The Fire That Could Not Burn

If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, 0 king. But If not, be it known unto thee, 0 king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up (Daniel 3:17, 18).

There were no special deals to be made with God or with the king. You don’t need a deal with God when you have a solid and growing relationship with Him. Walking with God Is all you need.

A HORRIBLE PUNISHMENT

The Bible tells us what happened to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. It was a horrible act of human cruelty.

And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and to cast them Into the burning fiery furnace. . . . And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego fell down bound Into the midst of the burning fiery furnace (Daniel 2:20,21).

Because they stood up to the king for what they knew was right, they were attacked. How committed are we to what Is right? How do we know what Is right? I believe the answer can be found In the Bible. It Is there! We can discover It by the help of the Holy Spirit, and then we must be willing to risk our lives for It. Is that what this story tells us?

Look how severe was the attack. They were cast Into the furnace of fire. The soldiers physically threw them Into the fire. We are told they were cast down Into the fire. That Is what the devil wants to do to us. He wants us down. But even when we are physically down, we can be standing up on the inside. Notice this diabolic treatment-they were bound before they were cast down into the fire. It does happen. The devil can physically, mentally and emotionally harm us. Sickness is a very common way.

In my early years as a Christian, I thought that the closer you got to God, the fewer problems and attacks you would encounter. But that Is not true. It seems to me that the closer you get to God In your walk with Him, your worship of Him, and your work for Him, the greater Satan tries to oppose you and attack you in unbelievable ways.

We must understand that the enemy is out to destroy our faith In God.

A HOLY PRESENCE

It is true that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were cast into a seven-times-hotter fiery furnace because they would not go along with the king’s ungodly proposition and compromise their relationship with God. But let me tell you there Is more to this testimony.

The king asked a troubling question. He asked, "Did not we cast three men bound Into the midst of the fire?" (v.24).

The king then made a glorious but unplanned confession. "Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God" (v. 25). I believe the very moment Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego entered the furnace, the Fourth Man was there to protect them.

The king extended a very welcome Invitation. He said, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither" (v. 26). And they came walking out on their own with no harm done to them.