“Then Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.’” Daniel 3:28 NLT
The third chapter of the book of Daniel records the first of two favorite children Sunday School stories found in Daniel. Of course, I’m referring to the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. As the story goes, these three young men, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (their Hebrew names) refused to bow down and worship the gold statue Nebuchadnezzar had erected. The king demanded worship of the statue at the instant of hearing musical instruments. Any who refused would be thrown into a blazing fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were willing to die than to worship any pagan gods, even a golden statue set up by the king himself.
I’m sure Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn’t anticipate this tragic event happening. They were in obedience to the Lord in participating for the welfare of Babylon, their new home. They were also in Nebuchadnezzar’s service as a few of the most educated and wisest officials in the king’s court. But they were living in a pagan culture with no regard for the God of the Hebrews, the true God, and was governed by a ruler who was as fickle as the weather.
King Nebuchadnezzar had earlier praised the God of Heaven for revealing his dream to him through Daniel, but he quicky forgot God. He elevated himself by erecting a statue overlaid in gold to represent himself and his kingdom as in his dream, the head of gold in chapter 2. An announcement was made to gather all the officials of Nebuchadnezzar’s empire to pledge their allegiance in the dedication of the golden statue. “Then he sent messages to the high officers, officials, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials to come to the dedication of the statue he had set up.” (Dan. 3:2 NLT) The king demanded worship of the golden statue which represented his kingdom, but also possibly the god Nabu meaning ‘Nabu, protect my son!’, or ‘Nabu, protect my boundary!’ The Jewish people were truly living in a pagan culture, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will soon find out how much it would cost them.
Much like in our day with the tolerance, D.E.I., reproductive rights, and hate speech police watching every move of Bible believing Christians, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had their own thought police keeping tabs on them. Their colleagues in the king’s court blew the whistle on them. Daniel 3:8 &12 says, “But some of the astrologers went to the king and informed on the Jews…. But there are some Jews—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—whom you have put in charge of the province of Babylon. They pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They refuse to serve your gods and do not worship the gold statue you have set up.” (NLT) Naturally these men were jealous and envied the three Hebrew officials who had a higher rank than them. Not only did they have powerful positions, but they did not bow down to the cultural demands of Babylon. Those in authority today are under supreme pressure to compromise to get along with the culture, but it also comes at a high cost, not only affecting themselves but others as well.
When brought before the king; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had their minds made up. They didn’t need to think or pray about what their answer would be. “(They) replied, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you……Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.’” (Dan. 3:16, 18b) The king was furious by their outright refusal not to obey an order he had given. Not to be humiliated in front of those who were present he ordered them to be thrown into the blazing furnace. God miraculously saved them sending an angel in the heated furnace. Not a hair on their head was singed, nor the smell of smoke on them. But going in, they did not know if God would indeed save them.
We haven’t yet reached that point in our present-day Babylon in the United States, but other believers in other parts of the world have and will continue to do so. Perhaps it’s only a matter of time before we are faced with a Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego experience. But if or when we are, will we be willing to die saying, “that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
Read: Daniel 3 NLT – Nebuchadnezzar’s Gold Statue – King – Bible Gateway
Word for the Soul 