Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Have you ever been in a discussion, or argument, with someone and you say something so strong that it causes the other person in the discussion to blow up and react in emotion rather than logic?

Since working at Lebanon High School a couple week ago, I have seen a number of verbal discussions turn into this type of confrontation and logic/rules are thrown out of the window because someone was insulted or broke the trust of the other person.

Maybe you’ve experienced this with a family member or a friend.

You thought that they were a trusted friend or ally and they say something that cuts deeper than anything else could have possibly done.

What we see in our text today is that the King is full of wrath because of what Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego had told him in verses 16-18.

He did not take very kindly to the idea that these men, whom he had promoted, were going to defy him before thousands of leaders in the kingdom.

Because of this, there was going to be a consequence.

Nebuchadnezzar had shown these men his favor every step of the way.

He had spared their lives in Jerusalem, he had brought them over to study at the finest schools in the world and to eventually become a part of his court/government.

These men were heads and shoulders above the rest of the Babylonian magicians and counselors, however Nebuchadnezzar could not simply let their disrespect go unnoticed.

He had given a simple command: worship the statue or perish in the furnace.

He was a man of his word and he would not allow 3 insignificant Hebrews tarnish his legacy and reputation.

What the king was unaware of was the fact that these Hebrews might have been insignificant, however they served the one, true, living God.

Maybe you feel as though you are being told to conform to the ways of the world.

Perhaps you have a family member or a friend who is telling you to bend the knee and give into the desires of your flesh.

Maybe you have a friend who is struggling with a situation and you are beginning to question the idea of God’s existence.

Maybe you yourself are going through a very difficult situation today, right now.

Maybe you are wondering if God has it out for you.

Our story today shows us that while we are in fact insignificant just as these 3 men were, our God is the great savior, deliverer and sustainer.

Even in the midst of the fire, He rules, He walks and He delivers.

Christians will be persecuted (19-23)

The young Hebrews had defied the king.

They refused to bend the knee.

They were faithful to God! Yet, the king was filled with wrath and rage.

He ordered the furnace to be heated up 7 times more than it was usually heated.

Is this a literal 7 times or a figurative 7 times?

As mentioned last week, these types of furnaces could reach temperatures of 1800 degrees.

Does this mean that the furnace was typically around 250 degrees?

Probably not.

Most scholars note that this is a proverbial expression.

In other words, the author is noting that the king was doing everything he could do to eliminate these people.

The furnace was at its maximum intensity.

We know that the number 7 represents completeness throughout Scripture whereas 6 represents incompleteness or regeneration.

Nebuchadnezzar heating the furnace 7x its normal amount means that the furnace was as hot as possible.

Not only did the king order the furnace to be heated as hot as possible, but he also sent some of his most valiant warriors in his army to tie the Hebrews up and throw them into the furnace.

He didn’t send his young recruits or his old veterans, he sent in his most valiant warriors.

He sent in his army rangers, his marine corps of sorts.

You might ask, why on earth did the king feel the need to use his strongest troops to simply throw these men into a furnace?

Edward Young notes that, “The choice of strength was also intended to forestall any intervention, either of human or of Divine power.”

Do you see the fact that Nebuchadnezzar still did not “get it?”

He still thought that he was the most powerful and influential individual in the universe.

He though that he was the smartest and his army was the mightiest, because of this, no one could thwart his plan or power.

Just as he told the Hebrews, “What God could deliver you from my hand?” and now he uses these strong men to ensure that his plan is done and that there are no mistakes.

Sometimes, we are in a situation where the enemy sends things our way that are simply stronger than we are and we see the fire in front of us, we can feel its heat and sometimes we might even feel helpless.

In moments like this, though, we must have faith like these men had.

We must understand that our God is able to save us, but He also might not do so.

Whenever we live our lives with this type of expendability for the Kingdom of God, we are free to live with abandon and have our eyes and hearts fixated on the things of God rather than the trivial things that often drag us down and cause us to struggle.

These men valued the Kingdom more than their very own lives - I think that is a thought that we’d like to think we’d have, but we must ask ourselves daily if our actions line up with that idea.

Do I really value the Kingdom more than life itself?

We know that these 3 men did.

We know that Paul did.

We know many famous martyrs of the faith did.

Do we?

Nebuchadnezzar was angered.

He had his strongest soldiers go about tying them up and throwing them into the fire.

Verse 21 shows us that they were tossed in with their clothes and verse 22 shows us that the heat from this furnace was truly deadly as these valiant soldiers fell to their death simply by being too close to it.

The king’s command was “urgent” and the soldiers had to carry out his order so quickly that they were not able to protect themselves form the fire.

Perhaps the wind shifted directions after they threw them into the furnace or simply they got too close, but either way they suffered the ultimate price for the king’s command.

Sometimes actions have consequences, do they not?

Often times whenever we begin to act on impulse, as Nebuchadnezzar did, the result is not a favorable one.

Feelings get hurt, the assignment does not go well or the work does not get completed.

As Proverbs 29:11 tells us

We must be slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness as we see in Jonah 4:2.

It goes to follow that because these soldiers perished by getting too close to the fire, the Hebrews should have perished as well because they were tied up in clothing.

Their clothing should have caught fire and engulfed them for all to see, however they were not harmed.

Verse 23 shows us that these men fell into the furnace.

This leads us to believe that there were 2 openings (one on the top and one in front for others to see into).

They had not yet perished, though, as they were still tied up.

I think that part is significant for us to remember because these men had full confidence in God, but their outer circumstances were still pretty dark.

Nebuchadnezzar and his governors were about to watch these men be consumed in this barbecue of sorts and no doubt the king was going to use this as a lesson for all the people of Babylon to show them that the god of the Jews was nothing in comparison to the mighty gods of Babylon.

Jesus Saves (24-27)

There are some things in our universe that are “rules” of sorts.

Newton’s 3rd law states that for every force in nature, there is an equal and opposite reaction - in layman’s terms, what goes up must come down - we know that gravity certainly rules supreme in our world today.

We know that there are several things that are givens to human existence: death and taxes!

Everyone has to pay taxes and unfortunately everyone dies.

This moment you are the youngest that you’ll ever be and the oldest you’ve ever been.

Each second you have millions of cells that die and your timer continues to tick down.

There are rules that govern humanity and these are a few of them.

These men were facing death square in the face and in the laws of human existence, they should have been completely destroyed just like the soldiers who threw them into the furnace were!

They should have passed away, yet God was not finished with them.

As Pastor Phillip said during our revival a couple of weeks ago regarding death, you are invincible until God is done with you.

You are completely invincible until God is done with you.

How can a Christian have this type of confidence?

Because of Ephesians 2:4-9.

Paul writes that we have been made alive with Christ and raised up with him.

The same power that raised Jesus from the grave lives inside of you and there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!

This is the hope that Christians experience now and it is the hope that these 3 men had back then: either they would live, be raised back to life or they would be in Glory.

Either way, it would be for their benefit and for God’s glory.

Verse 24 shows that Nebuchadnezzar and his officials were watching what was transpiring through another opening in the furnace.

They saw the Hebrews being tossed into the furnace but the king was now confused because of what he saw.

He was astounded for a couple of reasons: first, he knew what nature said would happen.

These 3 men would die in the furnace.

This was the only logical conclusion.

Yet, the Hebrews were still alive!

Not only were they alive but they were loose and walking around in the furnace, unharmed and as if it were no big deal.

Second, and most importantly, there was a 4th person in the fire with them!

Not only were these people walking around in the furnace as if there was not a problem, there was an additional person with them.

Verse 25 says that this person had the appearance as a son of the gods.

Verse 28 shows that Nebuchadnezzar thought this person was perhaps an angel of sorts.