God chooses Israel out of the nations to be his chosen inheritance, and from the very beginning there is a warning to Israel if they should ever walk away from him. Moses, somewhere around 1000 years earlier told the Israelites:
Deuteronomy 28:49-50
49 The Lord will bring a nation against you from far away, from the ends of the earth, like an eagle swooping down, a nation whose language you will not understand, 50 a fierce-looking nation without respect for the old or pity for the young.
Babylon and king Nebuchadnezzar came, besieged Jerusalem, and took the Jews captive and seemingly ended the kingdom of David, and the inheritance of the Jews.
This is where we enter the story from today.
The Babylonians took some of the most gifted young boys from the ruling class of the Jews back to Babylon to serve king Nebuchadnezzar in the court. Chief among those was Daniel, who continues to be referred to as Daniel, and then Hananiah, who was renamed Shadrach, Mishael who was renamed Meshach and Azariah who was renamed Abednego.
To erase their identity.
Now, once these boys got to court, things got crazy pretty soon. God was using Nebuchadnezzar to like wreck the entire world at this point in history, and he was getting pretty big headed about it.
Nebuchadnezzar gets a dream from God, he cant interpret what it means.
Daniel interprets the dream WITHOUT EVEN HEARING IT.
Daniel appointed authority in the kingdome, his friends are appointed as administrators over the province of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar sets up this massive statue of HIMSELF and invites all the administrators, and captains, and higher ups-to come and see it.
So they come. Turns out they were pranked. Now they’re all standing in front of this statue and the kings herald says
Daniel 3:5-6, 14-20
“As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”
“and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.”
FAITH NO MATTER THE OUTCOME
Faith produces action, and our action may cost us.
Hall of faith
Hebrews 11:32-38
32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 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. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning;[e] they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
THE HURT THIS WORLD GIVES US DOESN'T ACTUALLY HURT US
Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of this story
Luke 22:41-42
He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
Daniel 3:24-26
Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”
They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”
He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”
GOD PRODUCES FAITH IN US
They chose, without hesitation, death, over comfort. God over self, and true life-lived if only for another 2 minutes, over an empty one lived in regret. That was a miracle in itself.
