ask

Pretty hard at this point…

They offer no answer and further say they have no need to answer at all Their answer is

THEIR GOD IS ABLE TO DELEVER THEM

FROM ANYTHING….

But further if our God don’t deliver us we still ain’t

Gonna worship your Golden Image

Now at this point the King is very furious and orders

The furnace heated seven times hotter than usual…

These men were bound in their coats-leggings, and

Turbans…..

Then they were cast into the Furnace by the strongest men in the Kings army

You can figure Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

Didn’t go peaceably into the FIRE AND THE HEAT

They were probably kicking and praying harder

Than ever before….

And hoping that God is listening this time for sure

The strong men that threw them in the

Furnace were killed from the heat…

Then suddenly the King looked in and was

Astonished! He saw not only the three

he had thrown in but there was a fourth man

and he was the image of THE SON OF GOD