Stand For Something, Or Fall For Everything The Devil Tries

Stand for something, or fall for everything the devil tries

Dan 3:2-30 NKJ

1. Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits(about 90 feet tall) and its width six cubits(about 9 feet wide). He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

And what the king did next was to show off what he had made, he called anybody and everybody to come and see the image he had made.

I’m sure, it was quite a sight in those days, 9 stories tall an image of Gold!

And of course, anybody and everyone came to see the unveiling and what all the hoopla was about.

4. Then a herald cried aloud: “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages,

5. that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up;

6. and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”

And so I think you probably know what happened next.

Just like when the national weather service makes an announcement on the radio to get your attention,

And it says, this is a test and immediately it makes that awful noise,

You guessed it, the band started playing and anybody and everyone who wanted to live, did exactly what ole king Neber-crazy had ordered them to do.

They bowed like puppets, that is almost everyone bowed

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!

(Now you could certainly tell those guys were on the payroll, with the “oh king live forever” stuff!)

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.”

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.

Notice how these three Jewish boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, just like you read about in a lot of the old testament stories of faith,

had the favour of God on them and also had favour with the king

And these men that brought it to the attention of the king, didn’t like it.

I mean its not like the king didn’t notice himself, the only 3 that didn’t bow in the whole assembly,

They may as well have been, 3 white elephants in the room, you know what I mean?

He spoke to them, which leads me to believe he knew them, or had some sort of acquaintance with them, to some degree.

Vs. 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!

(he was willing to give them another opportunity, I’m sure he was hoping they would bow and not suffer him any further embarrassment)

Reading on;

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.”

(Isn’t that a statement that the church needs to stand up and make a permanent fixture of its makeup!!

And not worry that it might be viewed as a Politically Incorrect statement!!)

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.