The Four Men

Daniel 3:4–6 ESV

4 And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.”

Introduction

Introduction

Introduction

We continue our Easter theme of Deliverance studying the texts that are read during the Great Vigil of Easter. This week we look at the three delivered from Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace.

The Book of Daniel covers events of the 7th and 6th Centuries BC. It is concurrent with the Babylonian captivity. Some scholars argue for a later date for Daniel, largely because they reject the possibility of what they call “predictive prophecy” and therefore exclude any possibility that something Divine could have occurred. They propose that Daniel wrote this all after the events happened, and so there was no fulfilment of prophecy at all. The intimate that Daniel wrote this knowing what already happened, but framed it as if it were predictive. Their numbers are growing today., even as unbelievers try to discredit anything sacred.

The book begins by introducing us to four men: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. You recognize the first name— he is the author of this book. You probably don’t recognize the other three. They were Hebrews, brought into the land of Babylon after Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem. These men were known for their perfect qualities. Israelites from royal families, young, handsome, without defect, and apt learners. Rather than hurt these men, Nebuchadnezzar wanted to use them in his kingdom for its good. So, for three years, these four were schooled in the ways and language and literature of the Babylonians. Along with that came new Babylonian names. Daniel was now to be called “Belteshazzar”. Hananiah was now to be called “Shadrach” , Mishael, “Meshach” and Azariah, “Abed-Nego”. Now you know of whom we speak!

History

These men were granted high positions in Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar was grateful for their service and he wanted to respect these men and show his pleasure with them. So he ordered that they eat the plush food off from the king’s own table. But eating Nebuchadnezzar’s food would defile these Children of Israel, as it was food offered to idols. So they asked to eat vegetables instead. They fared better on the vegetables than did those that at the feast of the king. This was measured by how fat that they became— in those days to be fat meant to be blessed. Lipitor had not yet been invented!

These four men entered the King’s service. God, Himself, gave these men the wisdom and understanding that they needed to serve.

One night, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. It disturbed him greatly. He had astrologers on his staff upon whom he called to tell him what his dream was and what his dream meant. They could not. He put them to death, and made a decree that all of the wise men of Babylon be put to death. Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were among those who were considered to be wise ment. Belteshazzar asked the commander of the king’s guard who oversaw this grizzly order why the punishment was so severe. Daniel offers to tell the King his dream and to interpret it. He does, and his life is spared.

The Statue

The king dreamed of a statue. Its head was gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze, its legs were iron, and its feet were an admixture of iron and partly baked clay. The feet of the statue was hit with a rock not cut by human hands and the statue fell down and was destroyed. He then interprets this as four different kingdoms. Nebuchadnezzar was the head of gold. Then the kingdom of silver would rise (silver is inferior to gold, and this new kingdom would be inferior to the present one). Then a third kingdom of bronze would arise, and the fourth kingdom— a mighty kingdom— would rise. This kingdom would then divide. After all of this, God Himself would set up His own everlasting Kingdom that will end all earthly kingdoms- and this kingdom is the rock that takes down the statue.

Nebuchadnezzar is greatly pleased with Daniel and grants him honor. The king gives thanks to the God of Israel calling him “God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries. Like us, though, the King has a very short memory.

Perhaps statues were on his mind from that dream. Because immediately after this account, Nebuchadnezzar himself builds a golden statue. It was 90 feet high and 9 feet wide- about 6-8 stories high. He then made a command that at the sound of the playing of various ancient instruments everyone was to fall down and worship this statue. So much for the God of the Hebrews being “God of gods, Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries!”

No Way

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego are outed by some jealous astrologers for refusing to worship. This makes the king burn with rage. He calls them before him and then gives them a chance to redeem themselves:

Daniel 3:15 ESV

15 Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”

Daniel 3:

He’s about to find out!

They refuse. The furnace is overblown to seven times its normal heat. They are thrown in. It is so hot that those who cast them in die instantly from the heat. But not these men.

Their action is what in theology we call “civil disobedience.” Peter puts it this way:

Acts 5:29 ESV

29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

God forbids his children to worship anyone or anything but Him. These three knew it. So, even facing the possibility of death, they do not cave in.

Daniel 3:17–18 ESV

17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

This principle applies in our lives as Christians as well. If the government commands you to something that goes against your faith, against the Lord or against His church, we must resist. We also must understand that there will be consequences. We might suffer penalties, physical harm or even death. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego fully understand this and are fully ready to be thrown into the fire.

And so they are.

Now comes the mighty deliverance of the Lord:

Daniel 3:21–26 ESV

21 Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22 Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire.

And who was that fourth man— the one who is not just like the son of the gods, the one who is the Son of God! It’s the Good Shepherd Himself, the pre-existent Jesus! He sets them free from their bondage. They live in the midst of death. And they come out at the command of the King without any sign of fire.

That’s a miracle. I remember early in my ministry that when we had Council meetings in my previous congregation, people sometimes smoked cigarettes. It was a different age back then. When I got home from the meeting, I would have to literally take my clothing off in the basement by the washing machine and take a shower. I wreaked of smoke. And I’ve never smoked. These were in a raging fire. And yet no singeing. No soot. No odor. No nothing. They had been delivered and once again the Lord bared His righteous right arm. God delivered them.

God delivers You.

This Son of God is revealed to us. Jesus. He is the Good Shepherd. There is such a depth to this. It’s more than just an image of a shepherd and a sheep that we see on Good Shepherd Sunday. You see, the Shepherd is also the Lamb. He goes through everything the Lamb goes through. In the 23rd Psalm we say, “Even though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, You are with me....” Yes, there is comfort in Jesus leading us through that Valley; that brings us hope. But today think about it this way: Being in the Valley of the Shadow of death means Jesus is in the Furnace with us. The furnace of death. It’s a lot worse than a valley! Did not we throw three men in? I see four!

Jesus unbinds us from sins shackles. Jesus stays in the blast furnace of death with us. We enter it. But we come out. That’s what it means when we fear no evil in the Shadow of death. Jesus is there. The Shepherd Lamb will lead us into eternal life despite the powers of death and hell doing their worst to us.

Isaiah 43:1–3 ESV

1 But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.

Jesus leads us out of death. No decay. No singeing. No soot. Eternally new. Into that final Kingdom of which Daniel speaks, that eternal kingdom that has no end.

Daniel knows this hope. He shares it at the end of his book:

Daniel 12:1–3 ESV

1 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

He is Risen! Alleluia!

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.