{"id":1203,"date":"2017-07-19T08:45:53","date_gmt":"2017-07-19T15:45:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/?p=1203"},"modified":"2017-11-10T08:46:14","modified_gmt":"2017-11-10T16:46:14","slug":"one-who-appears-in-blazing-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/blog\/one-who-appears-in-blazing-fire\/","title":{"rendered":"One Who Appears in Blazing Fire"},"content":{"rendered":"

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and\u00a0Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. (Hebrews 11:32-34)<\/em><\/p>\n

Golden Statue and Blazing Furnace<\/strong><\/p>\n

The massive golden statue stood at ninety feet tall (sixty cubits), erected on the plain of Dura south of Babylon (Daniel 3:1), visible from afar.\u00a0 The burning sun shone upon it, reflecting golden rays in all directions, eye-catching and almost blinding.\u00a0 Officials in various leadership positions whom King Nebuchadnezzar had summoned were gathered around to attend the dedication of the statue.\u00a0 The King ordered:\u00a0 As soon as the music sounds, everyone must fall down and worship this image of gold.\u00a0 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.<\/p>\n

As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.\u00a0 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.\u00a0 (Daniel 3:5-6)<\/em><\/p>\n

Not far away there was a blazing furnace, guarded by big strong men who stoked the fire frequently, drenched with perspiration from the heat.\u00a0 The crowd attempted to stay away from the blinding rays deflecting off the golden statue, while trying to avoid the intense heat from the furnace.\u00a0 The atmosphere was tense as the people were afraid of incurring the wrath of the king.\u00a0 Suddenly, the king\u2019s face darkened as he stared in rage at the three men standing in front of him.\u00a0 The officials held their breath and thought that the men were doomed!\u00a0 Nebuchadnezzar shouted, \u201cHey! Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, are the three of you going to bow down to the statue or not?\u201d<\/p>\n

The officials shook with fear, for this was King Nebuchadnezzar!\u00a0 As a young man, he followed his father into many a battle, conquering cities far and wide, and even the mighty land of Assyria fell into his hands.\u00a0 In the Battle of Carchemish (605 BC) on the Euphrates River, he defeated Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt (Jeremiah 46:2).\u00a0 After that, no one dared to enter into battle with him.\u00a0 He built the city of Babylon with city walls wide enough for horses to race on, and the hanging gardens within the city became one of the ancient seven wonders of the world.\u00a0 In the presence of such a mighty and intimidating king, who would dare to disobey his commands, besides the three men standing in front of him?<\/p>\n

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego<\/strong><\/p>\n

The three men were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, all from Jewish royal families, and together with Daniel, were captives to Babylon.\u00a0 So as not to defile themselves, these three men and Daniel had refused food and wine from the king\u2019s table.\u00a0 Later, by Daniel\u2019s recommendation, the king appointed the three men to be administrators over the province of Babylon (Daniel2:49<\/span>).\u00a0 In the face of the king\u2019s fury, the three men remained calm and replied:<\/p>\n

O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.\u00a0 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king.\u00a0 But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.\u00a0 (Daniel 3:16-18)<\/em><\/p>\n

No one had ever dared to talk back to him!\u00a0 Nebuchadnezzar was furious, and ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual.\u00a0 He commanded his strongest soldiers to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.\u00a0 The king\u2019s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who had thrown the three men!\u00a0 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were firmly tied and fell into the blazing furnace. (Daniel 3:19-23)<\/p>\n

Even if Not<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why did these three men refuse to worship the golden image?\u00a0 The reason was that they only worshipped the one true God, and did not worship false gods.\u00a0 They bowed their knee only to the Lord Almighty, and not to any idols.\u00a0 This was at the core of their faith, a principle they would hold fast to even if their country was defeated, even if they were captured, even if their lives were threatened.\u00a0 Why were they unafraid of being thrown into the blazing furnace?\u00a0 Because they firmly believed \u201cthe God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us.\u201d\u00a0 They had faith that God\u00a0can<\/em>\u00a0save them, and God\u00a0will<\/em>\u00a0save them.\u00a0 Brothers and sisters, what a precious faith this is!\u00a0 They believed in a true and living God and could testify to what He had done in their lives.\u00a0 They had to walk a long and arduous journey as captives, yet they survived.\u00a0 They lived only on vegetables and water, yet still looked healthy and well-nourished.\u00a0 They were captives in an enemy land, yet were promoted to become officials of the land.\u00a0 They had no doubt in their mind that this same God would save them from the blazing furnace!<\/p>\n

Even more astounding than their faith that \u201cGod will save\u201d was their \u201ceven if He does not\u201d determination.\u00a0 \u201cBut even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold that you have set up.\u201d\u00a0 The phrase \u201ceven if He does not\u201d can be said to be the pinnacle of one\u2019s faith and courage.\u00a0 It is a true faith, a faith that is steadfast in the face of danger and unwavering to the point of death, a faith that produces true courage.\u00a0 This is the same kind of faith that Peter displayed to the rulers and elders who were threatening him, when he declared \u201cFor we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.\u201d (Acts\u00a04:20<\/span>)\u00a0 Throughout history, countless believers have been persecuted for their faith, and with each persecution, the gospel has remarkably become more widespread.\u00a0 The \u201ceven if not\u201d resolve of true believers enabled them to share the gospel fearlessly, even if it meant giving up their lives for the sake of Christ.\u00a0 When they died, the blood of these martyrs planted the seeds of the gospel so that the gospel flourished because of them.\u00a0 In comparison with such a fearless spirit, the faiths of many present-day believers seem small and insignificant, almost embarrassing.\u00a0 They covet comfort, are unwilling to make sacrifices, and eagerly pursue \u201cprosperity, health, and wealth\u201d, becoming complacent with these \u201csmall blessings\u201d.<\/p>\n

Quenched the Fury of the Flames<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s anger subsided after he saw the three men being thrown into the blazing furnace, but he wondered why there was no screaming coming from the men.\u00a0 Even the soldiers who had thrown them in had yelled in anguish as they died from the heat.\u00a0 He looked into the furnace and what he saw shocked him.\u00a0 He leapt to his feet and asked his advisers:<\/p>\n

\u201cWeren\u2019t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cCertainly, O king.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cLook!\u00a0 I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.\u201d\u00a0 (Daniel 3:24-25)<\/em><\/p>\n

Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, \u201cShadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out!\u00a0 Come here!\u201d\u00a0 So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors, and royal advisers crowded around them.\u00a0 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. (Daniel 3:26-27)\u00a0 Thus God quenched the fury of the flames, and brought Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego safely out of the blazing furnace, completely unharmed.<\/p>\n

One Who Appears in Blazing Fire<\/strong><\/p>\n

Three men were thrown into the furnace, yet Nebuchadnezzar saw a fourth man walking in the fire.\u00a0 Who was this fourth man?\u00a0 Nebuchadnezzar said \u201cthe fourth looks like a son of the gods\u201d.\u00a0 \u201cA son of the gods\u201d is not \u201cthe son of God\u201d.\u00a0 It was not Jesus, but an angel who was in the furnace with them.\u00a0 Nebuchadnezzar praised God, saying:<\/p>\n

Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants!\u00a0 (Daniel\u00a03:28<\/span>)<\/em><\/p>\n

Dear brothers and sisters, who do we see in this blazing fire?\u00a0 In fact, the blazing fire shows us a picture of two people.\u00a0 The first is myself, and the second the angel of God.\u00a0 In the fire, my true self is revealed\u2014am I able to stand firm in adversity, or will I crumple and fall;\u00a0 will I be destroyed by the flames, or will I be able to walk around in the fire?\u00a0 To those who trust in Him, the Lord will send an angel to protect and rescue them, to walk with them in the fire, and to lead them out of the blazing fire to safety.<\/p>\n

The experience of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego teaches us:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. God can save us, and God will save us.<\/li>\n
  2. Those who walk in the fire possess an \u201ceven if not\u201d kind of determination.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and\u00a0Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1204,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,49,50],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-devotionals","category-life-is-a-song","category-pastor-warren-wang"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1203","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1203"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1203\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1205,"href":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1203\/revisions\/1205"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}