Daniel 3:1-30 : Encouragement in Exile

Encouragement in Exile: Daniel 3:1-30

Our Scripture reading this morning comes from Daniel 3:1-30, so I’ll be reading a selection of verses from that passage. It says:

 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. ² Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, 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… ⁶ And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.”... ⁸ Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews... 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. 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.” ... 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?... 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.” ...    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… 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... 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.” 

May God bless the reading of his Word.

President Nicolae Ceausescu ruled the communist country of Romania during much of the cold war. During his reign, the Christian faith had become virtually illegal. A man by the name of Josef Tson pastored there during the early 1980’s, openly preaching the gospel. On one occasion, the Romanian Secret Police threatened to kill him in his pulpit the following Sunday if he dared to preach. Knowing the consequences of disobeying the government, Josef preached that following Sunday anyway. The secret police did not kill him. But they did arrest him. For 6 months, interrogators daily threatened him with death. Finally, he told them “Your supreme weapon is killing. And my supreme weapon is dying. Here is how it works, sir. You know that my sermons are on tapes all over the country. When you shoot me, I sprinkle them with my blood.” Sir, whoever has a tape with my sermon, will pick it up and say, “I better listen again. because that man paid it with his life. Sir, my preaching will speak ten times louder because you killed me. I will win this country for God because you kill me. Go on, do it.”

Eventually they released him and exiled him from Romania. After his release, a fellow pastor informed Josef that during an interrogation the secret police said this, “We know that Mr. Tson would love to be a martyr but we are not that big of fools to fulfill his wish.” Josef Tson stared death in the eyes in a way most of us never will. At first glance it appeared they held his life in their hands. Regardless of the consequences, he chose to obey God. Though his Communist captors believed they controlled whether he lived or died, Josef knew the sovereign hand of God secured his life.

 Josef went on to say “I am a lamb among the wolves. Saved in Christ. And if my Lord wants me to be killed, he does it because it fulfills his purposes. It is not that I have escaped from his hands and “Whoa me”. It is that He is in me and working through me to accomplish his purposes.” God chose to deliver Josef from the hand of his captors for his eternal purposes. He had no way of knowing whether God would save him the next time he refused to renounce the gospel message he preached. But his internal convictions to follow God to the death would be the resounding echo heard throughout Romania and the rest of the world.

Christians face endless temptations to compromise their faith. How can we rise above the demands that call us to turn our backs on our convictions? Hey, just let loose and have a little fun. Why deal with the trouble of following all those rules? Join the crowd!” Pastor Voddie Baucham said this, “Persecution can be avoided…all you have to do is compromise.”  Josef Tson committed his life to proclaiming the gospel regardless of the consequences. In God’s divine plan, he chose to honor that commitment. He saved Josef from a brutal government that demanded his loyalty above that to his god. That leads us to the main idea of our text today: Our Sovereign God has the ability to deliver his oppressed children who refuse to serve other gods, even from death.

Prior to the nation of Israel entering the promised land, Moses relayed the cost of disobeying the Lord’s commands beginning in Deuteronomy 28:15 where he says “But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.” These curses upon the nation were in part due to the nation committing spiritual adultery and following after other gods. The Land of Canaan was given to the people of Israel under the condition of obedience to God’s law.

The nation of Israel split into two separate kingdoms after the death of King Solomon. The northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. The Babylonians conquered the southern kingdom of Judah in several waves between 597 B.C and 586 B.C. Before the Babylonian conquest God sent prophets that included Jeremiah and Ezekiel to warn the people of coming judgment.

But the people despised God’s Word and scoffed at his prophets, until His wrath rose against them. God allowed the Babylonians to destroy the temple and take a number of them into captivity. This included Daniel, and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, now known by their Babylonian names Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Brokenness, slavery, and doubt followed God’s people in captivity. That leads us to our text today in Daniel 3. We shall see in vv 1-7 that…

I. God’s Opponents Demand Sinful Devotion, 1-7

Dan 3:1  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. 

Dan 3:2  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. 

Back in Daniel Chapter 2, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. He dreamed of a massive image with a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, middle and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, with feet partly of iron and partly of clay. God gave Daniel the interpretation of that dream, revealing five successive empires that would rule over Israel. In verse 28 Daniel revealed to Nebuchadnezzar he was the head of gold. This revelation no doubt stuck with the king. In vv 1-3…

A. Nebuchadnezzar Decrees Worship of the image, 1-3

Unwilling to accept the interpretation, Nebuchadnezzar took the head of gold and created an entire image of gold. He could not accept that other kingdoms would come after him. So, he made for himself an entire image of gold. No silver, or Medo-Persia. No bronze, or Greece. No iron mixed with clay, or Rome. Only Babylon forever. He created an imposing golden image standing approximately 90 feet tall or the equivalent of two NFL goalposts on top of each other, about the height of an average 8 story building. He demanded the people worship this image to unify his empire under his leadership. Then in verses 2 and 3 Nebuchadnezzar ordered the most distinguished leaders around the kingdom to come to Babylon to prove their loyalty. Then, in vv 4-7

B. Nebuchadnezzar Demands Worship of the Image, 4-7

Dan 3:4  And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 

Dan 3:5  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. 

Dan 3:6  And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” 

Dan 3:7  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.

Verse 4 tells us a herald commanded these dignitaries to fall down immediately and worship the golden image when the royal orchestra began to play. Failure to comply resulted in immediate death. Obey me, worship my gods, or die. So…the notes began to play…the whole host fell down and worshipped the image that the king had made. No reservation. No hesitation.

We willingly bow the knee when we lack conviction. Perhaps your dad told you “If you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything.” Maybe these dignitaries weren’t jumping off a bridge like your mom may have warned against…when you felt the downward pull of peer pressure. But they fell down all the same. The author never tells us their motive. But one thing remains clear. They had nothing holding them up.

Following the crowd can lead to negative consequences. But refusal to join the crowd and participate in various shady behaviors… can lead to rejection or the loss of friends. As we mature, we develop convictions. Those convictions force us to make the same kind of choices. All of us have experienced pressure from others to participate in something that goes against conscience and God’s expressed commands.

Research reveals between 4,000 and 10,000 different religions exist in the world today. A number of those religions worship various idols or images created by human hands. Isaiah 44:9-20 describes how men manufacture metal tools in the fire and cut down trees to craft images they worship. They then use the scraps of wood from the carved images to make fire, warm themselves, and bake bread. In verse 16 he prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!” If these idols remain in the home, they may be hidden. But we often face pressure to conform and worship modern idols and compromise our convictions in a very public way.

1 Peter 4:3-4 says “the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you…” 

God’s opponents demand sinful devotion that expresses itself in sinful behavior. Ephesians 6:14 exhorts believers to “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness…” This verse encourages us to stand strong in the truth and to be persons of righteous character in the face of opposition. Will you stand alone in your convictions or join the crowd bowing down in compromise. Because they will require that of you. In verses 1-7, God’s opponents demand sinful devotion. In vv 8-18…

II. God’s People Disobey Sinful Decrees, 8-18

Beginning in vv 8...

A. The Chaldeans Accused the Jews of Disobedience, 8-12

Dan 3:8  Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. 

Dan 3:9  They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 

Dan 3:10  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. 

Dan 3:11  And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 

Dan 3:12  There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 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.” 

These three young men faced very serious accusations. The terminology used in verse 8 strongly suggests that malice and jealousy motivated these Chaldean accusers. Maliciously accused literally means to chew up or devour the flesh. Giving us a glimpse into the destructive and brutal sin of envy.

But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew God, the God who freed His people from slavery in Egypt, who commanded they have no other gods before him, who insisted they not make for themselves carved images, who required they only bow down to Him. For God says of Himself, “I the Lord your God am a jealous God.”

Because they knew God and His Word, they could not obey the king and his word. They also knew the result of not obeying the king’s word…the king’s command…immediate death. This reminds me of a quote from 16th century German Reformer, Martin Luther. He said, “A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.”

The Chaldeans reminded the king in verse 11 that the penalty for refusal to worship the image demanded a death in a fiery furnace. Their accusations consisted of three charges in verse 12: (1) They did not heed the king’s authority (2) They did not serve the king’s gods (3) They did not bow down to the king’s golden image.

The first charge refers to the king’s political authority. The second and third to his religious authority.

You see, in the ancient near east, people expected their king to serve as both the highest political and religious authority. So, the Chaldeans appealed directly to that authority, requiring the king to take their accusations seriously. He could not so easily dismiss their charge as motivated by jealousy. Then, we see…

B. The King Threatened the Jews for their Disobedience, 13-15

Dan 3:13  Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. 

Dan 3:14  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? 

With the king’s anger kindled, he calls for the young men to be brought before him. Yet… the king, even in his rage, did not immediately throw them into the furnace. He said to them in verse 14, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego…? His question suggests doubt regarding the Chaldean’s accusations of insubordination and disrespect. Why did he doubt that? He had elevated them to high positions within his kingdom. He trusted them. A powerful king would not grant such positions of honor to insubordinate, disrespectful slaves. Up until now, Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego faithfully adhered to the laws of the land.

In like manner, Christians today must do likewise. In Romans 13:1-2, the Apostle Paul instructs “every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” Now, some of you might think…what about evil, godless rules and laws? Don’t we have an obligation to rise up against them? Rise up, no. But disobey, yes. In Acts 5:29, Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. But if you recall in that text, they peacefully submitted to consequences for that disobedience. Just as Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego did here. They submitted themselves to the governing authorities except when it contradicts the word of God.

May leaders never consider Christians as troublesome, rebellious, or insolent critics. But do not misunderstand. That does not mean we should never speak out against immorality, sin, ungodliness, and injustice in society. But we must do so according to the laws that govern us.

Nebuchadnezzar continues his threats in verse 15…

Dan 3:15  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?” 

The king’s rule depended on the obedience from every subject. So, he offers them one last opportunity to obey. In verse 14, Nebuchadnezzar commanded they served his gods and worshipped the image. These three men faced intense pressure to participate in the worship of a false God.

With Nebuchadnezzar’s threats still ringing in their ears, we see the response…

C. The Jews Confess Their Faith 16-18

Dan 3:16  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 

Dan 3:17  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. 

Dan 3:18  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.”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego felt no need to explain their actions or justify themselves before the king. They simply would not comply. Their refusal to do evil demonstrated passive disobedience to human authority. But it demonstrated active obedience to God and trust in Him. Their only hope rested in the God of their fathers who demonstrated His power to save in the past. Notice they did not demand that God save them or claim He would. They simply placed their lives into the hands of the only one who could save them from the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. They made their decision clear. God could save them from the furnace. But, even if He chose not to, they would not dishonor God by worshipping an idol. Their minds were set on eternity. They believed in their eternal salvation even if they were not saved from the furnace.

The author’s goal in Daniel aimed at encouraging God’s people in exile not to serve other gods, even if such refusal resulted in death. In a similar way, Jesus exhorts His followers to remain faithful unto death. He said in Matthew 10:16-22  “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves… they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles…and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

Jesus sets the pattern for all believers to follow. 2 Timothy 3:12  says, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Persecution should never surprise a Christian. Jesus also says in John 15:20  “…A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you…” The Scripture is clear that persecution will come if we follow Christ. The inevitable question becomes what we do when the world demands we compromise. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced an ultimatum, we do not read they took much time at all to decide how to answer. Knowing the consequence, they boldly declared in verse 18, “be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” They chose to disobey a sinful decree and to obey God regardless of the consequences.

My brothers and sisters, we too must stand for truth. We too must refuse to conform to a godless world. We too must boldly proclaim we will not serve your gods! In verses 8-18 God’s people disobey sinful decrees. In verses 19-30… 

III.  God’s Power Delivers Sincere Disciples, 19-30 

But, before he does…

A. Nebuchadnezzar punishes the Jews, 19-23

Nebuchadnezzar, infuriated by their response orders the furnace to be heated seven times hotter. He orders his men to bind them and throw them into the furnace. Nebuchadnezzar’s anger towards them matched the intense heat of the furnace. So hot in fact, in consumed the men who threw them in. When we choose to stand up to idolatry, we had better be prepared to feel their wrath. We might lose respect, admiration, social status, worldly success, acceptance, pleasure, or money if we choose not to bow. Is God worth that to you?

We will probably never face the choice to worship a gold image or die, but we will face the choice to compromise our convictions for far less. Shouldn’t we stand with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in obedience to the Lord rather than obedience to sinful decrees. Then, in vv 24-27…

B. God vindicates the Jews 24-27

Dan 3:24  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.” 

Dan 3:25  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.” 

Nebuchadnezzar likely never witnessed anyone survive death by furnace. Yet they walked about unharmed. Not only that, but the king observed a fourth man with them with an appearance like a son of the gods. Many scholars believe this fourth man was the pre-incarnate Christ. Regardless of who it was, God chose not only to rescue His servants from the fire, but to send His personal emissary to pass through the fire with them. So, the king called them out of the furnace. A close inspection revealed the fire had no effect on them. You see, when God accomplishes a miracle, He controls every detail so no other explanation works, so no one mistakes his power. God stands with His people in the midst of their trials. What God did for them, He can still do for you. We can say with the Psalmist in Psalm 118:6 “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” So let us hold tightly to this promise of His presence in our affliction. Let us stand strong, courageous, and confident in Him. Let us stand with unbowed heads before the gold statues of idolatry. And let us declare we will only bow before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, regardless of the consequences. Then, in verses 28-30 we see…

C. Nebuchadnezzar’s Decree Honors God, 28-30

Dan 3:28  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. 

Dan 3:29  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.” 

Dan 3:30  Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

He could not simply ignore the incredible miracle he witnessed. The display of power forced him to bless the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. God clearly answered the king’s question in verse 15…“who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” While Nebuchadnezzar praises their god…he simply adds him to the top of the list of his deities. Sometimes, not even the observation of a great miracle can change a person’s heart. Nebuchadnezzar confessed that he no longer had power above every god as he did in verse 15. And he recognizes something significant in verse 28. He said that God “sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him.” In saying this simple phrase “who trusted in him”, the king perceived that God saved these Jews because they trusted Him. However, we should not draw the conclusion that faithfulness and loyalty to God always brings deliverance in this life. 

Every time we bow down to the idols of our hearts, we merit God’s judgment. God’s holiness rightly demands payment for sin in an eternal furnace of fire with no way of escape. God sent His angel to walk with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Yet, Jesus walked through His own personal furnace of fire completely alone. No angel came to relieve His agony. God’s hand did not reach down and save His faithful servant in His greatest time of need. God’s children have the Lord’s promise of His presence in every trial, but Jesus felt the pain of abandonment by God on the cross. He cried out in Matthew 27:46 “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” God should have forsaken us, but Christ bore that abandonment for us. He paid a debt we could never pay so that we could have the eternal joy of heaven for which we did not earn.

God may not choose to deliver us from every trial we face. But we can trust His purpose and plan for us. When we find it difficult to understand whatever furnace of fire we find ourselves in, remember that our Savior experienced suffering we will never know. He experienced the wrath of God for every one of our sins. Yet, He committed none of them. That demonstration of His love should motivate each of us to refuse to compromise our godly convictions. God’s power delivers sincere disciples from the righteous judgement of God and an eternity in Hell.

Josef Tson said… “In Romania when they invite you to come to Jesus, and you come…they immediately stop you and say “But wait a minute do you know that if you come they will throw you out of the university, or throw you out of your job? Do you know you will never be given a promotion? You will always be treated like an unwanted person. You will be hated, even by your family. Do you know that this is what it means to follow Christ? Now, if you know and you mean it, come.” So that is how we invited people. Not that if you come to Jesus, he will give you success. Come to Jesus and expect to be a sacrifice.”…Our Sovereign God has the ability to deliver his oppressed children who refuse to serve other gods, even from death. He might not save you from persecution and death in this life, but he gives you eternal life. Therefore, we need not avoid the fiery furnaces of affliction, because we have eternal deliverance that comes through faith in Christ.