The Fiery Furnace Boys
The Golden Thread • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 4 viewsNotes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Open you Bibles to Danial Chapter 3. The book of Danial chapter 3. we will start in verse 8. We will get back to 1st Kings when I get back from my trip, so not next week but the week after, tonight however, we will talk about the Fiery Furnace Boys. The reason we are here tonight is that this text has direct application to our Sunday exposition. I thought it best to be here this evening to build a broader context for Sunday. We would have stopped here anyway in our golden thread series. Once again, Danial Chapter 3 starting in verse 8.
With this text we return a narrative, or story so as we have before we will seek the true to be found in the elements of the story God is giving us.
“Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah” AKA (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, The Fiery Furnace Boys) (Da 2:17, ESV) are three Jewish men that are exiled in Babylon, its actually amazing how many parallels there are with this text and the first letter of Peter.
Elect Exiles
Peter speaks of Babylon.
I believe he is comparing the city of Rome to Babylon.
In Babylon Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are confronted with a world system that has no fear of the LORD, YHWH. They are truly exiles in every way, they don’t belong to the place and they do not belong to the culture.
The King makes a decree of worship to himself as a God.
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah refuse this command and that is where this evening story begins.
Before we go there however, lets go the Lord in Prayer
Transition
Transition
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego have already been promoted amongst the leaders of Babylon. This promotion has stirred up jealousy in the other leaders. Those other leaders approach the king starting in verse 8. Lets look at verse 8 though 15.
Section 1: Who can deliver you out of my hand?
Section 1: Who can deliver you out of my hand?
8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. 9 They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 10 You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. 11 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”
It is reported that as the titanic set sail from Liver Pool England the statement was made, “Not even God himself could sink this ship”
We know the rest of the story.
In 1912 on a fateful might in the north Atlantic the ship hit an iceberg and more than 1500 of the 2200 passengers died.
It is a fearful thing to tell the Lord what he can and cannot do.
This men that accused Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew exactly how to manipulate the king.
The same type of self worship is happening to day and you will see the same type of respones when you brother and sisters stand up to it.
Secularism in all it forms, transgenderism, Homosexuality, abortion of demand are all about self worship.
When you stand up and say, God has said and we will worship God. You will see the same “furious rage” from verse 13. “Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought.”
Transition
Transition
The cool, direct, and respectful reply of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is what we should strive for. Look at verse 16-18.
Section 2: But if not
Section 2: But if not
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
“But if not” is the center of the point
We serve God and he is able, “but if not” we will still serve him.
The response of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be a key point that ties into Sunday’s sermon.
“we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up”
That’s death,
We will not bow down to secular serving god’s of death and darkness.
But we will give our answer with gentleness and respect as Peter in struck in 1 Pet 3:15-16 “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.”
Because of Belteshazzar, (Daniel) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego the kingdom was lead well.
It was not for any indecency, or misconduct that these men were dragged before the king. It was the jealousy of worldly men that enraged a king against his good men.
Let us do this, the world will call us bigot, terrorist, extremist, just because we will hold to what God has said.
Transition
Transition
Much more can be said about this and we will add some more to this thought on Sunday, tonight lets turn to the climatic ending of the story in verse 19 - 30.
Section 3: Like a son of the gods.
Section 3: Like a son of the gods.
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22 Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar knows that what he is witnessing is unlike anything else.
“the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.”
The world’s anger is self destructive.
Notice, the good king brings life to his people and the bad king death.
Verse 25 “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
100 years before Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego ever stepped foot in Babylon Isaiah said,
"1 But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” (Is 43:1–2, ESV)
600 years after the experiences of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Jesus said
“18 ... “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mt 28:18–20, ESV)
He always was with his people and he always will be with his people.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The battles are there
They will be angry, furious when we stand and say what God has said
We have to duty to speak the truth in love
He is with us, he will win the battle, he will deliver us from evil.
But if not, still we serve.
Benediction
Benediction
19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.