MEETING GOD IN THE FIRE
Dan. 3:1-25
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: Some can’t tell how bad their life smells!
1. The Smelly Debt Collector. Andy Smulian may dress like a skid-row bum and smell like a dead rat, but he’s a hit among London businessmen plagued by those who won’t pay their bills.
2. His technique is to douse himself with the most hideous odors and go into a deadbeat’s office & refuse to leave until they pay their rent. The secretaries usually threaten to quit unless their boss pays up.
3. Smulian has been taken to court because of his villainous stench but says he’s not to be sneezed at and isn’t worried. “The law doesn’t define when a smell becomes offensive.” But who is he to talk? He has permanently blocked sinuses so he can’t smell a thing! [February, 1980, Campus Life, p. 23]
B. TEXT: Dan. 3:1-24, NIV
King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, 90 feet high and nine feet wide....5 [He told all his officials] “you must fall down and worship the image of gold...6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.” 12[It was told to the King] “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego...pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.” 13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned [them]. 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” 19 Furious...[the King] ordered the furnace heated 7X hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to...throw them into the blazing furnace. 24 King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” 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.” [vs. 25- NKJV]
C. MAIN IDEA
1. Three men, bound with ropes, were dragged toward the mouth of the inferno. The heat was so intense that the soldier’s clothing caught on fire as they gave their last shove to the prisoners, thrusting them into the fire.
2. What happened next was so unexpected, the bystanders had to rub their eyes & pinch themselves to believe they weren’t imagining it. The soldiers lay dead on the pavement, their carcasses burning to ashes before the withering flames – but the prisoners – they were alive in the inferno!
3. It was like a story out of myth. The impossible was happening. Some power was protecting the prisoners in the 1,000s of degrees of heat! And then the bystanders heard praising – singing – coming from the fire! What could this mean?
4. King Nebuchadnezzar was on his feet. Despite the heat, the hair of his arms and neck had goose bumps on them. Shielding his eyes he said, “Weren’t there three men we tied and threw into the fire? Look! I see 4 men walking around in the fire...and the 4th looks like the Son of God!” (Dan. 3:24-25).
D. THESIS & TITLE
1. Who was that fourth man? What distinguished Him from the others? Why had He shown up at this crucial moment of mortal danger to these 3 men? What meaning does this event have for us?
2. The title is “Meeting God in the Fire.”
I. WHO WAS THE FOURTH MAN?
A. THE PREINCARNATE SON OF GOD
1. No wonder the king was confused. You throw three men, bound with ropes, into the furnace. They don’t die. The ropes burn off, but the men don’t burn. They get up and walk around inside a blazing inferno.
2. Then a fourth man shows up. Where did He come from? Who is He? Why did He come? The Fourth Man in the fire can be none other than the preincarnate Jesus Christ. He’s God’s Son, who has no “beginning of life nor end of days” (Heb. 7:3); He lives forever with God the Father. Micah prophesied His human birth, saying that He lived “even from everlasting” (5:2). Hebrews 1:2 says it was through Jesus that God created the universe!
3. Jesus was manifested throughout the O.T. as “THE Angel/Messenger of the Lord” (the word means both). He is identified with the Lord, yet distinguished from Him. [Footnote]
4. He appeared to Hagar (Gen. 16:7-14), to Abraham (Gen. 22:11-18), Jacob (“I am the God of Bethel,” Gen. 31:11-13), Moses (in the burning bush, Ex. 3:2-5), Israel (Ex. 14:19), Balaam (Numb. 22:22-35), Joshua (Captain of the Lord’s Hosts who is worshiped, 5:13-15), Gideon (Judg. 6:11-23), Manoah (Judg. 13:2-25), Elijah (1 Kgs. 19:7), and David (1 Chron. 21:15-17).
5. This “Messenger” slew 185,000 Assyrians (2 Kgs. 19:35) to save Israel, stood among the myrtle trees in Zechariah’s vision (1:11), defended Joshua the High Priest against Satan (Zech. 3:1), was one of the 3 men who appeared to Abraham (Gen. 18:2-33; He went on to judge Sodom), and undoubtedly was the person who wrestled with Jacob in Gen. 32:28.
6. So it’s no surprise, from a heavenly viewpoint, when the Son of God shows up to help God’s servants who are in an extreme situation; that’s what God has ALWAYS done!
B. WHAT DISTINGUISHED HIM FROM THE THREE?
1. Nebuchadnezzar, when he saw the fourth man, said He “looked like a son of the gods” [literal].
2. The other 3 men, despite being alive in a raging inferno, still looked human. But this fourth One looked different. Probably, like Ezekiel’s vision (1:27 & 8:2), “He looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire” and brilliant light surrounded Him.
3. God caused the preincarnate Christ to stand out as Deity, so that Nebuchadnezzar might know it, and more importantly, so that you and I would know, Who was there in that fire with them. OUR GOD SHALL NEVER FAIL US!
II. WHY DID HE SHOW UP AT THIS MOMENT?
A. TO KNOW: GOD IS WITH US IN TROUBLE
1. God wants us to know that He has never forsaken us when we’re in trouble; in fact, He’s promised to be more present then, than at other times. The greater our trouble, the stronger His presence, because "Grace doth MUCH MORE ABOUND" Rom. 5:20. Grace will always be greater than our sin, trials, etc.
2. “Call upon Me on the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.” Ps. 50:15. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze” Isa. 43:2, NIV
3. We serve a God who won’t allow US to go down into a valley, unless He HIMSELF goes down there with us! God says, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee; I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.” There is no problem God cannot solve!
4. ILLUS.
a. A missionary couple once brought some African pastors to the Unites States for a big meeting. During their free time, these pastors wanted to go shopping. Even though it was a small town, the missionary knew one of them might get lost. So he gave each pastor his phone number in case of an emergency. In less than an hour the missionary’s phone rang and one of the pastors said, “I am lost.”
b. The missionary replied, “Go to the street corner, find out the names of the two streets, and tell me.” The African pastor said, “I am at the corner of ‘Walk’ and ‘Don’t Walk.’”
c. The trials of life sometimes make us feel lost and uncertain. But as Job said, “But He knows the way that I take: when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold” Job 23:10.
5. “MY GRACE is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” 2 Cor. 12:9. NO TRIAL WILL BE TOO GREAT, NO WATER TOO DEEP, NO NIGHT TOO DARK, NO DISTANCE TOO GREAT! However feeble your cry, God will hear it and come and rescue you!
B. TROUBLES, TRIALS, & PROBLEMS...
1. Put us in a helpless state; we don’t have the resources to face or overcome our troubles.
2. It’s then, in our helplessness, that God comes to us. Someone has said, “It’s not until you’re flat on your back that you really look up.” It’s only when we’re the most helpless, that we can get a full revelation of who God is.
3. God is bigger than our troubles, bigger than our sickness, bigger than our money problems, bigger than our lost loved ones! There’s nothing He can’t do!
4. Israel ended up in slavery in Egypt; that was never what God would have wanted, but He turned it around for His glory. He told Pharaoh, “I RAISED YOU UP for this very purpose, THAT I MIGHT DISPLAY MY POWER IN YOU and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” (Rom. 9:17). GOD IS LOOKING FOR AN EXCUSE!
5. God may be saying that same thing to some of you here today; “I allowed this difficulty to come into your life so that I could work a miracle in you and show the world how real I am!”
6. “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?” Jer. 32:27. Jesus told them, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Mt. 19:26. Psalm 77:14, “You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.”
7. Are you ready to let God work a miracle in your life? STAND UP – WE’RE GOING TO PRAY FOR YOU RIGHT NOW.
C. THE 3 HEBREWS STOOD UP FOR GOD
1. What caused Jesus to be manifested to 3 men? The 3 men took a stand for God. They refused to bow. They wouldn’t surrender. They were faithful to God. They put their lives on the line. They would rather die for God than betray Him.
2. No doubt God elbowed Gabriel and said, “Do you notice the pluck/integrity of those three?! They are steadfast for Me. I will go down and deliver them!”
3. I encourage you to take a MORAL STAND with God. If God says something’s a sin, if that subject comes up in public, then SAY WHAT GOD SAYS.
4. People know you’re a Christian. When they ask you what you believe about an issue, they’re really asking what GOD SAYS about it. The 3 Hebrews were told to bow to the sin of their society. They refused to and faced persecution. But if you stand for God, God will stand for you!
5. Their obedience resulted in the 3 getting a new vision of God! And God honors obedience to Him.
III. SYMBOLIC OF THE GREAT JUDGMENT
A. ALL OUR LIVES WILL PASS THRU THE FIRE
1. This is also a picture of the Great Judgment. We will all have to pass through the fire. Heaven is a perfect place for purified people. Even on earth, nothing could enter the camp of Israel without cleansing. “...[everything]...that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean....And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through...water” Num. 31:23.
2. According to WHO, it takes temperatures of 160°F to kill most viruses, bacteria, and viruses. But the heat didn’t hurt the Hebrews, and won’t harm us either, some day!
B. THE FIRE TESTS OUR LIVES’ CHOICES
1. Paul said, “Now if anyone builds on...[Jesus Christ] with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If...it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire...” 1 Cor. 3:12-15.
2. Paul encourages us to live VALUABLE lives for Christ, not WORTHLESS lives - wood, hay, straw. Worthless lives will burn up.
3. God’s judgment will only BLESS the faithful – like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – it burned off their ropes and didn’t harm them; but the ungodly soldiers died. Worthy lives will REAP A REWARD.
C. GREAT COMFORT: OUR ADVOCATE WILL STAND FOR US!
1. In that future hour of terror, at God’s Judgment Seat, God will be revealed in all His power. We won’t need to be afraid, for our Jesus will be right there in the fire with us!
2. The Septuagint (Greek OT, 250 BC) adds to verse 24, “And Nebuchadnezzar heard them singing praises...” We too will sing and dance for joy, not fearing the power of the flames! PTL!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUS.: POWER OF JESUS CHRIST
1. I heard about a woman in a South American country whose name is “Rosario.” She was a hardened criminal. She bragged on the robberies and murders she had committed.
2. But while in prison she was saved. She became as bold a witness for Jesus as she had been an agent for the devil before.
3. When she was released, she went back to the terrible places of the ghetto she had lived in before. Her witness was so powerful that she won a substantial number of people to Christ.
4. She founded 5 churches and an orphanage of 1,000 children. What a testimony of grace! If God can do that for her, He'll do it for you!
B. THE CALL
1. I wonder if there’s someone here today, going through fiery trials. You may not know what to do, but let me remind you, there’s a Fourth man with you in the fire! If you need prayer come forward.
2. Do you need to be saved? Come forward.
3. Do you want a new vision of God?
4. Do you want God to work in you like Rosario, to become a trophy of Grace, join us up here.
5. PRAYER.
Ftnt - The deity of this unique Angel/Messenger is proved the facts that 1.) He is identified as God (Gen. 16:11,13; 18:2,10,13; Ex. 3:2-6,14,18; Judg. 6:11,14,16). 2). He is recognized as God (Gen. 16:9-13; 32:24-30). 3). He’s described in terms befitting the Deity alone (Ex. 3:5f,14; Josh.5:15). 4). He calls Himself God (Gen. 31:11,13; Ex. 3:2,6,14). 5). He receives worship (Josh. 5:14; Judg. 2:4f). 6). He speaks with divine prerogative (Judg. 2:1-5).
