Thrice The Charm

- Distrust

In the second chapter of Daniel, we find that the new King, Nebuchadnezzer doesn’t trust his court of magicians, soothsayers, and wise counsel.

They were most likely hold-overs from his father, Nabopolassar’s reign before his death leaving the kingdom to his son, Nebuchadnezzar.

He has a disturbing dream, and calls all his men to post to not only interpret the dream, but to describe the dream

Daniel 2:1–2 (CSB)

1 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled him, and sleep deserted him. 2 So the king gave orders to summon the magicians, mediums, sorcerers, and Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. When they came and stood before the king,

They tried to explain,

Your highness, that’s impossible.

But the brutal king Nebuchadnezzar knew what he was doing.

Daniel 2:5–6 (CSB)

5 The king replied to the Chaldeans, “My word is final: If you don’t tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be made a garbage dump. 6 But if you make the dream and its interpretation known to me, you’ll receive gifts, a reward, and great honor from me. So make the dream and its interpretation known to me.”

He was about to completely dismantle his “wisdom department”

Because he most likely didn’t trust them anyway.

Then we read, that the executioner went and rounded up all those who were in the wisdom and counseling department, because there was none that could tell the king what he dreamt, nor interpret it.

Then they came for Daniel and his three friends.

Daniel 2:13–18 (CSB)

13 The decree was issued that the wise men were to be executed, and they searched for Daniel and his friends, to execute them.

14 Then Daniel responded with tact and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon. 15 He asked Arioch, the king’s officer, “Why is the decree from the king so harsh?” Then Arioch explained the situation to Daniel. 16 So Daniel went and asked the king to give him some time, so that he could give the king the interpretation.

17 Then Daniel went to his house and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah about the matter, 18 urging them to ask the God of the heavens for mercy concerning this mystery, so Daniel and his friends would not be destroyed with the rest of Babylon’s wise men.

But Daniel goes on to tell us that God gave him the dream and its interpretation.

The King is so impressed that he elevated Daniel, and his three friends to the highest positions in Babylon, with honor and praise.

Except from the other Babylonian’s under them.

- Courage in Discouragement

After the fall of Vietnam to the Communists, a translator for the Americans military was arrested and imprisoned for years

Subjected to relentless anti-Western and anti-Christian propaganda.

He began to lose heart, and weakened.

One morning, he was assigned to clean the latrines of the prison.

It was the most dreaded chore, shunned by everyone.

During one stint, he was assigned to clean the prison latrines and discovered a piece of paper with a passage from Romans 8

As he cleaned out a tin can filled to overflowing with toilet paper, his eye caught what he thought was English printed on one piece of paper.

He hurriedly washed it off and slipped it into his hip pocket, planning to read it at night, under moonlight.

The next day, he asked the camp commander if he could clean the latrine again.

because he had discovered that some official in the camp was using a Bible as toilet paper.

Each day he picked up a portion of Scripture and cleaned it off, and added it to his nightly devotional reading.

In this way he retrieved a significant portion of the Bible.

The scripture renewed his faith, and he began collecting Bible fragments from the latrines.

The day came when he was released.

He promptly began to make plans to escape from the country.

After several unsuccessful attempts he began again to build a boat in secret.

About fifty-three other people planned to escape with him.

All was going according to plan until a short while before the date of their departure when four Vietcong knocked on his door.

When he opened it, they accosted him and said they had heard he was trying to escape. “Is it true?” they demanded.

He immediately denied it and went on with some concocted story to explain his activities.

Apparently convinced, they reluctantly left.

He was relieved but very disappointed with himself.

“Here I go again, too unteachable in my spirit to really believe that You can lead me past any obstacle.”

He made a promise to God, fervently hoping that the Lord would not take him up on it.

He prayed that if the Vietcong were to come back again, he would tell them the truth.

He was thoroughly shaken when only a few hours before they were to set sail on the secret boat,

The four men stood at his door again, saying,

“We have our sources, and we know you are trying to escape. Is it true?”

He resignedly gave the answer, “Yes, I am with fifty-three others. Are you going to imprison me again?”

To his shock and the Glory of the Lord, they leaned forward and whispered,

“No. We want to escape with you!”

(https://toolsforchristianliving.wordpress.com/2017/09/22/the-story-of-hien-pham-as-told-by-ravi-zacharias/)

- Weaponized Discouragement

Many times in life we are so caught up in the world, caught by it’s laws and devices, we become weakened

And lose the will to continue to push forward in our faith to speak out.

And we succumb to the will and pressure of the powers that be to which we give in and conform to the pressures of the world

Over the years, in this country particularly, there have been several rulings by the courts that have shaken Christians to the core.

A few times even in my lifetime.

There are current hot button socio-political issues that are being formed and ruled on frequently,

As an example, the issue of wether a Man can compete in Women’s sports?

The people of faith are no doubt tired of being bombarded with the arguments, press time, and throw up their hands and gave in.

Ive heard an illustration once that perfectly sums up satan’s strategy in this little illustration

One day Satan decides to hang it up and retire,

He puts all of his evil gadgets on display for sale, like murder, pride, strife, etc

But in the center piece showcase, he placed “Discouragement”

When asked why discouragement should be so prized, he replied,

“If you can successfully get someone so discouraged enough to give up, you don’t have to fight, you’ve already won.”

- Determined Loyalty

In our study of the life of the prophet Daniel, we’ll see that Daniel and his three colleagues or friends,

Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

Whose new Babylonians names were, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

Were confronted with the bombardment of having been forced to become eunuchs for the King of the very nation that conquered them.

They were forced into this service.

Then when they were to be fed, they refused to eat the kings food or drink his wine.

Because it would have defiled their Jewish way of life.

There was no where else for them to run,

Or to escape, this was their reality and there was nothing they could do about it.

But, even as this new world closed in around them, and tried it’s very best to smother them and their faith in God

They were determined, even under the threat of death, to keep themselves dedicated to the Lord.

After showing Ashpenaz the Kings head of he eunuchs, that they were determined not to eat of the Kings food, yet remained even more healthy than the others who did eat of the Kings food.

The trio was again had to square off with the face of discouragement when the king, under the sure threat of a gruesome and tortuous death,

Demanded that they bow dow before a gargantuan Statue 90’ high and 90’ wide he had fashioned.

One that the kingdom was ordered to bow down to in worship when ever a certain horn was blown. I assume the dream about the giant statue Daniel interpreted for him, inspired him to build it.

Or it could be the result of a small rebellion take took place in the land a couple of years before this event that motivated him to set the record straight basically of who was in charge.

We pick up this story in

Daniel 3:8–12 (CSB)

8 Some Chaldeans took this occasion to come forward and maliciously accuse the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever. 10 You as king have issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum, and every kind of music must fall down and worship the gold statue. 11 Whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire. 12 There are some Jews you have appointed to manage the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men have ignored you, the king; they do not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

So you see, the Chaldean’s were spared by Daniel’s interpretation, which was a result the Bible tells us that he and the three boys, got together and prayed fervently over it to be revealed.

But yet they were unhappy because the Hebrews got placed above them.

They decided they couldn’t stomach it any longer, so they conspired to rat out the three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, to the king

You can imagine how that might have played out, can’t you?

Agh, great King, those three Hebrew men, they aren’t respecting your image or your kingly royal decree.

You know, that’s what happens when you put foreigners in charge.

They just disrespect everything about the kingdom, etc…

And it works, the King gets so enraged, he has them brought in, along with the horns and tells them,

your going to burn to death in a fiery oven if you don’t bow down and cave to my will.

Daniel 3:13–15 (CSB)

13 Then in a furious rage Nebuchadnezzar gave orders to bring in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar asked them, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it true that you don’t serve my gods or worship the gold statue I have set up? 15 Now if you’re ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum, and every kind of music, fall down and worship the statue I made. But if you don’t worship it, you will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire—and who is the god who can rescue you from my power?”

But then they respond with some of their own Gusto.

And they proceed to tell the King just what they think of his statue, his fire and the whole of Babylonian way of life.

Daniel 3:16–18 (CSB)

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question. 17 If the God we serve exists, then he can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he can rescue us from the power of you, the king. 18 But even if he does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”

Now, let me take the liberty to translate what they just told the king

- Generation X Translation

In the way of a Generation X translation

What they said was

and I quote,

“Oh King, you can take your kingdom, statue, and your fire, and put it where ever you like, but it ain’t coming here.

So, great king, “Up your nose with a rubber hose”

We ain’t bowing down to no statue, and you can’t do nothing about it.

We don’t answer to you, we answer to God, and if He want’s us to die in that fiery furnace, than so be it.”

Similar yet way more colorful than what Job said, “Thought he slay me, yet I will trust HIm.”

The King didn’t like that answer.

He ordered the furnace set to seven times hotter than normal, and threw them in there bound.

It was so hot in fact that several of the men that were charged with throwing them into the furnace also burnt up and died.

But you know what?

Just as the three men stood there ground in their time of discouragement, and condemnation,

The very God they proclaimed showed up!

That’s right.

God came to them and was with them.

Daniel 3:24–25 (CSB)

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm. He said to his advisers, “Didn’t we throw three men, bound, into the fire?” “Yes, of course, Your Majesty,” they replied to the king. 25 He exclaimed, “Look! I see four men, not tied, walking around in the fire unharmed; and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

Amen,

- Company in the Fire

Brothers and sisters I want you to know something.

We all have faced or will face discouragement and condemnation at some point in our lives.

Wether it be a cancer diagnoses, diabetes, addictions, or any other illnesses,

We’ll face them in many forms, of confusion, and chaos, depression, anxiety, etc.

But if you face then head on, with boldness, without wavering in your loyalty and trust in Christ,

He will show up for you!

And he will be with you in your times of struggle and need.

But I want you to also notice something else,

Jesus, who was in that fiery furnace with them, He was the fourth man Nebuchadnezzer saw.

Notice, He did not remove them from the fire.

Although their clothes burnt off.

Not a hair on their heads were singed.

Brothers and Sisters,

When you and I are in our times of troubles, in our massive terrible scary fiery furnace

Although we may need to hang out in the fire for a little while,

Jesus is with us, keeping us safe from the true damage that fiery furnace of your circumstances were intended by the enemy to cause you.

In other words, Jesus won’t let you burn in the depths of your burden.

He will be with you.

He is with you right now no matter what you got going on in your life,

Although it may be a huge fire, He’s in there with you,

Until you are called out of it.

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