Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego and the Fiery Furnace
Dan. 3:1-30
By David J. Riggs
Intro.
A. The great stories of the Bible never grow old. They still
thrill our hearts as when we first heard them.
1. In this lesson we want to consider the story of Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abed-Nego who were thrown into the burning
fiery furnace.
2. We need to remember that these three were ordinary people
like you and I.
a. Their faith was severely tested, and they were
victorious.
B. This story is sorely needed today because our faith will
likewise be tested.
1. We can take courage as we consider the example of these
three brave men. 1 Cor. 16:13
2. God will be with and abundantly bless all who bravely make
their stand for Him and His cause. Psalm 23:4
I. THE COMMAND OF KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR. Dan. 3:1-7
A. King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold and set it up in the
plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
1. This great image would measure today about 90 feet high
and 9 feet thick.
2. It is uncertain whether the image was all pure gold or
whether it was only overladen with gold.
a. Nebuchadnezzar had gathered gold from all nations
which he had conquered, and certainly he would have
enough to make his image of pure gold.
3. Nebuchadnezzar gathered all the important people of his
kingdom to come to the dedication of his image.
a. He gave commandment that at the sound of the music,
everyone must fall down and worship his golden image.
4. For those who refused, the punishment was severe. Vs. 6
B. Consider the pressures of this situation. Who could resist such
a command?
1. Nebuchadnezzar himself was a mighty monarch and a
tremendously successful general who never lost a battle.
a. He was a mighty ruler who had the power and authority
to do as he said.
C. Also, consider the peer pressure here. Vs. 7
1. It would have been easy to fall down and worship the idol
because "everyone else was doing it."
a. The fear of persecution from fellow peers is one of the
greatest hindrances to serving God.
b. Notice how it weakens faith. John 12:42-43
(1) If everyone else is doing or not doing something,
few people have the strength to be different. Rom.
12:2
(2) If "everyone else" is dressing immodestly, going to
a certain R-rated movie, and/or whatever, what
shall we do?
(3) Will we succumb to the pressure, or make a stand
for God's way?
II. WE WILL LABEL VERSES 8-18 AS "FAITH DECLARED."
A. Certain Caldeans brought accusations against Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abed-Nego.
1. They informed the king that these three men, who had been
given positions of authority in his kingdom, were not
willing to bow down to the image.
a. They pointed out that their refusal to do so showed
disrespect to the king himself and his god. Vs. 12
B. The king asked Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, "Is this
true?" Vs. 14
1. The king showed his fairness by giving them another
opportunity to obey his decree. Vs. 15
C. Consider the profound faith of the three Hebrews. Vs. 17-18
1. Notice how implicitly they declared their faith.
a. They declared that "Our God is able..."
b. In other words, they were saying that God was able to
deliver them if He so chose.
c. If He did not so choose at this time, it made no
difference. They would not bow down to the golden
image.
d. They were ready to die for their faith.
2. We, too, need to boldly declare our faith at all times.
a. At times, God may not choose to deliver us and,
figuratively speaking, we may be thrown into the
burning fiery furnace.
b. No matter what might be threatened, we need to boldly
make our stand for the Lord and His word. Luke 9:26;
Heb. 11:26; 13:13-14
III. WE WILL LABEL VERSES 19-23 AS "FAITH TESTED."
A. Nebuchadnezzar showed himself to be a real "hot head" and
ordered the furnace to be fired up seven times hotter than
usual.
1. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, with their clothes still
on them, were bound and thrown into the burning fiery
furnace.
2. The heat was so intense that it killed the men who were
throwing in the three men.
a. These facts make the miracle all the more obvious.
B. Our faith will also be tested. Jer. 20:12; Job 23:10
1. There will be "fiery trials." 1 Cor. 3:12-15; James 1:2-3; 1
Pet. 1:6-7; 4:12-13
2. How would we stand if we had the same test as these three
men?
a. I seriously doubt if we will ever be called upon to lay
down our lives for our faith; nonetheless, whatever our
"test of faith" might be, let us follow the example of
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.
IV. WE WILL LIST VERSES 24-30 AS "FAITH VICTORIOUS."
A. The miracle here is one of the greatest revealed in the Bible.
1. They were able to walk around in the fire.
a. A forth person was present to aid them. "The form of
the fourth is like the Son of God." "Like a son of the
gods." (NASV).
b. Later Nebuchadnezzar calls this one, "His (God's)
angel." Vs. 28
2. Nebuchadnezzar commands them to come out of the fire,
and as the witnesses gather around, they observe that their
clothes were not burned, a hair of their head was not
singed, nor was the smell of fire or smoke on them. Vs. 27
a. God's promise to the Israelites through Isaiah literally
came to pass. Isa. 43:1-2
3. Nebuchadnezzar rightly declared, "There is no other God
who can deliver like this."
a. Consider the awesome power of God.
(1) He is a God who is to be respected and feared.
James 2:12
B. God will likewise reward those who make their stand for Him.
Heb. 13:5
1. 1 Cor. 10:13 - The original word for "temptation" means "a
trial of any kind."
a. Thus, it includes trials other than those which are
temptations to sin.
b. In every trial or temptation, God will provide a way of
escape that we may be able to bear it.
Concl.
A. We can take courage as we consider the example of Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abed-Nego. They were brave men.
B. God will be with all those who bravely make their stand for Him
and His cause.
1. This supposedly is a true story of something that happened
just a few years ago at the University of Southern
California. There was a professor of philosophy at USC who
was a deeply committed atheist. His primary goal for one
required class was to spend the entire semester attempting
to prove that God could not exist. His students were always
afraid to argue with him because of his impeccable logic.
For twenty years he had taught this class and no one had
ever had the courage to stand up to him. Sure, some had
argued in class at times, but no one had ever really stood
up to him. Nobody would go against him because he had such a
reputation. At the end of every semester, on the last day,
he would say to his class of 300 students, "If there's
anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!" In twenty
years, no one had ever stood up. They knew what he was going
to do next. He would say "Because anyone who does believe in
God is a fool. If God existed, he could stop this piece of
chalk from hitting the ground and breaking. Such a simple
task to prove that he is God, and yet he can't do it." And,
every year, he would drop the chalk onto the tile floor of
the classroom and it would shatter into a hundred pieces.
All of the students could do nothing but stop and stare.
Most of the students were convinced that God couldn't exist.
Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped through, but
for 20 years, they had been too afraid to stand up. Well, a
few years ago, there was a freshman who happened to get
enrolled in the class. He was a Christian, and had heard the
stories about this professor. He had to take the class
because it was one of the required classes for his major.
And he was afraid. But, for 3 months that semester, he
prayed every morning that he would have the courage to stand
up no matter what the professor said or what the class
thought. Nothing they said or did could ever shatter his
faith, he hoped. Finally the day came. The professor said
"If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand
up!" The professor and the class of 300 people looked at
him, shocked, as he stood up at the back of the classroom.
The professor shouted "You FOOL!! If God existed, he could
keep this piece of chalk from breaking when it hit the
ground!" He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it
slipped out of his fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the
pleat of his pants, down his leg, and off his shoe. As it
hit the ground, it simply rolled away, unbroken. The
professor's jaw dropped as he stared at the chalk. He looked
up at the young man, and then walked out of the lecture
hall. The young man who had stood up proceeded to walk to
the front of the room; and, for the next half hour, 300
students stayed and listened as he presented evidences for
the existence of God, and His Son, Jesus Christ.
C. Fiery trials will befall all of us. Let us boldly make our
stand.