Unflinching

Believers Don’t Bend, Blink, Or Burn.

10.27.24 [Daniel 3:8-28] River of Life (The Festival of Reformation)

Nebuchadnezzar was not the kind of king you crossed. He was a feared conqueror. He defeated Egypt, Syria, Phoenicia, and Judah. The kings of Tyre, Sidon, and Damascus paid him just to stay on his good side. He was also a first-class creator. Under Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon became a city of unrivaled luxury, splendor, and strength. It was made famous for its hanging gardens, but her thick walls and impressive gates were far more intimidating to her enemies. Nebuchadnezzar was an accomplished and impressive king. He was a demanding man, too. Not someone to be trifled with. One night he had a troubling dream. He demanded that his experts tell him about his dream. Not just interpret it, but also tell him what he dreamed too. If they didn’t, he’d dismember them & destroy their homes. Nebuchadnezzar was not to be trifled with.

That’s who Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were crossing. He had made an image of gold, 90 ft tall, 9 ft wide. He decreed that once the Babylonian Orchestra began to play everyone had to bow down. And most did. Because he was Nebuchadnezzar: the feared conqueror, the first-class creator, & the demanding king of kings. Some worshipped because they admired the man. Most because they feared his wrath. But not Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego. They would not bend. No matter how much pressure they faced. The Babylonian empire was known for many things, but not freedom of speech or religion. Some astrologers saw this as their opportunity.

No doubt they were envious of SMA Dn. 2:49 who had just been promoted to be admins over Babylon. They knew exactly how to really work king Nebuchadnezzar into a lather. They appealed to his ego. These Jews ignore you, O King. They thumb their noses at you. They have not assimilated to our ways. Dn. 3:12 They pay you no attention.

But Nebuchadnezzar is remarkably lenient. He’s Dn. 3:13 furious, but still asks a question before following through on his threat. Dn. 3:14-15 “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not …worship the image of gold I have set up? …If you are ready to fall down and worship, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

But SMA stand firm. They don’t beg or grovel. They don’t appeal to his senses. They don’t blink. Dn. 3:16 We don’t need to defend ourselves. You are free to do exactly what you threatened. But know this. Our God is powerful enough to spare us from the flames. We know that Dn. 3:17 he will deliver us from your hand either way. But even if he told us that he wouldn’t deliver us from this fiery, blazing furnace Dn. 3:18 we will not serve your gods or worship this golden image.

One part of me is proud. The other, ashamed. There is a part of me that’s delighted. Another, embarrassed. One part of me wants to jump for joy. Another wants to go hide in a corner. Because what Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego do here in standing up to Nebuchadnezzar is nothing short of incredible. It’s amazing. It’s staggering. Stunning. I could go on & on about them. But could I go and do like them?

Could you? Could you stand up to a fire-breathing dragon of a man? Could you testify to God’s power as you’re surrounded by doubters & enemies? Would you willingly accept this fiery fate? But that’s all hypothetical. There’s no fuming Nebuchadnezzar threatening your life now. And there probably hasn’t been one in your past. And there likely won’t be one in your future. But that doesn’t mean you don’t face pressure of a different kind with the same end goal in mind.

The popular ideas of our day exert pressure on us all. How do you respond? When people say that all religious people basically believe the same thing, do you nod your head a little bit? When your friends or neighbors tell you that they’ve been pretty good people, do you affirm their ideas? Are your morals shaped and sculpted by the company you keep? Does your truthfulness or your self-control weaken or even disappear when you’re at work or around friends? Do you worry like all those who don’t have our hope in God?

Are you more likely to treat people poorly or to rush to judgment when you’re afforded some sense of anonymity by the crowds? When you come face to face with the popular sins of the day— materialism, sex outside of marriage (gay or straight), the rampant raging and slandering that rules the day in our political climate, and the undermining of the roles God gave to men and women and husbands and wives and kids—do you know where to stand? Do you know what God’s Word says? Do you know where he stands?

It’s staggering how little it takes for us to compromise on matters where Christ’s command is clear. It’s stunning how little must be threatened to get us to stand down. It’s embarrassing how much we, God’s own children, will actively subvert God’s will when our feet are still some distance from the fire. We cower. We kowtow. We bend. We blink.

What would we do if they turned it up a notch or two or seven? What would we do if they tossed us right into the midst of the flames?

The bravery of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego reveals how often we allow the pressure of the powerful and the influence of our culture dictate our understanding of God’s demands. These men put us to shame. But shame cannot change a person from frightened to brave. Shame can only coerce us into different words and alternative actions. It cannot change who we really are. If we are to act like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in far smaller moments, under far less pressure, we need to get to the root of why they did what they did. And they tell us. They stand because they know that they’ll be saved, even if they’re not spared. They would not bend. They would not blink. And they would not burn.

The God they served did deliver them from the flames and from the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. These men who would not bend for the band, or blink in front of a fiery-breathing dragon, did not burn. Their hair was not singed. Their robes were not scorched. They didn’t even smell like fire. They defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except the Lord God. They meekly trusted in God’s promise: Isaiah 43:2 When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. God delivered his meek servants, SMA, from Nebuchadnezzar. That was good news for them then. But we have good news that is lasting. God delivers us from the fires of hell because of another meek servant: Jesus.

Much like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Jesus stood out because of his devotion to righteousness. He was denounced by the religious leaders of his day. Some of them were jealous. Others felt threatened because his teachings and life undermined their efforts to earn God’s favor. They arrested him and accused him of all kinds of wrongdoing. When he testified that he was the Son of God, they became furious with rage. The high priest even tore his robe in rage. Then they manipulated the man in charge, Pilate, into doing what they wanted—executing him. But when Jesus was crucified, God did not step in and stop the pain. Our sins were heaped upon him. He suffered for our shameful behavior. He was thrown into the midst of the fires of hell and God was not with him. The Son of the Most High was lifted up on a cross to spare us the fires of hell. Because of Christ’s sacrifice we need not fear eternal damnation. Because of Christ, meek men like SMA were blessed and saved. Meekness is not weakness. Meekness is trusting even when threatened. It’s fearlessness even when you’re vulnerable. Meekness is faithfulness in the midst of the fire. Meekness trusts God’s might. Meekness inherits the earth.

Do you see what God accomplished? He strengthened the faith of these young men. He gave us an incredible testimony of his power by delivering them from the fires. But through all this God’s children inherited the earth. Remember where this happened—in Babylon. One of the most incredible acts of God’s deliverance occurred outside of Israel—in the midst of an enormous assembly of unbelievers. And they saw it all happen. The satraps, prefects, governors, & royal advisers crowded around SMA and saw God’s delivering power. And they went back to their posts knowing God delivers his faithful people. They did not bend. They did not blink. They did not burn.

Because God delivered them. From the fires. From the king. Most importantly from their sins. The meek were blessed. Just like another meek man, a frmr. Catholic monk named Martin Luther. Like SMA, Martin Luther was denounced by his opponents. Jealous and greedy enemies dragged him before powerful men like Pope Leo X & Emperor Charles V. Martin Luther’s life was threatened. The richest, most powerful, and most influential leaders of Luther’s world were all there at the Diet of Worms in 1521. They demanded he recant what he wrote. Meek Martin responded My conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything. The room erupted, with opinions on both sides. Then he meekly added Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen. Martin’s meekness turned the world upside down. Grace—God’s undeserved love—was unleashed on a world that only knew of a God who favored the powerful, the rich, and the well-connected. This good news began to spread like wildfire. God’s kingdom began to expand because of the meekness of a German monk who could do no other.

So it is today. God’s people inherit the earth through meekness, not manipulation or forcefulness. As we speak of God powerfully delivering us from all our sins, by grace alone we’re pointing people not to ourselves—or even to Martin Luther—but to Jesus. There are many who have died for this faith. There are many who are being persecuted to this day for it too. But God still delivers his children. God certainly can spare us from the fires of life, but we know he will ultimately deliver us from the hands of the fiery serpent Satan when he brings us to heaven. He has promised Hebrews 13:5-7 “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” 6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” 7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.