Faith, Fire, and Favor

Daniel 3

HISTORY AND CONTEXT

Written in Aramaic. Second half of chapter 2 through chapter 7. This was the common language of the Babylonian and Persian Empires. Most of the rest of the book was written in Hebrew. It is believed that this section was written while in captivity in Babylon and later sections of Daniel were written in Israel.

Babylon took Israel into captivity, Nebuchadnezzar took the strongest and the brightest to serve over sections of Babylon and forced them to learn the Babylonian language and customs. He got them when they were young and wanted to erase their identity. He wanted them to become Babylonian and forget they were ever Hebrew. That is why the enemy tries so hard to get kids when they are young. It is why he tries to bring wicked perversion into the school systems when kids are at a young age while they are still developing their identities. He wants to mold them into his identity and bring confusion into their minds. His tactics have never changed.

In Babylon, the king even changed their names.

Daniel 1:6–7 NKJV

Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.

Daniel 3:1–30 NKJV

Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then a herald cried aloud: “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.” So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.” Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king’s command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them. Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.

FAITH

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego had bold faith. Some people say, “I want to keep my faith private.” There will come a time when your faith will be tested. If you try to keep your faith private and hidden, you will crumble under the weight of the trial. It is going to take bold faith to stand in the day we are living and the days to come. Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon, the most ruthless, violent, and wicked empire in the world. He wanted to be worshipped as a god so he set up a golden image of himself. It was 90 feet tall and 90 feet wide. He planned a dedication ceremony and required everyone to attend. When the band played, everyone in Babylon was required to bow down and worship the golden statue of Nebuchadnezzar. Anyone who didn’t would be thrown into a burning furnace to die.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego had a decision to make. Would they hold to their faith, would they hold onto God, or would they compromise their faith for safety?

FAITH IS EASY WHEN LIFE IS EASY.

What happens when your faith is put to the test? What happens when you have a choice to make? Do you choose safety and the love and praise of people or do you stand firm and refuse to bow? Are you bowing to anything today? Do you bow to fear? Do you bow at the altar of worry? Do you bow to anxiety? Do you bow to culture? An idol does not have to look like a giant statue.

Culture today demands you bow. Culture demands you keep your faith private and just go along with whatever they want to throw in your face. They demand you agree to whatever narrative they are pushing or you will be ridiculed, despised, and maybe even attacked.

Daniel 3:8 NKJV

Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews.

Daniel 3:12 NKJV

There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.”

People are watching you to see if you will hold to what you post and say. They want to know if your faith is real.

There is always someone waiting to accuse the faithful. The Bible calls Satan the accuser of the Brethren. He accuses before God and he uses people to accuse before other people. Just go back to 2020 if you do not believe people are just waiting to turn you in for something. They were turning people in for having church while all the bars were still open!!! They were turning on their neighbors for not wearing a mask to Walmart.

They are brought before the king and he gives them another chance. Nebuchadnezzar liked these 3 young men and had placed them in charge of areas of Babylon. He did not want to throw them in the fire.

Daniel 3:14–15 NKJV

Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”

2. FIRE

They stand before him, accused, and put to the test. How do they respond?

Daniel 3:16–18 NKJV

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

God is Able

Our God is able!!!!!! Not only to deliver us from the furnace, but to deliver us from your hand. You may think you have power but our God holds all the power.

Even If He Doesn’t

God is still worthy

Have you ever been in a situation that you believed God for something and it did not happen? Even if God does not show up like you believe He will, even if the situation does not get better, even if the situation gets much worse, God is still worthy!!!!!!

Your faith may get you in trouble but God will always be faithful.

Faith that does not compromise will often land you in the fire!!!!! But the fire is where God shows up!!!! The fire is where the faithfulness of God is revealed!!!

Look what happens - The ones who threw them in the fire to kill them are the ones who get killed by the fire.

They did not fight the soldiers, they did not beg the king. They trusted God!!!! And God took it personal!!!

You do not need to respond to every Facebook comment! You do not need to respond to every person who attacks you or ridicules you. Just hold onto your faith, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD!!!

The 3 Hebrew boys go into the fire tied up. But when the king looks in, they are up walking around, free. AND THEY ARE NOT ALONE!!!!

God will not leave you alone in the fire. I cannot promise He will pull you out of the fire but I can promise He will walk with you through the fire.

Daniel 3:25 ““Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.””

The King looks in and says, “Did we not cast three men into the fire?” “I see four men LOOSE, walking in the midst of the fire, and the fourth looks like the son of God.”

Those that mocked, those that ridiculed, those that bowed down will be the same ones burned up by the fire while you walk around free. When they picked a fight with you, they picked a fight with God. When that sickness picked a fight with you, it picked a fight with God, when depression picked a fight with you, it picked a fight with God, when anxiety picked a fight with you, it picked a fight with God and God is always faithful!!!!!

They are not burned, they are not harmed, they don’t even smell like smoke. You might go through hell but you will come out still smelling like heaven.

(Firepit - you just get close and everything on you smells like smoke) They did not even have the hair on their head singed from the flames.

What you are going through might have killed some but you are going to come out on the other side and won’t even smell like what you have been through. You are going to come out on the other side rejoicing and praising God because even through your worst times, He proved He was still faithful. You will be able to look back and say, “That should have taken me out, but GOD!!!!!” “I might have walked through hell but God walked with me and I came out smelling like heaven.”

3. FAVOR

Favor is not the absence of fire but God’s presence in the fire. Passing through the fire always leads to favor!!

The king had no choice but to recognize the favor of God on their lives after the fire (Daniel 3:28 “Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!” Daniel 3:29 “Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.” )

He started out before the fire saying, who is the god who can deliver you fro my hand? Now he is declaring, there is no other God like their God!!!

The favor of God leads to the favor of man Favor is divine covering. When you walk in the favor of God it is like having something over your head everywhere you go and no man can deny the favor of God.

What does it look like? Here it looked like promotion. Hebrew boys promoted to high positions in the nation of Babylon. God will life you up in the presence of your enemies. God is not shy about favor. The same one who ordered them to be thrown into the fire is the one who had no choice but to promote them after the fire.

Favor looks like walking in a room where you know you have no business getting the job and even the company doesn’t know why they can’t help but give you the job. You do not have the most experience, the most education, but they give it to you anyway.

Favor is a doctor who it seems nobody can get an appointment with but you get one within a month.

But favor has a cost. Favor comes through fire. Favor comes from faith that has been tested in the fire. If you are not willing to go through the fire, if you are not willing to stand and be the outcast, to be the weird one who still holds to their morals and convictions, then you may never get to the favor.

King Saul lost the anointing and favor of God because he desired the favor of men more than God and compromised to make people happy. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego did not care what anyone else thought or what anyone else did. They refused to back down. They feared God more than man and what looked like their defeat became their victory. What the enemy thought was going to kill you will turn around to be your greatest testimony.

CLOSING

Altar Call Moment

Faith, Fire, and Favor

Transition (from sermon to response): Church, we’ve seen tonight that faith doesn’t always keep us out of the fire—but it will never leave us alone in it. The same God who stood with them in the furnace is standing here right now, calling hearts to Himself.

1. Call to Decision — Who Are You Bowing To?

Some of you are standing at a crossroads. The music is playing. The pressure is real. And everything around you is saying, “Just bow—just compromise—just go along.”

But the Holy Spirit is asking one question: Who has your allegiance?

If you know you’ve been bowing to fear, approval, addiction, control, or comfort—today is the day to stand.

2. Call to Surrender — God Is Able…Even If

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn’t say, “God will deliver us.” They said, “God is able… but even if He does not, we will not bow.”

That’s not conditional faith. That’s surrendered faith.

Some of you are saying:

“God, I trust You only if You fix it.”

“I’ll follow You if You take away the fire.”

Tonight, God is calling you deeper—to trust Him with or without the outcome you want.

3. Call to the Fire — You Don’t Walk Alone

Hear this clearly: The fire did not destroy them. The fire revealed God.

Some of you walked in tonight already in the furnace:

A diagnosis

A broken relationship

A season of loss

A hidden struggle

And God says, “You are not abandoned. I am in this with you.”

4. Invitation to the Altar — Come Stand

If the Holy Spirit is stirring your heart:

If you need bold faith to stand

If you’re in the fire and need to encounter God’s presence

If you need to surrender fully—no conditions, no compromise

If you want to say, “I will not bow”

I want you to step out right now and come to the altar.

This is not about emotion. This is about decision.

5. Prayer at the Altar (Lead Slowly)

“Father, we come to You declaring that You are able. Able to save. Able to deliver. Able to restore.

But even if You don’t do it the way we expect, we will not bow to fear, we will not bow to pressure, we will not bow to idols.

Stand with us in the fire, Lord. Burn away what binds us. Reveal Your glory. Strengthen our faith. And let our lives point others to You.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.”