FOUR IN THE FIRE DANIEL 3: 24 - 30

FOUR IN THE FIRE   DANIEL 3:24-30

 

   (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, O king."

   (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."

   (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.

   (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.

THE LIVING APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE COMMENTARY

   3:25 It was obvious to those watching that this fourth person was supernatural.  We cannot be certain who the fourth man was.  It could have been an angel or a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ.  In either case, God sent a heavenly visitor to accompany these faithful men during their time of great trial.

   25-30 God's deliverance of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendego was a great victory of faith for the Jews in captivity (not only in The Old Testament but also during the Holocaust, surely).  They were protected from harm, they were comforted in trial, God was glorified, and they were rewarded.  Let us determine to be true to God no matter how difficult the pressure of punishment (whether it is His good pleasure to deliver us or not).  God's protection transcends anything we could imagine.

   27 These young men had been completely untouched by the fire and heat.  Only the rope that bound them had been burned.  NO HUMAN CAN BIND US IF GOD WANTS US TO BE FREE.  The power available to us is the same that delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and raised Christ from the dead.  Trust God in every situation.  There are eternal reasons for temporary trials; so be thankful that YOUR DESTINY IS IN GOD'S HANDS, NOT IN HUMAN HANDS.

   28,29 Nebuchadnezzar was not making a commitment here to serve the Hebrews' God alone.  Instead, he was acknowledging that God is powerful, and he commanded his people not to speak against God.  Nebuchadnezzar didn't tell the people to throw away all the other gods, but to add this one to the list.

Do you know the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?  Click here to learn more:   https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.

 

MY THOUGHTS

   Have you ever stood for God, whether in principle or in deed?  In the past, I went through a time when I really wanted to get pregnant and have a child.  It was almost a tangible yearning.  About the same time, a very close friend of mine was going through the same thing, but she opted for fertility treatments.  I refused to take extreme steps to get pregnant.  I looked to God and gave it to Him....not my will, but His be done.  I ended up pregnant and my friend did, too.  The difference is the AMOUNT OF FAITH I ended up with in my coffers that I can spend during the rest of my life, knowing God heard my prayers and knew I would accept His decision and not impose mine.

   May I have even more faith than I had then when it is my time to stand for Jesus or die.

I would love to hear of your experiences.  You may leave it in the comments section. If you don't want the world to see it, mark it "not for publish".

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