Dan 1:7

Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hannaniah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach and to Azariah Abed-nego.

Dan 3:1-30

1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, the height of which was sixty cubits and its width six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.

2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent word to assemble the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

3 Then the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces were assembled for the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed: “To you the command is given, O peoples, nations and men of every language,

5 that at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up.

6 “But whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.”

7 Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

8 For this reason at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and brought charges against the Jews.

9 They responded and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king: “O king, live forever!

10 “You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, and bagpipe and all kinds of music, is to fall down and worship the golden image.

11 “But whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.

12 “There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namely Hannaniah, Mishael, Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego.) These men, O king, have disregarded you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.”

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and anger gave orders to bring Hannaniah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach) and Azariah (Abed-nego); then these men were brought before the king.

14 Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, “Is it true, Hannaniah, Mishael, Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego), that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?

15 “Now if you are ready, at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, very well. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?”

16 Hannaniah, Mishael, Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego) replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter.

17 “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.

18 “But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath, and his facial expression was altered toward Hannaniah, Mishael, Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego). He answered by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.

20 He commanded certain valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up Hannaniah, Mishael, Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego) in order to cast them into the furnace of blazing fire.

21 Then these men were tied up in their trousers, their coats, their caps and their other clothes, and were cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire.

22 For this reason, because the king’s command was urgent and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Hannaniah, Mishael, Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego.)

23 But these three men, Hannaniah, Mishael, Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego,) fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up.

24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, “Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?” They replied to the king, “Certainly, O king.”

25 He said, “Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!”

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he responded and said, Hannaniah, Mishael, Azariah (“Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego,) come out, you servants of the Most High God, and come here!” Then Hannaniah, Mishael, Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego) came out of the midst of the fire.

27 The satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king’s high officials gathered around and saw in regard to these men that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them.

28 Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the God of Hannaniah, Mishael, Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego,) who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God.

29 “Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Hannaniah, Mishael, Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego) shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.”

30 Then the king caused Hannaniah, Mishael, Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego) to prosper in the province of Babylon.

I. Introduction

A. Daniel … Book of Prophecy but also about People

1. But it is also a book of people

a) Daniel, Hannaniah, Mishael, Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego)

b) Trials and triumphs of 3 men of faith

B. Three Men Who are Tried by Fire

1. The great image

2. Bow or burn

3. They refused to bow … but did not burn

II. We are going to learn four things about 3 guys who know who I am talking about Hannaniah, Mishael, Azariah, different, daring, dedicated, delivered

A. They were Different (v. 12)

12 “There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namely Hannaniah, Mishael, Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego.) These men, O king, have disregarded you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.”

1. They regarded not the king, nor his gods, nor his golden image

2. Jesus was different also

a) He was righteous in a sinful world

b) He was light on a dark planet

c) His teachings demanded a different lifestyle

3. We are to be different, changed by the power of the gospel

a) Born-again, new creatures

b) Changed Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,

10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

c) Changed Paul

Philippians 3:7-10

7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

B. They were Daring (v. 16)

16 Hannaniah, Mishael, Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego) replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter.

1. “We are not careful to answer thee”

2. The thrill of new Christianity

a) Taking new stands

b) Risking position, job, friends

c) Fresh zeal in soul-winning

3. Then we become careful

a) So tactful that we never witness

b) So tolerant of sin that we compromise with the world

c) So conservative that we make no advances for Christ

4. The walk of faith is a daring walk

C. They were Dedicated (vv. 17–18)

17 “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.

18 “But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

1. He is able to deliver us

2. But if He does not deliver us, we will still be true

3. You may be angry with God. He has not come through

a) He did not save your marriage

b) He did not heal your loved one

c) He did not rescue your home from foreclosure

d) He has not yet provided work

e) He has not yet saved your children

4. But notice their total commitment

5. They are like Job:

“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” Job 13:15

6. They are like Jesus in Gethsemane

III. Conclusion

A. They were delivered (vv. 25–27)