Title: “Our Fiery Furnace”
Text: Daniel 3
King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden statue 90 feet high & 9 feet wide. He set it up on the Plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
Then he sent messages to all of the Satraps, Administrators, Governors, Counselors, Treasures, Judges the Magistrates & all of the officials of the Land to come to the dedication of his Statue.
The king has gotten all of his Leaders together. And then a herald cries out in a loud voice, “This is the kings command. When you hear the Band begin to play, you are to fall on your face & worship the Image of Gold which the king has set up.”
“Whoever doesn’t fall down & begin to worship the Statue shall be cast immediately into a Burning Fiery Furnace.” When the music began to play, there was at least 3 men who refused to bow to the Statue.”
I. When Men Refuse To Bow.......Daniel 3:8-12
It was at this time that certain Chaldeans came to the king & said, “O king live forever. But we’ve got to tell you that you have a few Jewish Men who are refusing to Bow to your Statue!
1. Why were these men doing this?
-They were Jealous.
-They wanted to see Daniel & his 3 friends destroyed.
-They wanted to look good in the Eyes of the king.
-They wanted to make a name for themselves.
They said, “O king, you have made a decree that when the Music begins to play that everyone in the kingdom is to fall down & worship the golden image.”
King, you said, “that whoever doesn’t fall down & worship the golden Image would be cast into the midst of a Burning Fiery Furnace.” We’re here to tell you that there are Three Men who aren’t doing what you told us to do!
2. Putting Pressure on the king.
These men knew exactly what they were doing! They knew that if the king didn’t back up his word that he would look weak!
Can you see them as they approach the king with their plan?
-king, they aren’t listening to you.
-They aren’t serving your gods.
-They have refused to bow to the Image.
-By the way, we have their names for you.
-Their names are Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego.
Remember that Nebuchadnezzar is the king of the mightiest nation in the World. What is it going to look like, if word gets out that Three Hebrew Boys aren’t obeying the king?
3. A king who couldn’t handle Peer-Pressure.
Have you ever had anyone challenge your Authority or a Decision that you made? They were basically saying to the king, “You made this decision, are you going to stick to it?”
The king feels like he is backed into a corner. He knows what he has said & if he backs down from his decision, what is everyone in the kingdom going to say!”
-The king is Weak.
-The king is a Push Over.
-The king doesn’t do what he Says.
-The king’s Bark is worse than his Bite.
-You don’t have to Listen to the king.
-They are applying Peer-Pressure to the king.
There is another king in the Bible who couldn’t handle peer-pressure. This story is found in Mark 6. The king’s name was Herod.
John the Baptist told this king that he was living in Sin & his wife hated John the Baptist. It was Herod’s Birthday & he asked Herodias’ daughter to dance for him.
He said, “If you dance for me, I’ll give you up to half of my Kingdom.” When she was finished dancing, she said, “I want the Head of John the Baptist on a Platter.”
He felt like he was backed into a corner.
Mark 6: 26
“And the king was exceedingly sorry, yet, because of the oaths & because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.”
Herod was afraid of what people might think of him, so he let another man die. King Nebuchadnezzar is feeling the same pressure.
Daniel 3: 13
“Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage & fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, & Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king.”
II. When Anger Is Out Of Control.
Please hear me. When you are Angry, it is not the best time to make good sound Decisions. You will be sorry if you do! The king knew & loved these three men.
Nebuchadnezzar spoke to these three men & said, “Is it true, “Shadrach”, Meshach” & “Abed-Nego” that you are refusing to bow to the golden image that I have set up? Are you refusing to bow to my gods?
We learned from the last chapter when Daniel interpreted the king’s dream that this same king said to Daniel, “Truly your God is the God of all gods.”
He knows that these men are good men & he doesn’t want to throw them into a Burning Fiery Furnace. But he knows that if he doesn’t do something, that he will look bad in the eyes of the people.
Daniel 3: 15
“Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, & psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, & you fall down & 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?”
-He is giving these men another chance.
-He expects them to Crumble....
-He feels like he is in Total Control.
He asked them a question, “And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?” Little does he realize it, but God is about to answer his question!
I can see these three men as they look into the eyes of the king & say, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you about this matter.” They aren’t being disrespectful. But they have made up their mind.
-They aren’t going to back down.
-They aren’t going to bow to the Image.
-They are ready to die for what they believe.
-We don’t have to rethink our decision.
-You’ve got to Respect these guys!
There are some things in Life that you don’t have to Pray about or Think about because God’s Word is very clear on the Subject.
These boys knew that God’s Word said, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” They also knew that it said, “You are not to bow down to any graven image.”
III. Having The Faith To Stand For What Is
Right.
These men were Living in a Heathen Culture. They were captives in a Strange Land. They had seen their Temple Destroyed.
-Their names had been changed.
-These men weren’t just common slaves.
-These men were in positions of Authority.
-They knew they could Lose everything.
But these men knew that they had to answer to a much higher authority than king Nebuchadnezzar. It’s easy to stand for something when you don’t have anything to Lose. But these men had to Lay their Lives on the Life for what they believed in.
Have you ever had a time in your Life where you had to Lay everything on the Line for what you Believed in? My mind goes to Abraham.
Genesis 22: 1-2
“Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, & said to him, “Abraham & he said, “Here I am.”
“And He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you Love, & go to the land of Moriah, & offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
This would be one of the hardest tests that Abraham would ever have to face. He had waited for “Isaac” for twenty-five years & now God was asking him to lay his son upon the Altar.
-God was giving Abraham a Test.
-He wanted to see if He could Trust him.
-Test, teach us a lot about ourselves.
-But Abraham passed the Test.
These Three Hebrew Boys in the Book of Daniel are facing a Test. I respect them because they are not only willing to Stand for their Faith---but they are willing to Die, if need be!
Daniel 3: 17-18
“If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, & 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.”
These men had faith in their God. They were men of Great Faith.
But I’m afraid that many times we really don’t know what “Real Faith” is. They said, “God will deliver us from your hand, but if He doesn’t He is still God.”
Please hear me. Real Faith is Continuing to Trust God, even when you don’t understand your Circumstances. God sees the whole picture & we don’t!
IV. These Men Were Suffering For Righteousness.
It’s easy to Suffer for something if you know that you have done something wrong. But these men were facing a Burning Fiery Furnace because they Stood for the Truth!
Have you ever Suffered for Something & you knew that you had done nothing Wrong?
When the king saw that these men weren’t going to bow, the expression on his face changed toward them. In a fit of Rage, he commanded his servants to turn up the Furnace 7 times as Hot as it would go.
I want you to understand a few things?
1. God could have sparred these men from the Burning Fiery Furnace. But he didn’t.
2. God could have changed the mind of Nebuchadnezzar. But he didn’t. He allowed them to go through the Fire.
I’m sure that when they were facing this Test that Satan began to play with their minds? He was saying things like;
-Where is your God now?
-If God really Loves you, why the Furnace?
-We learn a lot in the Furnaces of Life.
-We learn a lot about God.
-But we learn a lot about Ourselves.
Daniel 3: 21
“Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans & their other garments, & were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.”
These men were going to be an Example. I’m sure that the men who turned them in were feeling pretty confident at this time. All of the people in the Land knew that these men were going to Die!
But God, was going to use their Fiery Furnace Experience. You may not always understand your “Fiery Furnace” experience. But if you keep the Faith, God can use it.
Does God always deliver us from our Burning Fiery Furnace? Yes, but not always the way that we expect.
I love the story of Stephen in the Book of Acts 8. Stephen was facing a Burning Fiery Furnace. He was being Stoned for Standing for the Gospel.
You said, “Yeah, Stephen stood for his faith & look at what it got him.”
-He died.
-He was Stoned to Death.
-Where is the World was God.
-Have you ever asked that Question?
I want you to know that God was there for Stephen & Stephen didn’t Lose! When he was dieing, the Bible said that he looked into Heaven & said, “I see Jesus & He is Standing by the Father’s Right Hand.”
V. God Can Use Your Fiery Furnace Experience.
Daniel 3: 24-25
“Then king Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; & he rose in haste & spoke, saying to his counselors, “did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the Fire? They answered & said to the king, “True, O king.”
“Look! he answered, I see four men Loose, walking in the midst of the Fire; & they are not Hurt, & the form of the Fourth is like the Son of God.”
The king ran to the Furnace & said, “Shadrach, Meshach, & Abed-Nego, servants of the most high God, come out & come here.” They came out of the fiery furnace.
All of the wise men in the land saw that these men Stood for God. They saw that when you Stand for God that God will Stand for you!
-Their Bodies were not Burned.
-Their Hair was not Singed.
-Their Garments weren’t affected.
-The Smell of Fire wasn’t upon them.
-A Heathen Nation saw the Power of God.
Daniel 3: 29-30
“Therefore, I made a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach & Abed-Nego shall be cut in Pieces, & 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 & Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.”
Lessons From This Chapter
1. When you Stand for Something that is Right, there may be times that you have to Stand Alone.
2. Jealousy can cause people to do some pretty mean things.
3. No one is beyond Peer-Pressure. But it takes a real man to Stand for what is right.
4. When Anger is out of Control, it will affect your decision process.
5. A Fiery Furnace Experience teaches us a lot about ourselves.
6. When you Stand for God in a Heathen Culture, it is not always Popular.
7. God can use a Test in your Life to get the Attention of a Lost World.
8. When you walk with God, you are never walking alone.
