Daniel 3: Broken Furnace???

Intro:

Have you ever had issues with a furnace?

Furnace issues are unique, let me explain. Right as my dad got sick, he was having issues with his furnace. He was busy working away to get it fixed before winter. It’s interesting that a furnace doesn’t really matter all that much until it’s winter and it doesn’t work, right? It is one of those strange household items that we could completely let go and ignore until it is needed.

It can be ignored until it becomes a critical problem.

That concept will come back a little later.

Today I want to share a message entitled “Broken Furnace???”

See, there was a furnace in the ancient times during the life of Daniel that didn’t matter all that much either. In fact, it was probably one of those things that your everyday common man or woman would have liked to keep it out of sight out of mind.

It was a furnace that the king would use as a device for executions. If you could image a giant oven or kiln that would be used most likely to make weapons, pottery, and perhaps statues other large items. This was a massive furnace. So, it wasn’t something most people ever wanted to think about.

Tension:

The story we are going to look at today is filled with drama, political power, oppression, struggles of right and wrong, jealousy, violence, faithfulness, and mystery.

If you grew up in the church, I am certain you’ve read it or are at least familiar with this popular childhood Bible story. Before we look at the text let me as you a question.

Have you ever held a conviction about something so strongly that no matter the consequences you weren’t going to budge? Right or wrong, you weren’t going to go back on what you felt was the right thing.

Recap: If you remember last time we talked about Daniel, we said two key things. 1) Daniel was a person that did the right thing even if it was the costly thing. He would do what was right even if it meant going totally against the grain of the rest of his peers, the king, and even if it meant putting his life at risk. 2) We also said that every decision we make has consequences, even good decisions.

Truth:

Today we see that same resolve not in Daniel but in Daniels three friends. Oddly enough, Daniel is mysteriously absent from this story. Many scholars speculate as to why he wasn’t around but for some reason he is not mentioned. However, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are mentioned a lot. They are the key players in our story today.

In the Plain of Dura south of Babylon, King Neb decided to have a massive statue constructed of gold. It is possible the statue was of himself or one of his gods. Either way the statute was around about 100 feet high and 10 feet wide. That makes me a little bit worrisome for its structural soundness. All the politicians of the day were called into to hear the kings decree and celebrate in the dedication of this statue. He instituted a rule regarding this statue. The rule was that anytime this certain music was played everyone in the kingdom was required to bow down and worship the statue. If they didn’t worship then they would be thrown into the fiery furnace.

When you take a deeper look at what is going on here, I believe reading between the lines a little bit, this is a set up for Daniel and his friends. The leaders of the day do not like the Jews and specifically instituted this policy to root them out. One author writes, “No other nation but the Jews would feel this edict oppressive; for it did not prevent them worshipping their own gods besides. It was evidently aimed at the Jews by those jealous of their high position in the king’s court.” They were setting them up to commit what would be viewed as an act of treason. The text doesn’t really indicate how much times passes from the moment the decree is made to how long it takes these astrologers to come into the king and basically tell on Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego but it doesn’t seem that long. In fact, it is almost immediately based on the timeline of the text. (I smell a set up).

Look with me at Daniel 3: 12, “12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”

They don’t listen to you king. They aren’t following your laws. They have don’t serve your gods or worship your image of gold. What are you going to do about it? So, the king does as we would expect. He is furious and he brings them in to be tested. I find it interesting that he gave them the benefit of the doubt here. He could have simply had them killed but instead he gives them a chance to prove their loyalty. He then makes a point to say this “Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

All along we have said that King Neb was a man of great pride. He valued his own image. The idea that these Jews didn’t follow his laws or worship his gods was a grave insult to him. He was constantly doing things or saying this to make sure his subjects knew how great and powerful he was. He wanted them to know that his god and perhaps his own perceived godlikeness was more powerful than their God. He makes this statement boldly. It’s hard to say if this is an insult directed at the Jews specifically or if he is just remarking that “hey I have conquered all these other nations and their gods as well. Why would you be any different?”

Here is the response back to the king. 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

I’ve got to pause here for a moment. I will read the rest of the text in a moment, but this is the key verse for today. Consider this, these three men were willing to die rather than worship this image of gold. They did not do this with any assurance that God was going to deliver them from the possibility of death. That is extremely significant for us all these years later. The idea that Shadrack Meshach and Abednego were willing to die for what they believed in has significant implications for us in the 21st century context. They would rather be thrown into a fiery furnace than to worship anything other than Yahweh. They had made up in their minds ahead of time that they would never worship idols. I’ll come back to this but let’s finish the story.

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” 25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

Many Old Testament scholars believe this was what would be called a

Christophany,

which is an Old Testament appearance of Jesus. I don’t know, I wasn’t there but it doesn’t seem likely, and I prefer that interpretation. Many believe it was like the angel or being that appeared to Joshua before going to Jericho. Whatever it was King Neb viewed it as something or someone being like an angel from heaven. It was a being not of this world. He saw it as something from God almighty.

26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

If you ever wanted a case for God’s prevenient grace at work, here it is. God has done something in the life of King Neb throughout the first 3 chapters that would be drawing him to God. God was making a way for the King to turn his life to him, but he was so bent away from God. But for the moment it says,

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Application:

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego held a conviction that could have cost them everything. It nearly cost them their lives, but God honored their faithfulness to him.

He honored their unwavering faithfulness to never allow anything in their hearts to come between them and God. They were steadfast in worshipping the one true God and nothing else. It made an impact on the world around them. So much so, kind of like the Grinch, that the king even (if for just a moment) was willing to praise Yahweh.

What about us church? Have you made up in your mind like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that you will not allow any idols to come between you and God? Or have you allowed things to step between you and God?

See we don’t have a King Neb building a 100-foot golden statue today, but we do have a lot of stuff both good and bad that we make into idols. Perhaps you could argue that these three men were making life more difficult for themselves. Why make such a big deal out of this? Just pretend to bow down and make life easy for yourself? You don’t have to really worship the idol. You can just fake it. But then we wouldn’t be talking about them, would we? This story is so significant because they didn’t just fake it. They made sure the king knew they weren’t going to worship his idol. It was so important to them that they were willing to die. When God rescued them from the fire it made an ever-changing impact on their world. It caused the king to rethink his view of the world and whose god was most powerful. So, what about you? Does God have your devotion, worship, your allegiance, your unwavering faithfulness or do you ever put other things on the throne of your life where God is supposed to sit? I know I have. Work, family, your children, your home, other possessions, your politics, the tribes you align yourself with, political dogma, religious dogma, your denominational tribe or beliefs, sports teams, your kids sports or clubs, your influence or image in the community, addictions, or other ideologies.

Recently, I was talking with a friend regarding our understanding of freewill and freedom. We were discussing our thoughts on a sermon we had both listened to. In the sermon the Pastor, John Mark Comer says, we have taken ideology and made it an idol. “Ideology is when you take a good thing and make it the ultimate thing.” “Humans made in the image of God have goodness in us, but we are bent away from God.” Much like the king in our story. God had shown himself to the king time and time again, yet he never surrendered fully to him. Comer says, “Everything we touch, we destroy without God. We keep infecting the world with our sin.” He goes on and says things like equality, justice, freedom, and individualism are all good things and in most cases are godly things. But we have unfortunately made them into gods, and it has resulted in complete disaster. We make them the ultimate thing when God is supposed to be the ultimate thing. “God must remain at the center. “One is a path to Heaven, and one is a path to destruction.” Our culture and society have made individualism and our ideologies an idol. This is true for those both on the right and the left, in the church and outside the church, young and old, and political and non-political. We have allowed Jesus to slip away from being the center focus and we’ve put other statues in His place.

Let me give you another small example and I will get off this train: It is interesting but when I read passages of Scripture that talk about us being free in Jesus. Who the son sets free is free indeed? Amen right? I am sure you like me look at these verses with a strictly American 21st century interpretation. Freedom has so many varied connotations. There is a Freedom as defined by the right, by the left, by the American, by those outside of America, and then there is freedom as defined by Jesus. I know this might be upsetting but I don’t think freedom as defined by Jesus is the same as by what we see it as here in America. By most Americans freedom is “the ability to do whatever I want, when I want.” Comer says, “That is what the New Testament writers would refer to as slavery and it plays out or results in our compulsions and addictions.” He goes on to say, “Given the chance we will allow our freedoms to be the very thing that take control of us.” Like I said about fixing a broken furnace at the beginning, often we ignore the idols in our life until they become critical issues. We ignore the problem until the problem destroys us.

God has set us free, but we are completely free to choose something other than him. King Neb didn’t understand this, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were completely free, even though they were not physically free from his captivity. They were spiritually free because God had set them free and not just from the fiery furnace. They had true freedom because they had made up in their minds ahead of time that God was the one true God of their life. Interesting how by setting up the constraint not to worship other god’s actually made them free spiritually speaking. It seems almost backwards, doesn’t it? That restraint, guardrails, and saying no to something would make you freer. My friend said it this way when I understand my freedom in Jesus, I understand that “I am free to not do everything I want to do.” These three men deep down probably didn’t want to defy the kings order and risk being burned alive. It’s only natural. But they were free in knowing that their lives were not of this place or of this kingdom but a kingdom that was greater, bigger, and more powerful. They had a different kind of freedom than simply being free from the fire or from the king’s wrath. Their lives had value beyond the moment, beyond their own personal desires, and their own plans.

They had a kind of freedom and a way of approaching life that we should all desire for as well. See, healthy freedom is having the capacity to both pursue & do the good as defined by Jesus in your life. It is more than a desire to do good but the power to do good that comes from God and pursuing Him.

So, what are we pursing? Are we pursing the idols? Worldly ideologies? Worldly tribes and allegiances? Hope for a better news cycle? Aspirations for our children and our family? These can all be good things but when they become the ultimate thing, they become an idol. Is Jesus at the center of your life?

Landing:

When we allow Jesus to remain at the center and enthroned as King of our life, we begin to change the world around us. It will change your family, work, school, church, community, nation, and ultimately your story. Perhaps you need to confess and repent of some the idols you’ve allowed to take over in your life. Perhaps you need to take hold of a healthy freedom in Jesus’ name. I know in my own heart I am praying for God to give me the strength and power to always live in constant pursuit of Him and to live out the love and goodness of Jesus. Let’s pray.