Live Devoted

49 Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king’s court.

The veneration of the gods. (1-7)

Daniel 3:1–30 (ESV)

1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

Giant idol - 90+ ft tall and 9 ft wide

Image of one of the Babylonian gods: Marduk, Anu, Ishtar

Plain of dura - large plain where many people could gather.

Gold from the temple in Jerusalem?

2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 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.”

Everyone was commanded to worship Neb’s god. Failure to comply was capital punishment.

Peoples, nations, and languages = everybody.

Neb is setting himself up as the supreme authority directing people’s worship.

This should not be lost on the NT believer.

Much of life as well as Scripture is a shadow of spiritual realities.

Neb’s false kingdom only hints at the true reality— Neb’s greatest efforts with the ‘greatest’ authority with the ‘greatest’ consequences still do not stand in the light of God’s eternal kingdom.

There will come a day when people form every nation, tribe, and language will bow and worship but it won’t be worshiping Marduk, or Anu, or Ishtar — instead, they will

Revelation 7:9–10 (ESV)

[stand] before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

7 Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

For most people in the ANE this would not be a problem - they were polytheists.

They would have no problem assimilating one more god into their pantheon of gods.

This is a problem for the Jews who are monotheistic.

This was in direct violation of the first two commandments:

Exodus 20:3–6 (ESV)

3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

There is no way to square this with the faith — it’s exclusive.

*God requires exclusive worship.

Similar to Christianity - also exclusive.

ILLUST - Hindu cell phone repairman who was willing to accept Christ until he learned it meant the rejection of his other gods.

Christianity is inclusively exclusive — all are welcome to the One Way.

The accusation of the Jews. (8-12)

8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. 9 They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 10 You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. 11 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. (interesting their Jewish names are used - perhaps to highlight that they are Jews) These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Why were these three singled out? It seems unlikely that the ‘certain Chaldeans’ were so concerned about the idol’s feelings or about the king’s pride that they just HAD to bring this to the king’s attention.

It could be the Chaldeans were jealous of SMA for their meteoric rise in their roles — after all, they were foreigners - they were different - they were living in exile.

Not main point but I wonder — what about the other Jews? Did they bow?

‘Yes, I know it’s technically worshipping an idol, but I don’t really mean it — I just need to fit in right now and I’ll be serious about my faith later.’

‘if I don’t do this, I won’t be able to feed my family — they will be with out a father.’

‘I may be giving in in this one area but Rueben’s not just bowing to fit in right now, he’s becoming full on Babylonian! I’m not as bad as him!’

‘I feel like God’s abandoned me. Here I am in a place I didn’t choose for reasons that are not mine. I’m not so sure God’s even real.’

Unfortunately, many of these same excuses are used today.

Problem is:

You can’t be fully devoted to Christ and blend in with the world.

Eventually the two will collide because their worship is contrary.

The world is worshipping self and things while believers are called to worship — be fully devoted to — Christ alone.

Matthew 6:24 (ESV)

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

The confrontation with the king. (13-18)

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? 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?”

This is my favorite line in the story. It sets the stage. It’s high noon. The tumbleweed rolls across the sandy road. *whistle*

Here, King Nebuchadnezzar is attempting to assert his power over every god. Off in the heavens theres a chuckle:

Psalm 2:1–4 (ESV)

1 Why do the nations rage

and the peoples plot in vain?

2 The kings of the earth set themselves,

and the rulers take counsel together,

against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,

3 “Let us burst their bonds apart

and cast away their cords from us.”

4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;

the Lord holds them in derision.

There will likely come a time when you must answer for your faith.

It may not be as dramatic as SMA — but what if it was? How would you answer?

SMA answered not with smug defiance but with genuine devotion to God.

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 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.”

Is v18 hedging their bets?

No, difficult to translate — some believe it is hypothetical

It is not that they are giving themselves an out — they are actually shutting the door — in life AND death, they are fully devoted to God.

They have such a strong trust in God that they would choose death over apostasy.

They are answering the silent accusation which was the same as the Accuser levied against Job — Do you only follow God when things are going well? When God ‘saves’ you from the problems, the difficulties, the fires?

The condemnation to the fire. (19-23)

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 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.

Fire so hot it killed those even close to it.

The salvation from the flame. (24-27)

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.”

I find this a fantastic proof for the validity of the story — if this were a mythical story of Yahweh’s power being greater than the gods of Babylon, why wouldn’t he blow out the fire? Topple the statue? Strike Neb dead?

Why would he allow them to be thrown into the fire and then appear as a ‘son of man’ to preserve their lives, keep them smelling fresh, and put them right back into the same place they came from?

Who is the fourth? Early Church Fathers said Jesus, Neb says angel.

Ultimate truth is that the presence of God was with the men in the fire.

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. 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them.

God did not only protect the men from the ultimate danger of the fire — He shielded them from every EFFECT of the flame.

That’s the bigger miracle!

The adoration of the LORD. (28-30)

28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

When you live a life fully devoted to God, God will get the glory.

Truth For Today

God, alone, is the ultimate authority

- Of the world

- In your life?

Lift your eyes and tear down your idols.

You are a worshipper. The question is, it is Jesus or idols?

Checking the objects of our worship is not a once and done thing

We move toward the object of our worship

move = time, energy, moneyWe move in the direction we bow

It all comes down to WORSHIP

not music, not Sunday religious rituals

not about what you worship formally but what you worship practically

we all sacrifice three things to the object of our worship:

Time

Money

Attention

Sophisticated Babylonian would have said “we don’t actually worship the wood and stone — we worship what it represents — we are simply USING the idol”

Sophisticated American — “we don’t worship money and things — we simply USE these things” but look at how we bow to them

You will one day give an answer about your worship.

Be fully devoted to Christ not only to death but also in life.

ILLUST - pastor who hired fake hitmen to take over church.

You are either fully devoted or not devoted at all

You may say you are devoted to Christ to the point of death, but are you devoted to Christ in every point of your life?

There is no ‘somewhat devoted’ ‘marginally-devoted’ ‘more-than-that-guy-devoted’

When we come to Christ we often have a fire - love for Christ, but then over time it tends to wane

No man can serve two masters

Daniel 3:17 (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.

I think they were saying, “It’s not like we can shift allegiances. All of our spiritual eggs are in one basket. It’s God or nothing.”

Many of us ‘diversify’ our faith.

You can’t be a Sunday Christian and Monday be someone different - Jesus didn’t leave that option

Their degree of their devotion directly correlates with the degree of their trust

Trust God’s ability; expect His presence.

It is God’s will if He saves you from the fire but it is His promise to be with you IN the fire!

It is interesting that God could have stepped in at any time to stop the process but chose to allow the men to be put into the fire.

Some of us are at the tension point of SMA - Knowing God can deliver but not knowing if He will - the key is to remain devoted.

Sometimes God delivers from the fire and other times he walks with you in the fire.

But whichever direction God chooses know this: it will be for your good and His glory.

1 Peter 4:12 (ESV)

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.

1 Peter 1:6–7 (ESV)

6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Which do we want more, pure gold or contaminated gold?

How is gold purified? by fire?

What is taken away - dross - everything that is not gold.

the fires of trial test our faith to remove from our faith anything that is not faith — any part of our life that is trusting in something other than God (trial often rips it from us) so that our faith may be found to be more pure.

God’s power is seen when He acts prior to the fire, but His presence is felt only when we are in the fire.

You say God I want to know your presence, He may need to kindle a fire around you first!

Trust His ability; expect His presence (based on His promise)

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.

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