Page 3 - August 2022 - Truth & Tidings

t wasn’t their fault. Previous gen- toughest soldiers tied them up, but in the
erations were to blame. Nevertheless, fire they were free and walking around.
IHananiah, Mishael and Azariah found They obeyed God’s Word and they were
themselves in Babylon because God always free. True freedom is not doing what we
keeps His Word. Centuries before, God want to do but what we ought to do. And
promised His people that one of the conse- we are never more free than when we yield
quences for covenant disobedience would to the Holy Spirit and obey the Word of
be: “You will bear sons and daughters but God.
not keep them, because they will be taken Incredibly, the Judeans observed they
into captivity” (Deu 28:41). And now these were not harmed. The flames that incinerated
1
three Judean captives faced a test of their those who cast them in had no effect on
own covenant loyalty. Standing in the them whatsoever. They proved the Lord’s
plain of Dura in front of Nebuchadnezzar’s words (although figurative) in Isaiah 43:2
monstrosity, the pressure was on: either to be true: “When you walk through the
bow to the image and honor the king or fire, you will not be burned.” As God’s
burn in his fire. people today, we are not promised physical
We know the story well. It’s in our protection as a reward for obeying God’s
Sunday schools, Bible story books and Word. But as we obey, we will be spiritually
children’s songs. But it is serious first com- preserved: “The Lord is faithful, and he
mandment stuff, and the lessons of Daniel will strengthen you and protect you from
3 are not just for toddlers and preschoolers. the evil one” (2Th 3:3).
The words “worship” and “serve” (as in But the greatest blessing in the furnace
serving a deity) fill the narrative, and the was that the three men were not alone.
command “You shall have no other gods There was a fourth, likely Christ in a pre-
before me” (Exo 20:3) is ringing in our ears incarnate manifestation. The Lord always
as we gaze at the king’s golden statue jut- finds His people. As we take a stand for
ting impressively into the sky. Him in our day, the world may cast us into
its own “furnace,” but it is there that the en-
But as Babylon’s best worship band joyment of Christ’s presence becomes more
performed and the multitude around precious. Enduring the heat of alienation
them bowed in unison, the Judeans were at work because you wouldn’t compromise
unmoved. And for that they paid the price, biblical principles? The Fourth Man is with
being hurled into the blazing furnace. It you. Finding the flames of rejection and
was there, in the strangest of places, that scorn at school overwhelming because you
these devoted men experienced such ex- wouldn’t bow? The Fourth is with you.
traordinary blessings – the same ones we Feeling suffocated by desertion from your
may enjoy should we refuse to conform family because God’s Word and His Son
to unbiblical pressures unique to our day. now mean everything to you? The Fourth
Inside the furnace, they discovered they is with you. Indeed, He will never leave us
were not bound. The king made sure his nor abandon us (Heb 13:5). And even if the
¹ Scripture quotations in this article are from the stakes should be as high as Daniel 3, our
NET. knees should bend to no one else.

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