1. The bowing world (3:8-15)
a. The bowing world accused the Hebrew children (3:8-
12)
b. The bowing world confronted the Hebrew children
(3:13-15)
2. The legs to stand on (3:16-18)
a. The Hebrew children stood on the leg of
recognition (3:16-17)
b. The Hebrew children stood on the leg of
determination (3:18)
DANIEL 3:16-18
Studdard Kennedy was a military chaplain during World War II. Like all people who experience the front lines of combat, military chaplains have extremely dangerous jobs. I’ve heard of some pastors who come out of churches feeling as if they’ve been in combat, but chaplains are the only ones I know who actually get shot at with live ammunition. And they can’t shoot back, because according to the Geneva Convention, chaplains must be unarmed. But during World War II, Studdard Kennedy was enduring a particularly rough and violent campaign ministering to the front line troops across France. He sat down and wrote a letter to his 10-year old son. He wrote: “The first prayer I want my son to learn to say for me is not, ‘God keep Daddy safe,’ but, ‘God make Daddy brave. And if he has hard things to do, make him strong to do them.’ Son, life and death don’t matter. But right and wrong do. Daddy dead is Daddy still, but Daddy dishonored before God is something too awful for words. I suppose you would like to put in a bit about safety, too, and Mother would like that, I’m sure. Well, put it in afterwards, for it really doesn’t matter nearly as much as doing what is right.” Studdard Kennedy wanted his son to learn what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego showed us over 25 centuries ago. We know the story well. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were strangers in a strange land. Along with Daniel, they were taken captive and exiled when Babylon conquered Jerusalem around 600 years before Jesus was born. They now lived in the pagan country of Babylon, but their heart was in Jerusalem. They knew the Law. They loved God and purposed in their heart to serve Him no matter what the people around them were doing. Like Studdard Kennedy, they believed that right and wrong mattered. The sinful world around them demanded that they bow their knee and worship the god of the age. They refused. Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Christians today live in a land that is not our home. The world demands we bow our knee and worship the god of the age. But by recognizing God’s ability and authority, and determining to obey Him, Christians today can refuse the sinful demands of a bowing world and stand when the whole world bows. A little bit later we’ll look at the two legs the Hebrew children were able to stand on, but first, let’s look at the world which was bowing around them. First, the bowing world accused the Hebrew children. Let’s back up and look at verses 8-12.
DANIEL 3:8-12
Let’s set the scene. Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon. Babylon had conquered Jerusalem several times. Each time they did, they would carry the best and brightest off with them to serve the king. They would send them through some pretty intense training and provide them with an excellent education. As they were going through this training, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had impressed their captors so much that they gave them positions of authority within the kingdom. Of course, it helped that their friend Daniel interpreted a dream for the king that no one else could. So things were going pretty well for them. They had gone from slaves to governors in just a few years. But just like anyone who lives captive in a land that is not their home, they ran into a problem. The king set up a golden statue of himself. Then he declared “national worship my image day” throughout the kingdom. Of course, being good, God-fearing Jews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused. Isn’t it interesting how anytime God’s people do something different than the crowd, someone is always there to accuse us? That’s what happened to them. Look at verse 8.
DANIEL 3:8
The Chaldeans that brought the accusation were probably jealous of the fact that the Hebrew children had government positions they wanted. They were looking for anything they could find to bring them down and destroy them. In the world today, we as Christians are living in a land that is not our home. God has blessed us with positions of favor and authority by giving us jobs, homes, classrooms, friends, and family. But this is still not our home. Just because we may be comfortable in Babylon, doesn’t mean the temporary prince of this world isn’t trying to make us bow. You see, verse 8 says the Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. That word “accused” is translated from an Aramaic word that literally means, “to eat the flesh of,” or “chew someone up.” The Chaldeans were attempting to chew the Hebrew children up and spit them out. Isn’t that the same thing Satan tries to do with us? The Bible says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” How does he try to devour us? One way is by constantly feeding our lusts with immoral temptation and then telling us how weak we are and we just can’t help ourselves. Another way is by puffing up our pride and then telling us that it’s OK to be selfish because we deserve it or we’ve earned the right. Another way is by playing on our laziness by making us complacent to sin around us. Another way is by sowing seeds of petty discord among us so we battle against one another instead of against him. Look out! Satan is using the bowing Chaldeans of the world to accuse you and chew you up! Not only did the bowing world accuse them, the bowing world confronted the Hebrew children. Look at verses 13-15.
DANIEL 3:13-15
Nebuchadnezzar was furious when he confronted them. He basically told the Hebrew children, “I’m going to give you one more chance. And if you don’t bow down like everybody else, I’m going to make you die the most painful death you can imagine.” And then he mocked them. Look at the last part of verse 15: “And who is that God that shall deliver you from my hands?” Does our world today confront Christians? Ask the Christians in China who are thrown in prison for going to church. Ask the Christians in Iran who are publicly stoned every week on nationwide TV, simply for professing faith in Christ. Ask the Christians in the Sudan who are burned or nailed to boards in mock crucifixions. But you say, “Those places are a long way from here.” Does our world here confront Christians? Every time you are mocked for your beliefs by your friends or co-workers. Every time you are kept from professing your faith at work or at school. Every time you are told that your God doesn’t exist or isn’t able to deliver you. When you look at it that way, things haven’t changed much since the days of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The bowing world around us is still in the business of accusing God’s people and confronting God’s people. So if the bowing world hasn’t changed that much, maybe we can learn from Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s example. What did they do when the Chaldeans accused them? What did they do when Nebuchadnezzar confronted them? What did they do when the whole world around them bowed? They stood. As everyone around them bowed the knee, each of the Hebrew children stood on his own two legs. So the question before us this today is, what are the two legs we must stand on to keep from bowing? The first leg is the leg of recognition. Look at verses 16-17:
DANIEL 3:16-17
After Nebuchadnezzar mocked God, they looked him right in the eye and told him, “We’re not afraid of you. Our God is able to deliver us from anything you can possibly do to us. If you can dish it out, our God can take it.” The Hebrew children recognized the fact that they served a God that was bigger than Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace. We serve a God that is bigger than any problem you can possibly have. If Jesus Christ raised Lazarus from the dead, don’t you think He can handle your physical problems? If He fed 5000 with two loaves and five fishes, don’t you think He can handle your financial problems? If He spoke the world into existence from absolutely nothing, don’t you think He can handle absolutely anything that could possibly come your way? Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from anything and everything! Recognizing that our God is able to deliver us from anything is one leg we can stand on. But in order to stand when the whole world bows, we need to stand on two legs. The second leg is the leg of determination. Look at verse 18:
DANIEL 3:18
But if not… What three powerful words. They knew that God was able to deliver them from the fiery furnace, but He didn’t have to. And if He chose not to, He would still be God. He would still be able. He would still be in control. He would still be on the throne. If He chose not to, their faith would not have been shaken one bit. So whether God chose to deliver them or not, they were going to do the right thing and trust Him anyway. That’s faith! The Bible says that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. We don’t always have the answers as to why bad things happen to us. We don’t have answers for cancer and sickness and pain and heartbreak. What we do know is that our God is able to deliver us from those things. But real faith comes into play when we can say with the Hebrew children, “but if not.” God, I know you can deliver me from this, but if not, I am determined to serve you anyway. I have the God-given determination to obey you. I am determined not to bow before the idols of this age no matter what happens to me. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were able to stand when the whole world around them bowed. They were able to stand in spite of the accusations being thrown at them from the Chaldeans. They were able to stand in spite of the furious confrontation with Nebuchadnezzar. They were able to stand because they knew God was able to deliver them. And they were able to stand because they were determined to obey Him even if He didn’t. Ephesians 6:10-13 says: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
What about you? Are you able to stand when the whole world bows? Are you a Christian today? If you are, the Bible says that you can have confidence that God will work whatever circumstance you’re going through for good, because you are the called according to His purpose. Claim that confidence by standing for what the Bible says and by standing for what you know to be right. Claim it by making a fresh commitment to obey Him no matter how unpopular it might be. And have no doubt about it—true obedience will always be unpopular.
Determine before God today that you will serve Him no matter what circumstance you might find yourself. Are you lost today? Have you never trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Are you hitting your knees, bowing before wretched idols every time the world plays its tune? In this passage Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were the only ones who were truly free. Everybody else was in bondage. Every time the music sounded, they had no choice but to bow. They didn’t know anybody powerful enough to deliver them—but the Hebrew children did. If you’re lost today, you have no power to deliver yourself. You don’t know the One who can deliver you. You don’t know the One who can give you the determination to stand in the midst of trials. But, He wants you to know Him. He wants to release you from your bondage and give you the strength to stand. You can know Him today. All you have to do is ask.
