The Three Men Who Were Thrown Into a Fiery Furnace
When King Nebuchadnezzar issued his edict to all people to worship the image of the king, there were a few Jews who refused to bow. When the king heard this, his anger flared up. He called for the three Hebrew men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He ordered them to be thrown into a fiery furnace if they did not worship the golden image.
These three Jewish men did not want to worship the image of the king; rather they wanted to worship God. They were admonished by the king, but their answer was firm: they would not worship the image of the king – they would worship the true God. They would not worship any other gods.
Their decision was not easy. They had to choose between sacrificing their life or their freedom. They were pressured by their fellow Jews and their competitors; they were threatened by the king’s threat to burn them in a fire; and they were faced with the fear of God.
In spite of all that, they refused to sacrifice their life. Instead, they embraced the God who was more real than their fears or their competition. He is the only true God, and he can save us from all that is wrong in the world, including the threats of our enemies.
He was not only the one who saved them from the fire, but He also walked through the fire with them. He had not let them go through the fire alone, but He had come along with them, walking with them and talking to them.
There were two other men in the furnace, as well. They were the king’s officers. They had a lot to say, so they made sure that their words were recorded in the book of Daniel. When they were asked by the king what they had said, they answered: “We have not bowed down to any image; we have not worshiped any other gods, but the one and only God, the Almighty.”
The king then ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than it usually was. This is a significant fact. It would mean that the furnace was used to smelt iron, and it would have been quite warm and lethal. It is also likely that the king had built the furnace himself.
As we read this account of the three Jewish youths, we are reminded that there are times in our lives when we will face a trial of faith like they did. It is often easy to give in and compromise, but when we are willing to follow the God of the Bible, even when it seems impossible to do so, we will stand firm.
We are told that the king was incredibly enraged at their defiance, but we should note that this is not the only way to express anger or rage. If we are tempted to sin, it can be hard to think straight. We can get easily confused about what is right and what is wrong.
