I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.
Today, I am reading and commenting on Daniel 3-4.
The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and the fiery furnace is one that I have loved since childhood. I am sure that it is a popular story among children in many Christian families. I suspect that Mennonites, with their emphasis on the idea that faithful Christians will face persecution, probably focus on this story more than many denominations. When I read this story I see a few things which seem worth noting.
King Nebuchadnezzar issued his edict that everyone should bow down to his statue, but he did not send out any enforcers. He appears to have believed that no one would even think about defying his order. However, a number of his advisers ratted out the trio of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Those advisers made a point of the fact that these three were Jews, likely an attempt to undermine other Jews as well by the actions of these three. There is an important lesson her for us. If you are a Christian, not standing up for what you believe is not likely to get you off the hook. If you identify as a Christian, someone is going to “smear” you by associating you with those who stand up for their faith, whether or not you do.
For me, the part of this story which really strikes home is how the trio responded when Nebuchadnezzar said he would give them one more chance to bow and if they did not, no god would be able to save them from his wrath. There is a lot packed into their answer to Nebuchadnezzar. First, they told him that he did not have the authority to determine the morality of their actions. Second, they told him that God was more than capable of saving them from whatever he chose to do to them. Finally, they told him that they were willing to suffer the worst he could do to them rather than be unfaithful to God. That is worth a little more explanation. Their resistance to Nebuchadnezzar’s order was not predicated on the idea that God would save them from suffering. They believed that God could save them from suffering, but they did not know if He would. And it did not matter to them.
The final part of this story, and the one which most Christians emphasize is what happens when they get thrown into the fire. The fire was so hot that those who threw the three into it were killed by the heat. However, despite being tied up before being thrown into the fire, our three heroes were able to walk around inside the furnace. More importantly is the fact that Nebuchadnezzar saw a fourth person in the fire with our heroes. The traditional Christian interpretation of this story is that the fourth person in the furnace was Jesus Christ, which is both a legitimate interpretation and a reason for putting so much emphasis on His presence. Jesus will be with us in our suffering. When we get shoved into the fiery furnace, He will be right there with us. Whether or not God rescues us from this, as He did these three, Jesus will be there with us until the end.
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