On Fire for God
Daniel 3
This past week as has seen the dramatic rescue of two Tasmanian miners, after being trapped for 14 days in a cramped cage almost a kilometre below the earth. For two weeks people hoped and prayed above the ground while a few brave rescuers toiled underground. Eventually Brant Webb and Todd Russell walked free to great acclamation, tempered with sadness at the loss of a third miner. Spare a thought for a moment for that family: two walked free, one did not.
So here's my question: where was God in all of this? Hardly a murmur of thanksgiving has been directed God's way, publicly at least. We've extolled the virtues of mateship and aussie ingenuity. We've marvelled at the resilience of the trapped miners and their rescuers. But where was God in all this? Was he above the ground with the praying people in the Beaconsfield church? Was he below the ground with the rescuers? Did he make an appearance in the cage with Brant and Todd? Where was God? Can we give God any credit for getting the two out? And if so, what about the third guy? Can it be said in any sense that God saved the two, or does all credit go to the rescue team?
Today's passage from Daniel 3 sheds some light on these issues, not just for cases like the Beaconsfield miners, but for all of us. At some point in our lives we all call out to God for help. Sooner or later, there comes a time for all us when we realise that we are not the masters of our own destiny. Eventually each one here will in some way call out to God for help.
In Daniel chapter 3 three Jewish political prisoners show us what kind of confidence we can have that God will hear our prayers for help.
Remember that God has handed over his own people to the power of the great Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel and three of his friends, Shadrach Meshach and Abednego, are transported from Jerusalem to Babylon for retraining and re-educating, for indoctrination and total assimilation into Babylonian ways.
Dan 3:1-7 One World System?
As we turn to chapter 3 we see that Nebuchadnezzar wants to unite his vast empire around one common point of worship. He sets up a golden idol to his own power and commands that all must submit to his united world system. Have a look at verse 1 and following as I read:
Dan. 3:1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 3 So… [they] assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.
Dan. 3:4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations and men of every language: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”
Nebuchadnezzar is the great king who has brought together his empire with a vast array of deputies and conquered peoples around one point: a great big image of gold. Perhaps he got the idea from his dream back in Daniel 2—the dream where he is the golden head of a vast statue[1]. As we read the text, the grandeur of the occasion is emphasized by the long lists and their repetition: satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates; horns, flutes, pipes, a whole orchestra—the lists go on. All are to be brought together under the one world power, one world system, Nebuchadnezzar's rule, just like at tower of Babel back in Genesis 11[2]. Oh, and anyone who doesn't join in is to thrown into the fiery furnace.
In our day this same desire for world domination is found not in kings and dictators but in corporations, governments and the media. The forces of globalisation demand that everyone pursue the same values, the same forms of government and the same goals of economic development. And like Nebuchadnezzar's plan, this unified scheme is happy to accommodate a whole pantheon of gods.
So where do you stand in our day? Have you ever wondered whether your faith in God might require you to take a stand against something everyone else is doing?
Dan 3:8-15 Which god?
It's worth pondering that as we turn to verse 7, where the music plays and Nebuchadnezzar's empire is united in worship of the gold image. But there is a fly in the ointment—not everyone buys in. Straight away the astrologers' union bring the king's attention to the fact that the Jews do not worship his gods or bow down to his golden image.
You see, the astrologers of Babylon are the ones who report on the activities of the gods. They look at the movement of the stars and the planets and discern from them whether the gods are happy or what must be done to appease them. And because they are also pretty good at politics they point the finger at Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego[3].
Nebuchadnezzar is furious. He hauls them onto the carpet and asks who on earth is going to rescue them from him if they don't buy into his rule. Follow along as I read from verse 14:
Dan 3:14 …Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”
And that's the crucial question at the heart of this chapter: which god, if any, can rescue the men from Nebuchadnezzar's power? That's the question: which god? Already you can see Nebuchadnezzar assumes that there is no such god. In fact, he defies the gods to do so.
You see, Nebuchadnezzar believes in a whole pantheon of gods: Bel-Marduke, Baal, Ea, Ishtar—there were scores of them. In fact, the gods of every nation Nebuchadnezzar had conquered were brought into this pantheon, humbled by the power of Bel-Marduke. And all these gods were far far away, as far away as the stars and the planets[4]. It was their movements that were thought to influence human life but for the most part they were unconcerned, uncaring and disinterested with the affairs of men and women. Sure they got angry from time to time when the right sacrifices weren't offered, but there was no way that any god would come rushing to the rescue of a few recalcitrant Jewish exiles. You might remember what the astrologers and enchanters said to the Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2:11—'No one can reveal… [mysteries] except the gods, and they do not live among men.'
So that's why Nebuchadnezzar sticks his chest out and demands Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego worship his image, his united empire, his claim to universal power and authority—for surely no god can rescue them from his hand.
And when you think about it, there are many people today who live on the basis of Nebuchadnezzar's assumption. Do you assume that for the most part God is just watching us from a distance (as that great theologian of song, Bette Middler, used to sing)? Or do you know that he is nearer to you than your skin; knowing your every thought before you think it, working out his ways through your every conversation? Certainly Nebuchadnezzar had no idea of this.
Dan 3:16-18 Our God is able!
But have a look at how Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego respond in verses 16-18:
Dan. 3:16 …'O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.'
Have you ever asked out loud one of those rhetorical questions that aren't meant to be answered, that perhaps doesn't even have an answer, but someone gives you an answer right back anyway? That's what's happened here. Nebuchadnezzar asks which god will save them, meaning there is no such god, but the three Israelites pipe back immediately that their God is able to save them.
Did you notice their carefully chosen words-- words that show us a completely different understanding of who God is and how they relate to him? In verse 17, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego speak of 'the God we serve', but all along Nebuchadnezzar has spoken about the golden image he set up. Do you see the difference? Nebuchadnezzar, on the one hand, presumably had to pay artists, craftsmen, engineers and builders to set up his golden image. It is his image because he created it. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, on the other hand, belong to the God who made them. The one true God 'is', has always existed, always will, and the 3 Israelites are his servants.
And because he is God and they are his beloved creation, they trust themselves to his saving care. He is able to save them from the fiery furnace; and they are confident that he will. But, and here is a very important 'but', it may be that God decides not to save them from the fiery furnace. They acknowledge that because God is sovereign, because he rules over all things, because being consumed by the fire is not really the end, because he might have some greater purpose in their death by fire; it is possible that he may choose not act in the way that they would like him to.
Do you see how they God's absolute sovereignty means two things at the same time: (i) he is able to save them from the flames; and (ii) he is free not to. God is not subject to the wishes of his creatures, rather he chooses what will ultimately achieve his good purposes for his creatures. He can but he is free not to because he rules.
And the same is true for us and for our desperate prayers for God's help. God hears your every faltering prayer and he treasures them. And he is able to answer them in a heartbeat. And yet his purpose for us is so great, perhaps so much greater than we ever imagined, sometime he chooses to wait a while or even not to answer them at all in the way we expected.
So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego recognise all this is true and entrust themselves to the Living God who is well able to save. They are God's servants, not just when things go their way, not just for a comfortable life or to receive trinkets of blessing in this world; they are proud to belong to their God, now and forever, no matter what the outcome of their present situation.
Dan 3:19-27 On Fire for God (or not)
And as it happens, it appears that God is not going to save them. They are thrown into the fire. And so hot is this fiery furnace that the guards who tie them and throw them in are killed in the act. And then, God shows himself. Not plainly, but enough. Look at verse 24 as I read it:
Dan. 3:24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, O king.” Dan. 3:25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
The fourth person in the flames shows Nebuchadnezzar that there is nothing super-human about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They are unharmed because of something or someone beyond themselves. They are not alone. God is with them.
Eventually Nebuchadnezzar calls them out of the flames. The god he hadn't counted on, the God who saves, the all-powerful God who is present and who saves, had done just that. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego walk free, with not so much as a singed turban.
Dan 3:28-30 Which God: the God who saves!
And then the reason this narrative has been included in the book is Daniel is recorded for us in Nebuchadnezzar's own words in verses 28-29. Have a look at them with me:
Dan. 3:28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, 'Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.'
Who is at the centre of these events? Nebuchadnezzar now knows it is the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego: the God who saves. No other god can save in this way. The day began with Nebuchadnezzar's attempt to place himself and his golden image in the centre of everything but it ended with the one true and living God receiving all the praise.
In many ways, this is the central message of the book of Daniel. It might appear that God is not in control, that he is not present, and that his people are in dire straits with no one to help. It might appear that the human kings and governments who ignore and discredit God are in control. But things are not as they seem. God is in complete control. All power and authority belong to him. He will always win glory for himself. And in response to this assurance, God's people need to depend upon him, put their trust in him and remember that he is their ever-present help in time of need.
The God who saves Us
Now we know that the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego is also the God of the Bible, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He alone is the God who saves; the God who saves us. He is not far off. He is deeply interested in our circumstances right now. He knows our pain and sorrows, our joys and triumphs. He is fully aware of your situation, no matter what.
And as with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, God doesn't save us by preventing us from ever going into the fiery furnace of suffering or trials or persecutions. No, he is with us in the fiery furnace. Mines still cave in, drivers still make mistakes, families fall apart and tragedies still happen. God does not insulate us from the effects of human choices. That would be to treat us as robots, as something-less-than-human. Sin does have consequences, for us and those around us[5]. No, God allows us to face suffering or distress or loss because it is in the worst of times that we recognise most clearly who he is, and that he is with us. He is the God who comes alongside us to save us. He is with us in the furnace.
In what sense, then, does God save us now? It's great to know that he is present with me in the depths of despair. He is there to comfort, to assure and to encourage. Great, but will he actually get me out of the furnace before I burn up? The answer that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego give is, 'Maybe but maybe not, depending on God's purpose.'[6]
You see, ultimately, a comfortable life now is worthless if your eternity is going to be uncomfortable[7]. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego acknowledged that although God was able to save them from the fire he might choose not to. More important was that they belonged to God. If they turned their back on him, they had nothing. If they remained true to him, they were assured of their destiny regardless of what happened in the furnace.
They knew that in God's eyes, the quality of our relationship with him is more important than our comfort. If we need to go into a furnace to get 'on fire' for God, then perhaps he will allow it.
That's why James says[8]:
James 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my friends, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
God knows your pain and your situation. He is with you in the midst of whatever your personal trials may be. His purpose is to develop your character and refine your faith.
You see, whatever the short-term outcome of your situation might be, you can be sure of the long-term outcome. You can be sure because the God who comes and saves us has revealed the mystery of the fourth person in the furnace.
If we'd just read Daniel alone, we'd have no clue really as to the identity of the 'one like a son of gods' (cf. Dan 3:25). Is he an angel? Nebuchadnezzar thought so. Perhaps, he was the Angel of the Lord?[9] Some people would like to say that it was Jesus—or at least some pre-incarnate form of Jesus. The Bible doesn't say, so strictly speaking, we can't either.
And yet, we do know that God has provided a saviour for us— the Son of God himself. He entered our world to rescue his own from flames far worse than Nebuchadnezzar's[10]. He did it on the cross by suffering the consequences of our sins so that we won't have to. And he calls every man, woman and child to join his kingdom, to put him first. Is this something that you have done for yourself? If you haven't, today would be a very good day to do so.
This is how God does save us. He invites us to become members of his kingdom, living under his rule now and forever. The kingdoms of this world will come and go, they will rise and fall but his kingdom will last forever.
Today is a very good day to call out to the God of the Bible, our God, who saves. And no other god can save like him.
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[1] If this is so, one wonders whether Nebuchadnezzar listened carefully to the end of Daniel's interpretation where the whole statue is demolished by the rock of God and his everlasting kingdom.
[2] Note that Shinar (Dan 1:2) is the location of the Tower of Babel in Gen 11. I assume this plain of Dura near Babylon is in the same region.
[3] Their motive is probably envy at Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego's promotion through the ranks of 'wise men' at the end of chapter 2. Daniel has also been promoted, presumably out of the immediate province of these events.
[4] The personification of the two great luminaries — the sun (Shamash) and the moon (Sin)— was the first step in the unfolding of the Babylonian belief system, and this was followed by placing the other deities where Shamash and Sin had their seats. This process, which reached its culmination in the post-Hammurabic period, led to identifying the planet Venus with Ishtar, Jupiter with Marduk, Mars with Nergal, Mercury with Nabu, and Saturn with Ninurta.
Popular belief began with the influence exerted by the movements of the heavenly bodies on occurrences on earth — a belief naturally suggested by the dependence of life, vegetation and guidance upon the two great luminaries. Starting with this belief the priests built up the theory of the close correspondence between occurrences on earth and phenomena in the heavens.
To read the signs of the heavens was therefore to understand the meaning of occurrences on earth, and with this accomplished, it was also possible to foretell what events were portended by the position and relationship to one another of sun, moon, planets and certain stars. Myths that symbolized changes in season or occurrences in nature were projected on the heavens, which were mapped out to correspond to the divisions of the earth. (see article on Babylonian Religion on http://everything2.com/index.pl et al).
[5] We live in a fallen world where even nature is out of kilter with God's perfect plan (Rom 8:19-22).
[6] Dan 3:18…the God we serve is able to save us from [the fire], and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not [save us from the fire], we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.
[7] Luke 12:4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
[8] That's also why in the NT Paul says:
Rom. 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
That's why Peter says:
1Pet 1:6 … for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.
[9] Gen 16:7-11; 22:11-15; Ex 3:2; Num 22:22-35; Judges 2:1-4; 5:23; 6:11; 13:3-21; 2Sam 24:16; 1Chr. 21:12-30; Psa. 34:7; 35:5; 35:6; 37:36; Zech. 1:11-12; 3:1-6; 12:8 etc.
[10] Mt 13:40-43, 49-50.
