The government passed a law in Babylon that everyone had to worship a statue. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to do this. As punishment, they were thrown into an oven to be burned alive (Daniel 3).
Shadrach and his friends weren’t thrown into an oven because they were murderers or thieves. Instead, they were thrown into an oven because they were obeying God.
When we follow God, we sometimes have to go against the world and even the government. The limit of our obedience to the government is defined by the word of God. When the government tells us to do things that are contrary to the Bible, we have to refuse. This can be hard, and it can lead to severe consequences.
In the New Testament the government commanded Christians to stop telling people about Jesus. Christians responded, “We will not comply. We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Then they were thrown in jail. In many countries today, it’s illegal to preach the gospel. The punishment for telling people about Jesus is jail or death.
Are bold Christians preaching the gospel anyway?
In Babylon, the punishment for obeying God was being burned alive in an oven. This was a severe punishment. Being roasted alive is painful and frightening. When murderers or other criminals were burned in Babylon’s oven, it was a hot. But for refusing to worship Satan, Babylon’s oven was made seven times hotter. The punishment was worse because Satan hates people who refuse to submit to him.
An Irrational World that Hates God and His People
Roasting people alive for not bowing to a statue seems irrational. But Satan is irrational, and he gets people to do irrational things.
It might be hard to imagine something like this happening today. But the Bible says that such a thing will happen again. In the end times, a global law will be passed that everyone has to worship an image. If people don’t worship this image, the government will try to kill them (Revelation 13:15).
This may sound impossible. Maybe we think this would never happen. But sometimes crazy and unexpected things happen in the world. Adolf Hitler suddenly emerged out of nowhere and killed millions of people. So did Stalin and Mao. Right now, every year approximately 50 million babies are killed worldwide through abortion. The name of Jesus is greater than these horrors.
The history of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is recorded by Daniel to prepare God’s people for the end times. Daniel is a prophetic book, and it’s written to equip God’s people for the future.
Going Against the Flow
In Babylon everyone was worshiping this statue. It was a nice statue. It looked impressive. Everyone liked gold, and the statue was made out of gold. Rocking music playing, and everyone was getting into it. They were all having a great time.
Only Shadrach and his friends refused to join the party.
Whether in ancient Babylon or today, it’s hard to go against the crowd. Whenever we go against the world a violent mob might come against us. People will try to turn up the heat against us seven times hotter than before. They might treat us worse for obeying God than they would if we had committed a terrible crime. They will slander us. They will try to destroy us. They will do all of this because Satan hates us.
Unconditional Obedience
Facing a blazing inferno, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew God’s power. They knew that he is greater than the burning fiery furnace. They knew he could deliver them from the fire.
Shadrach and his friends weren’t presumptuous. They said “our God can deliver us, but even if he doesn’t deliver us we will not worship this statue.” They knew God could deliver them, they weren’t sure if he would deliver them. They knew what God could do, but they didn’t claim to know what God would do. They were going to trust God anyway, regardless of the outcome.
They didn’t put conditions on their obedience. They didn’t tell God that they would only obey him if he delivered them. Their obedience did not hinge on what God did. They were going to obey God even if he didn’t deliver them. We must rest under God’s wisdom and authority, and trust him regardless of the outcome. We know that even if they kill our bodies, they can’t kill our souls. And if we do die, we will go to heaven to be with Jesus!
Shadrach and his friends told the enraged king, “Even if you put us into a hot oven and roast our flesh alive, we will not worship your statue.” They were going to obey God even if it cost them their lives. They valued God and his word above everything else.
The king of Babylon became hopping mad.
Strong soldiers tied up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and threw them into the oven.
God is With us in the Fire
Jesus doesn’t promise that we won’t go through the fire. But he promises to be with us in the fire. He doesn’t promise that we won’t face problems, but he promises to be with us in the midst of problems. Jesus is with us to encourage us and strengthen us by his Holy Spirit inside us.
Inside the furnace, with flames swirling all around them, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were kept safe. Jesus was with them in the swirling flames, protecting them from the fire.
Jesus promised to never leave us or forsake us. He said he would always be with us: “I will be with you until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Praise God for his presence with us!
Set Free by the Fire
When Shadrach and his two friends were thrown into the oven, they were tied up with strong ropes. These ropes were so tight they couldn’t even stand up. They fell down on the coals. But in the fire, the ropes burned off and they were set free. They began walking around in the fire with Jesus.
When we go through a challenge trusting in God, we can be set free. The fire that was meant to destroy us can actually deliver us. Sometimes bondages break in the midst of the fire. Ropes that held us back are burned. The fire purifies and cleanses. It tests and strengthens our faith.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the hottest furnace of Babylon, astounding everyone. They proved that God is awesome. They obtained a testimony that still reverberates around the world.
No Smell of Smoke
When they came out, not even the smell of smoke was on Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Sometimes when we go through the fire, the smell of smoke comes on us. This means when we face challenges we are tempted to complain and become bitter against God. Even after we get through the fire, we are still angry about what happened. We didn’t want to go through that fire in the first place. Even though we got through it, we still hold onto doubts or anger. We lash out at others, venting our smoke.
Shadrach and his friends did not smell like the furnace. They did not become bitter or offended by having to go through such a hard experience. They didn’t complain. They didn’t murmur. “God, why did you let this happen to me? God why didn’t you stop us from going into that furnace? Don’t you care about us or love us?” The aroma of God was still fragrant in their lives, even after the fire.
Equipped with Greater Resources
Today, in the time of the New Testament, we are blessed. We have the Holy Spirit inside us. Christ has already gone to the cross and conquered sin and Satan. We have the entire Bible. God has equipped us with powerful tools to face challenges successfully. We have more spiritual blessings than Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had because we are Christians who are filled with the Holy Spirit.
Let’s take these spiritual blessings and get ready. We don’t know what will happen in the future, but we know that God is powerful, that his word is true, and that he is faithful. We can face the future successfully through God’s power. When challenges come, let’s not be surprised. Let’s stay faithful to God. Let’s not try to tell God what to do, but trust him to do what is best. As we keep believing, we will experience miracles. And these miracles, born of indomitable faith, will overthrow kingdoms.
As Daniel said, at the end of the age, “the people who do know their God will be strong and do exploits” (Daniel 11:32).
Astounding miracles will happen, as we believe in God. But even if they don’t happen, we will not bow down to the devil.
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