Daniel Chapter 3. 17-30. Testing Times.
This section of the book, Daniel the writer is nowhere to be found the starring roles are taken by three of his close friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah 1:6 who are now called Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego . These were testing times for these young men as they were taken into captivity and coerced into a assimilation programme which they wanted nothing to do with.
Fundamental to this change was their name change from their Hebrew names which were connected to the God they worshipped. To new Babylonian names which were connected to the Babylonian gods, this was an assimilation programme to remove their real identities away from Yahweh to the Babylonian gods of Marduk (chief god), Aku (moon god) (Nego god of learning) .
Yet until this point in the story they were treated well and were even given important positions as administrators of the province of Babylon at Daniels request 2:49 because God was with Daniel in the interpretation of the Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Daniel new he couldn’t do the job on his own and he needed the right people around him, people who knew who they were in an alien land. As a result these young men had good positions a good life and were well respected, but when it came to the crunch would they bow to this idol, something had to give....
Our postmodern world today is trying to do with our culture, what it was doing here to these young men to assimilate them into a new way of thinking, to give them what they want, but at the same time to change their way of thinking from a Christian worldview that has been so prevalent in our society the west for centuries but sadly many have succumbed and have been imbibed by a deadly poison.
These were and still are testing times for you especially as young people you are the ones who are going to be going to the places of influence in our nation, you are going to face testing time as a Christian within and outside, your own personal beliefs in God are going to be stiffly challenged, and it might have already started in this institution we call university.
• What examples can you give in your own experience to the worlds assimilation programme?
Are you slowly being assimilated into the worlds thinking in regard to religion, ethics and philosophy whether it’s slowly growing in your mind that all religions are intrinsically the same the same with multi faith worship, ethical issues like homosexuality being a viable alternative lifestyle to atheistic world view a life devoid of God being the only logical stance to take we are bombarded with all this via our universities, politics and new laws being passed and through the media being the epicentre where it is all pumped through all of which is at work to shape you into its mould and the Babylonian culture was no different and so why should ours?
• Somebody quoted “Though we claim to be a free pluralistic society, in fact people are increasingly being forced into the mould of secular-humanist-consumer-capitalism. Of course the coercion applied is not that of a police state. The machinations of political correctness are far more subtle than that but nevertheless very potent”.
Background
Nebuchadnezzar began to build a ninety feet high by nine foot wide gold idol from head to toe, his strategy was to unite the nation and solidify his power by giving a central place to worship. The structure itself was probably inspired by his earlier dream 2:31 that Daniel had interpreted.
The building of this structure shows us that Nebuchadnezzar’s previous devotion to Yahweh was never genuine because it was short lived . He neither feared nor obeyed the God who was behind the dream in the first place. His design is for everyone to bow down to his idol, for all to sing from the same Hymn sheet. The world has seen this behaviour over and over again from empires like the Babylonians to the Persians to the Romans from dictators like Hitler to Stalin, to our present day situation to the final end times where the Bible says there will come a time when the anti Christ comes Rev 13: 3 and the world will follow him and Gods people will be persecuted and he will have authority and people who are not in the book of life will worship Him. Friends those days are slowly coming, how we will stand in testing times.
Many Christians through the years have been martyred from the Apostles to the Church Fathers to those who lived through the reformation like Cranmer, Latimer and Ridley to Dietrich Bonheoffer who stood against the Nazi’s1945.To present day Christians around the world with the upsurge of radical Islam.
Dietrich Bonheoffer who wrote , “It is infinitely easier to suffer in obedience to a human command than to accept suffering as free, responsible men. It is infinitely easier to suffer with others than to suffer alone. It is infinitely easier to suffer as public heroes than to suffer apart and in ignominy. It is infinitely easier to suffer physical death than to endure spiritual suffering. Christ suffered as a free man alone, apart and in spirit, and since that day many Christians have suffered with Him.” (letters and papers from prison)
I wonder are we ready to stand in our own testing times? Whatever those tests might be? Let’s take a look and see what we can learn from these three men of faith, who were to be martyred because of their stance but were amazingly delivered. Dan 3: 19 -30 Read
1. In testing times we must honour God. V18
They wouldn’t turn to his gods, 2:14 and they refused to bow down to the idol before them . They stood on the truth of their God and His Word and wouldn’t break the Lords commands to Put him first and not to bow down to idols. They didn’t succumb to the lie that was before them, they honoured God first.
Do we always honour God? When tested before others, friends don’t you find that in our culture today so many Christians compromise on the truth and fail to honour God... what could have been a Christians response today to this situation?
We will fall down before the idol but not actually worship it. The King has absolute authority and we must obey him. We must follow the customs of the land. Were not actually hurting anybody. Were worshipping the same god anyway. I’ve got a real spiritual vibe on this on this one.
To worship this idol would bring dishonour God and make mockery of His Word which calls us to Ex 20:3 Not to bow down to idols. And also bring their own witness of their God into utter contempt with no longer any credible witness to his saving power... He would become just like all the rest simulated into the culture around.
The sons of the priest Eli failed to honour God and Eli himself was weak he honoured his sons more than God 1Sam 2:29 and so a prophet of God came to Eli and told him that his tragedy would strike to his family and that God would raise up another to serve Him. The prophet said on behalf of the Lord 1Sam 2:30 Those who honour me I will honour and those who disdain me I will disdain.
Our greatest example of course is our Lord who came who honoured the Father, when he obediently came to a world in the main had rejected Him as Messiah John 1:11 , but he came and he testified to the truth as he was the embodiment of truth and he obediently carried out the will of the Father to death upon a cross for you and me. We are called to follow his example.
Are you honouring God with your life in these testing times? Are you obedient to His Word the promptings of His Holy Spirit? Does your life Honour God? Are there areas of failure? Have you compromised? ... In your behaviour or your belief? Is there a real difference in you to those around you? Have
• Shredder Exercise . What are those things that you personally struggle with in honouring God in? Here is some paper, pencil right them down and put them in this box and lets pray over them and ask God to enable us to start a fresh to honour him, also to thank him for enabling us to clarify and pin point those problems and thank him also for enabling us to stand . 1Jhn 1:9, 1Peter 2:11 -12, , 1Peter 3: 13 - 17.
2. In testing times we will face trials of many kinds v19 -21
These men demonstrate complete confidence in their God in the midst of their situation 17- 18 As a result of this confidence in their God, hostility towards them was stirred to an even greater degree as a result they find themselves in deep trouble they would have to face probably the greatest trial of their life to be thrown in a fiery furnace.
• This tells me that when you honour God in this world with your life, this world will throw everything there is at you in order for you to break under the pressure to compromise your stance, it will look for your weakest link and endeavour to snap you in two.
Yet these three young men were strong in the Lord they knew that God was Sovereign and that God would work his purposes out if He saved them or not v18. This caused V19 Nebuchadnezzar to be furious and his whole attitude changed toward them.
We all need to remember that God is soverign in all that takes place in our lives the good and the bad and even in our tials it can often be God at work rather than laying the blame on the devil himself consider . Jonah 4: 6,7,8) Jonah had lessons to learn and at time God bring trials in order that we might learn and change also.
• Billy Graham once said “ The Bible nowhere indicates that God withdraws us from the troubles of life. In fact, we become more involved in life’s troubles when we come to Christ. But he gives us power to go on with the battle.”
• Walt Disney once said "All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me.... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you."
But here this was the work of evil men, which under the sovereignty of God took place in order to bring Glory to God. So as a result for living for God we will face a barrage of trials from the enemy. Especially if we are living our lives on Christian principles.
People today are furious with Christians and take a low view of us because of our stance on ... ethical issues like abortion, morality issues like homosexuality and heterosexual cohabitation, on Biblical truth like Human depravity the exclusivity of Christ in a pluralistic culture.
"I think religion has always tried to turn hatred towards gay people. Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays. But there are so many Christian people I know who are gay and love their religion ..."
- Elton John, The Observer, November 12, 2006
Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins said, “To believe in God is like a virus in the brain. Parents should be prosecuted for child abuse. (He writes for the sole purpose to drag people away from God.)
Under trials in the student culture you will be facing the call to partake in binge drinking, pornography, drug use, casual one night stands, sex outside of marriage and so on. These things are going to be placed before you and if you say No or turn away people are going to be furious and are going to call you insensitive homophobic, bigots, intolerant, puritanical, Bible basher and at times it could even get worse...if you are prepared to stand in the public arena of life as it did for these men.
• In Bournmouth a pensioner stood up to be counted at a homosexual rally and was abused, charged in court and under the pressure h died.
We need to understand that our gospel is an offence to the world so that means that our lives will be an offence as we live out our God given principles that doesn’t mean we should go out of our way to be offensive we need to be winsome and gentle in our approach but as the prophet noticed Jeremiah 6:10 To whom can I speak and give warning ? Who will listen to me ? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the Lord is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.
The problem is their own selfishness towards their lifestyle is being exposed, by the light of our lives. And when that is happening they will endeavour to distinguish the light at all cost. Real historical Christianity is never going to win the popularity contest in this world lets give up being people pleasers and lets please God alone .
Lets take to heart the words of Jesus who said John 15:20 If they persecuted me they will persecute you also. In regard to the end times Matt 24:9 You will be handed over to be persecuted and be put to death and you will be hated by all nations because of me. We need to be confident in the midst of trials because Jesus also said Matt 5:11 blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
• Richard Wurmrand spent 14 years under communism imprisonment and torture Rumania 1945. He started a underground church bringing Russians to Christ. “A flower if you bruise it under your feet, rewards you by giving you its perfume, likewise a Christian when tortured and persecuted should give of love.”
3. In testing time we need to trust in God it will have a big impact
• Have you heard the less than true story about the man walking along the cliff edge with his dog when he lost his footing and slipped over the edge and grabbed onto a branch. And God told him to let go of the branch. And yet he failed to let go and began to shout up is anbody else there... Are we really prepared to trust God in our trials?
These Young men in their extremity point were thrown onto the furnace they trusted in God whatever the outcome v17-18 and their trust in God was rewarded v25 with a mighty deliverance as a fourth man appeared, I believe that the fourth person was the pre-incarnate Christ himself who came to save and enable these men to survive the furnace in a supernatural way.
And in our trials when we trust God the same can be true; God can still can do the supernatural from healing an illness to restoring a relationship, to protecting you from physical and spiritual attack, to using you in bringing salvation to family and friends, to opening doors that are humanly impossible to open. But the key through it all is to trust God, whatever the outcome because our destiny is in his hands as scripture says Rom 8: 28 that in all things God works for the good of those who love him , who have been called according to his purpose.
These three young men had been called to stand in the midst of a firely trial and were delivered from the furnace but lets remember as Christians we have already been delivered already from a fiery furnace as another stepped in and came to save us also....#
• I would like to share a true story of two brothers were playing on the sandbanks by the river. One ran after another up a large mound of sand. Unfortunately, the mound was not solid, and their weight caused them to sink in quickly.
When the boys did not return home for dinner, the family and neighbors organized a search. They found the younger brother unconscious, with his head and shoulders sticking out above the sand. When they cleared the sand to his waist, he awakened. The searchers asked, "Where is your brother?"
The child replied, "I’m standing on his shoulders" With the sacrifice of his own life, the older brother lifted the younger to safety. The tangible and sacrificial love of the older brother literally served as a foundation for the younger brother’s life.
Through our trials Jesus Christ is our foundation, he enables us to stand in the middle of the trials SO LETS continue to trust Him, whatever be our lot, because he has already delivered us. He is the older brother whose shoulder we are standing upon. And when people see our trust in God and His power it will have a huge impact upon them.
Today when you go home and think about the impact these three men had on ...
4. Big impact upon Nebuchadnezzar and for the Jewish people V26 -29
