In our last message in this series, I asked the following questions: “What would we, as believers, do if our country ever came under siege by a foreign nation that did not believe in God or His Son, Jesus Christ?” “How could we practice our Christian faith and live according to biblical principles while living under a godless government?” Through the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord admonished the captives in Babylon to “seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace” (Jeremiah 29:7). Our first course of action should be to exhibit peaceful, Christ-like behavior, obeying the laws of the land, while praying for our national leaders. But is there ever a time when Christians should openly stand up and resist those in authority; and what does it mean to take a stand for Christ?
In our message today, we will learn some of the signs to look for in knowing when captivity is just around the corner. We will identify some specific circumstances that could signal oppression by a reigning government; and we will briefly discuss what our first course of action should be in response. We will also learn the proper time in which to stand and speak the truth. Today’s message should hopefully inspire us to stand up for our faith in Christ and biblical morality.
Be Cautious of Universal Decrees (vv. 8-12)
8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. 9 They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 10 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; 11 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12 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.”
In our last message from this series, I mentioned how when we find ourselves in captivity or under an oppressive government that we must be certain to live according to biblical principles, working “as to the Lord and not to men” (Colossians 3:23). When we do, then those in leadership will take notice. We will receive the Lord’s favor and be promoted to a place of prominence. However, those who are favored by God are usually envied and hated by the world. Jesus said, “They will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake” (Matthew 24:9). When the Lord bestows His favor on you then watch out! Never let your guard down, because the Enemy will always be watching and waiting for the first opportunity in which to accuse you, similar to how the Chaldeans accused the Jews (v. 8).
I wish to caution you that the beginning of tribulation and persecution for believers will begin with some kind of “universal decree.” In verses 8-11, we read how the Chaldeans, who obviously hated God’s chosen people, the Jews, reminded King Nebuchadnezzar about a decree that he had earlier made, “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” (v. 10). Notice how, in verse 10, we see the words “decree” and “everyone” used in conjunction in the same sentence. This wording indicates the establishment of a universal decree. The word “universal” means, “applicable everywhere, or in all cases,” and “affecting, concerning or involving all.”(1)
Non-compliance to a universal decree can result in swift blame (v. 8) and severe consequences, such as we see in verse 11: “Whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.” Pastor Harold Heiney once served as missionary with the North American Mission Board, shepherding a small church in Havre, Montana. He shared with me the true story of a little old Russian lady in his church, who had immigrated to America during the communist dictatorship of Joseph Stalin. She described how many of her friends and family members had been brutally killed for having guns in their possession. When Stalin established the universal decree of gun control in 1929, anyone discovered or rumored to be hiding weapons was hunted down and shot. From 1929-1953, about 20 million dissidents were executed.(2)
The Bible says that leading up to the last days, and beginning even before the rapture, you will begin seeing universal decrees which will lead to the culmination of an oppressive one-world government. For example, John said in Revelation chapter 17, verses 12-13 and verse 17, “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast . . . For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.” The ten kings are ten nations that will give their authority and power to the Antichrist; and the description about being “of one mind” means that they will be in universal agreement with one another.
Universalism is meant as a form of control, because individualism is a threat to dictatorship. For example, the Roman Empire had persecuted Christians for nearly two centuries from the time of the apostles, only to see a rise in opposition, martyrdom, and explosive growth in the church. This all changed after A.D. 312 when Emperor Constantine, who had been persecuting believers, converted to Christianity after he “supposedly” had a heavenly vision.(3) Church historian Mark Noll says, “To Constantine . . . the best course was not to suppress Christianity but to exploit its potential for unity.”(4) Under Constantine, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, which led to the establishment of Roman Catholicism as the state religion and the state church, which became a means of social control.
We are seeing a rise in universal decrees all around us, and it is a sign of the times. There is presently a Universalist Church; and common terms among the religious community are “inter-faithism” and “ecumenicalism,” which are associated with the belief in a one world religion. You have no doubt seen the prominent bumper sticker depicting many religious symbols combined into the one word “Coexist.” Aside from religion, and looking into politics, we have “universal health care” here in America; and since I have mentioned Joseph Stalin and gun control, there is a rise in gun control legislation, with the government asking churches to lead the charge. Universal decrees are meant to unite people, but before everyone can think and act alike, someone has to abandon their deepest convictions; and herein lies the main problem with universalism.
Be Willing to Stand for Morality (vv. 13-18)
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. 14 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? 15 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?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 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. 18 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.”
We are called to obey the laws of the land; meaning, there is a time to submit to authorities. 1 Peter 2:13-15 admonishes, “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.” In being a model citizen, pursuing the peace of the land in which we live (Jeremiah 29:7), we become a witness to the love of Jesus Christ. We should obey the laws of the land whenever possible; however, when the laws require us to compromise our faith, then that’s when we must take a stand.
Nebuchadnezzar demanded all citizens of the land to bow before a gold image, and that included the Jews who had been taken into captivity; among them being Shadrach (Hananiah), Meshach (Mishael), and Abed-Nego (Azariah) (cf. Daniel 1:7), whom the King had set over the affairs of the province of Babylon (cf. Daniel 2:49). Back in Exodus 34:14, the Lord commanded His people: “You shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” The very reason why the Israelites wound up in captivity in Babylon in the first place was because they had committed idolatry against the Lord; and here, Nebuchadnezzar was asking them to commit this exact same sin! Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego had strong incentive to resist the King.
In verse 15, Nebuchadnezzar told them, “[If] you fall down and worship the image which I have made, [then] good.” To fall down means to bow and submit; to submit to the gold image, and submit to the orders and authority of the king; but did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego submit and bow down? No. They resisted, in order to follow the moral course of action according to their faith and convictions. They also informed King Nebuchadnezzar that the only One whom they were required to answer was God, for they declared, “We have no need to answer you in this matter” (v. 16).
In the book of Acts, we read that when Annas, the high priest, commanded Peter and John “not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18), that they responded, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (4:19-20). The command of God should always supersede the opinion of men.
Be Willing to Endure Some Heat (vv. 19-25)
19 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. 20 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. 21 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.
22 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. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 24 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.” 25 “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.”
When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego refused to compromise their moral standards and bow to a gold image, they were cast into the fiery furnace. We read here that the furnace was heated to seven times hotter than usual (v. 19). The normal firing temperature on a brick furnace would have been around 1,500 degrees, and scholars generally agree that seven-times hotter is nearly impossible to achieve.(5) But what if it were a lead melting furnace instead? These types of furnaces did exist in that day, for Ezekiel declared, “The house of Israel has become dross to Me; they are all bronze, tin, iron, and lead, in the midst of a furnace” (Ezekiel 22:18). The melting point for lead is 625 degrees,(6) and seven times hotter than this temperature is 4,375 degrees, which is right on the maximum threshold for the temperature of a metal smelting furnace.(7)
The temperature of the furnace was heated to somewhere around 4,400 degrees; and the Scripture states, “The furnace [was] exceedingly hot, [and] the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego” (v. 22). The furnace wasn’t just “a-little-bit” hot, it was “a-lot-a-bit” hot! Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego withstood some extreme heat in order to stand up for God; which leads me to ask the following questions: “How many people today are willing to endure some heat on behalf of the Lord?” and “How many people are willing to be persecuted in order to stand up for what they believe in?” If you are outspoken in your faith, be forewarned that affliction and persecution go with the territory.
Take the apostle Stephen, for example. Stephen stood up to the Jews concerning their disobedience to God, boldly telling them, “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it” (Acts 7:51-53). Without fear for his life, Stephen told the brazen truth; and the Scripture records, “Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him” (Acts 7:57-58a).
Notice how when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were cast into the fiery furnace, that Nebuchadnezzar looked; and behold, he saw them moving about in the flame still alive and unharmed! He declared, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt” (v. 25). There weren’t just three men, but four; and what did Nebuchadnezzar say about the fourth one? “The form of the fourth is like the Son of God” (v. 25). It looked as if there was no hope, for they were already cast into the raging fire. It appeared that the consequence for taking a stand was annihilation; but then, the Lord rushed in! Our God often arrives at the last second, for He wants to see how far we will go in defense of His name. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego went all the way; and when they did, Jesus appeared demonstrating His power and glory. Our God is mighty to save whenever we are faithful to stand.
Be Expectant of God’s Deliverance (vv. 26-30)
26 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. 27 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.
28 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! 29 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.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.
When Nebuchadnezzar and all his officials went to see Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, they observed that “the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them” (v. 27). Our God is truly mighty to save; and therefore, we need to live with the expectation of deliverance. The hope of deliverance is what motivates us to stand; whether it’s physical rescue from the hands of wicked men, or spiritual deliverance as we are transported into heaven to spend eternity with the Lord. Jesus said of the last days: “Before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony . . . Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:12-13a, 28).
When we take a stand for the Lord, then He will be glorified. He will be glorified either through our faithful words and actions, or by demonstrating His great power to deliver us from harm or persecution. When he beheld the incredible deliverance of these faithful servants of God, Nebuchadnezzar then declared, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego” (v. 28). He also pronounced, “There is no other God who can deliver like this” (v. 29). The king immediately made a new decree that no one could speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; and doing so would result in death. He then promoted these three faithful servants of the Lord into higher positions within the Babylonian government (v. 30).
Time of Reflection
I want to ask you this morning, “Are you willing to stand for your faith in Jesus Christ?” In Matthew 10:17-18, Jesus cautioned, “Beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.” In verses 32-33, Jesus continued to admonish, “Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” Will you boldly confess the name of Jesus Christ, or will you remain silent? If you deny knowing Jesus before men, then this indicates that you are lost without Him as your Lord and Savior; and that’s the main reason why He will deny knowing you before the Father.
If you consider yourself to be a believer, and yet recall a time when you denied Christ; or perhaps, you find yourself presently denying Him before your friends, your family or your coworkers, then you need to ask yourself if Jesus is really your Lord and Savior. You may be someone here today who has never before confessed to knowing Jesus. If this describes you, then you are truly lost and on your way to spending eternity in hell, forever separated from a holy God. However, this can all change if you will just receive the gift of God bestowed through His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” John 3:16 declares, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
NOTES
(1) “Universal,” Dictionary.com: dictionary.reference.com/browse/universal?s=t (Accessed November 1, 2012).
(2) “Dictators and Gun Control,” America in Chains: americainchains2009.wordpress.com/2010/01/24/dictators-and-gun-control/ (Accessed November 1, 2012).
(3) Mark Noll, Turning Points (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1997), p. 50.
(4) Ibid., p. 51.
(5) “Bow or Burn,” Daniel: God’s Messenger to the Future: www.pytlik.com/observe/daniel/narratives/ch03-3.html (Accessed November, 3 2012).
(6) R. Clayton Brough, Scientific Support for Scriptural Stories (Bountiful, Utah: Horizon Publishers, 1992), p. 128
(7) Ibid., p. 129.
