“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn’t, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn’t serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up” (Dan. 3:16;18).
Choices. We’re faced with them daily. From the mundane to the eternal, choices must be made. Even choosing not to choose—is making a choice!
What toothpaste shall I buy, use, try? Caffeinated or decaffeinated? Buy or rent? Stay single or marry? Obey or disobey?
You get the point…
To live a purposeful life, you must choose… or life will find a way of making your choices for you!
So, what do you do when you find yourself forced to make a decision that goes against all you stand for? Goes against your faith? When it spins your moral compass away from our due north?
What do you do?
To what will your faithfulness align itself?
Self-preservation—go along to get along?
Or will it be to do what’s right, and the cost be damned!
Let’s up the ante…
It’s your boss. And he says if you don’t do________, your job is on the line. You know it’s wrong…but what about your family, your responsibilities?
Or, what if it’s your best friend? You’ve been tight since the schoolyard, and they tell you they made a horrible mistake. Committed a sin! Now, they’re asking you to lie—cover for them, so their spouse doesn’t find out. I cheated, it was only once but now, if she finds out, man, my marriage is on the line.
Please! I’m sorry. You know I would never ask you, but…
Our three-main characters found in today’s verses, find themselves in such a place…
The place of choices.
That place, that fiery-furnace-of-a-place that tests not only our resolve to with-stand evil, but more, to defend—stand-up for, Truth. Our truth. That guiding light that lives in our hearts and directs us towards right living, right choices.
And, as with my above examples, our friends are also being asked to compromise—walk out on, their Truth. Yet, straight away they said; Okay, death it is. Because we will never align ourselves with the likes of you, never vow allegiance to a counterfeit, a sin, a lie—when we know, have, The Original!”
Let that be our heart when asked to compromise!
But what was so important to them that they were willing to die rather than do what this King was demanding?
One word…God. Their God. This was personal!
Just as back in Chapter One, our three friends, along with Daniel, refused to defile themselves with the king’s food (Dan. 1:11-12). Now, once again, we find them each defying the king’s order to bow down and pay homage—show allegiance to, an image—an idol, he had made from gold (Dan.3:9-12).
They would not disown the One True God to worship an idol made of brass—by a mere man. King, or not! Job, or not! Friends, or not, life or not!
Let me ask you, is there anything in your life that you’d die for? Anything that is so precious to you, that as with our three young men, you’d choose death over losing it? Over betraying it? Over giving any other your fidelity?
Choices. We must make them. Or become swept away in their current. Slaves to their twisting and turnings…
Seldom is it popular to take a moral stand for what you know to be right. And in today’s culture, as with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, standing for God could very well get you killed…
Jesus certainly knew this to be true—so did the Apostles. John the Baptist quite literally lost his head because of his allegiance to God (Jn.12:27-28; Matt. 32-56; Acts. 7:59; Matt.14:10).
When it comes to our profession of faith, our relationship with Jesus—our witness to the Truth of who He is and what He stands for in our lives, we must follow the example of our three main characters.
Even, unto death…
We must be unbending—fixed, focused, on serving the One we love—honoring Him above all else. Come what may. Period.
Listen to how Jesus says it, “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple” (Jn. 12:25; Lk.14:27).
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, along with their friend Daniel, had been violently removed from their country, their homes, and, their way of life in Jerusalem. They were taken captive by the pagan King of Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar. Babel, the birth place—the very epicenter of confusion! (Gen. 11:9)…
Now, these captives, our three young friends, were no ordinary street boys—Scripture tells us that they were taken from the palace—from royal families, by this king (Dan. 1:3-4). He wanted the best, this King did…
If he was going to steal something and then invest his resources into indoctrinating it—them, into serving his purposes, it only made sense to steal the very best—the elite!
Sin is a master—not a servant…
That worth repeating! Sin is a master, not a servant…
It commands, and it directives are death. Though it’s bondage’s may be invisible for a time, be assured, it is an ever-present trap. It is set—fixed, on capturing and destroying the life it traps within its exacting grip… The thief comes only to steal, slaughter, and destroy… (Jn.10:10).
No one knew this better than Jesus, listen: “Once more the Devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, along with their splendor. He told Jesus, “I will give you all these things if you will bow down and worship me” (Matt. 4:8-9).
King Nebuchadnezzar had, because of their friend Daniel’s proper interpretation of his dream, promoted our three friends to positions of authority. But, as with the promises made to Jesus by satan, conditions applied.
Sin always has a hidden agenda…
That is why we, like our three friends, must follow the example of our Lord—the command given by the Father. We must have no other God before Him. The One True God (Ex.20:3).
We mustn’t’ show our allegiance to—give our hearts, lives, thoughts or desires over to anyone other than the One True God!
We must be unbending…
We must be willing to walk away from—to lose, anything or anyone that asks us to compromise the Truth. That wants us—is asking us, to allow our moral compasses to be tampered with. To sell out our God for the things of this world—whatever, or whoever they might be—or mean to us!
Again, Let Scripture—more the very words Jesus used on satan, be our guide when someone or something tries to take us captive—to hold our faith hostage. Tests our friendships, our loyalties, our livelihoods’, or our allegiances… Test if what we profess to believe is mere religious propaganda or genuine, life-changing faith in the One True God…
For the third test, the Devil took him to the peak of a huge mountain. He gestured expansively, pointing out all the earth’s kingdoms, how glorious they all were. Then he said, “They’re yours—lock, stock, and barrel. Just go down on your knees and worship me, and they’re yours.’’ Jesus’ refusal was curt: “Beat it, Satan!” He backed his rebuke with a third quotation from Deuteronomy: “Worship the Lord your God, and only him. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness” (Matt. 4:8-10).
Choices…we all face them. Who are you choosing to serve today? Yourself? the past? someone else? Or some way of living that has just sort of swept you up? How is that working for you? Remember, to not choose is to make a choice. And your eternity depends on the choices you make–now, today…
As with our three friends don’t hesitate when asked to compromise your beliefs, your Truth, your God. Stand firm, be unbending…Follow the pattern set by Jesus. The way chosen by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego… Because it alone leads to life—eternal!
“But if you are unwilling to obey the Lord, then decide today whom you will obey. Will it be the gods of your ancestors beyond the Euphrates (the gods of your past) or the gods of the Amorites here in this land (those things found here, in this world, now…)? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” Quotations my own for emphasis.
Before we can do a thing—take part in it, we first must understand what “it” is. So, along that bent, what is this revolution of the heart, mind, and, way of living God is detailing to Ezekiel? What news will he share with the Israelite’s—with us?
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