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This is obviously an extreme example, but just imagine a federal officer knocked on your door and commanded you to sign a denial of Christ or be killed on the spot? What would you do? Would you have the courage to refuse to sign it or would you compromise your faith for the sake of your life? What will you do when your faith is going to cost you something? How will you face the fiery trial when it comes? Peter says…
1 Peter 4:12-13, Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.
Many of God’s people have faced fiery trials. Daniel’s three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, faced this very thing in Daniel 3. You know the story, but this hits close to home – closer now than ever for us American believers. Let’s turn to Daniel 3 and learn how to lead an uncompromising life for Christ under the threat of coercion and persecution.
Daniel 3:1, Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, the height of which was sixty cubits and its width six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.
The human authority. Starting with verse one is Nebuchadnezzar the king. He’s the authority here, but he represents any human authority who thinks they can coerce submission. We’re seeing this today in corporations, academia, and government. You see an abuse of authority in the workplace and even local schools. You must do this, say this, go there, and if you don’t there’s a penalty. Our authorities and culture today are using the threat of severe penalties to compel us to do and say things we can’t do or say. This is happening in Daniel 3.
The symbol of power. Nebuchadnezzar is so filled with a sense of his own importance and power that he does what many human authorities have done. He builds a memorial to his own glory and fame. Maybe he was concerned that in his dream he was only the head of gold. So he has his wood workers carve out a 90-foot statue with a 9-foot base. Then his gold workers plated the whole thing in gold. He was probably determined to make his empire permanent. He may have seen those Sphinxes down in Egypt and wanted to be sure to surpass them. He had the huge statue erected in the plain of Dura, which was probably just outside of the city but visible for miles around. This image was nine stories high! He probably saw it as representing himself as super powerful, even with divine powers. True, he gave lip service to Daniel’s god last week (2:47), but by chapter four he’ll be crowing about his great glory and majesty. Here he’s saying, as James Boice put it, “I will not allow the God of Daniel to set my kingdom aside. My rule will endure!”
The decree of submission to the state.
Daniel 3:2-3,Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent word to assemble the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 3 Then the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces were assembled for the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
This list of governing officials shows how highly organized Nebuchadnezzar’s empire was. And to demonstrate his rule and authority and power, he demands they all show up. There were probably others at this grand dedication service not mentioned. It was a big deal. He wants everyone to see how great he is. From far and wide they made the trek to the big city to genuflect before the 90-foot statue. It was a special day to dedicate his image and compel universal honor and even worship to him and his gods.
The penalty for refusing to comply.
Daniel 3:4-6, Then the herald loudly proclaimed: “To you the command is given, O peoples, nations and men of every language, 5 that at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. 6 “But whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.”
Everything is set up for this grand occasion. Nebuchadnezzar is probably sitting on a glorious throne close by. Neb’s ragtime band is probably on a platform ready to belt it out at a prearranged signal. The herald with a mighty voice stands up and gives the orders. “Listen up, everyone! When the band strikes up, everyone will fall down and worship our king’s glorious golden image, and in case anyone refuses to comply, right over there is a fiery furnace with burning logs snapping and crackling and flames leaping out the top, and that person will be instantly thrown in the fire!”
Wow! Talk about Draconian measures. Comply or die! No religious exemptions here. NO room for differences of opinions here. Oh, you’re free to worship your own gods. Nebuchadnezzar doesn’t care about that. But you must worship his image. Just like the Caesars in Rome. They didn’t care if you had other gods, but just be sure to put a pinch of incense in the fire recognizing the Caesar’s divinity and his gods or you’ll get thrown to the lions or into the fire. The exclusivity of Christ got the early Christians in trouble. They could not deny Christ is the only way of salvation.
What about all those instruments? There were horns and stringed and wind instruments. The Babylonians loved exotic music. Wiersbe notes how music can be used as a wonderful tool and treasure from the Lord, but it can also be used as a destructive weapon from Satan. Every dictator knows the power of music to persuade and unite a people in alliance for evil.
What about that awful furnace? I picture something like a huge chiminea with flames leaping from the top and a large opening on the side. Lots of room to throw in bodies bound hand and foot. Neb’s purpose was to provide every incentive for people to prove their loyalty to him and his gods. Of course, unbelievers are more than willing to show their allegiance. They’ll bow down to anything to save their skin. But what if you’ve got convictions against worshiping other gods? In Revelation 13 the Anti-Christ and the False Prophet will do the same thing. Everyone will worship the beast and if they don’t, they don’t buy or sell. Revelation 20:4 talks about people who were beheaded for their testimony of Christ and refusal to worship the Anti-Christ or his image.
The worshipers.
Daniel 3:7, Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Nebuchadnezzar must have swelled with pride as he watched all these docile subjects doing exactly as they are told, falling down and worshiping the image. They have no convictions, no fear of God, nothing to restrain them from this idolatry. Neb’s glorious dedication service is going along swimmingly. He looks out and sees a sea of bending backs. “Just look at all those fawning toadies, so submissive to my power and afraid of my fire.” This is the world, easily manipulated, blindly following the crowd with no convictions about the one true God. They just cave, go along to get along. Job 2:4 says all that a man has he will give for his life. Nothing seems more precious than life, right?
The glaring refusal.
Daniel 3:8-13, For this reason at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and brought charges against the Jews. 9 They responded and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king: “O king, live forever! 10 “You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, and bagpipe and all kinds of music, is to fall down and worship the golden image. 11 “But whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. 12 “There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namely Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. These men, O king, have disregarded you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.” 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and anger gave orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego; then these men were brought before the king.
Russian dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn tells an interesting story from the days of Stalin, the man of steel. Stalin had made a speech in 1937 during the Great Terror when he had about one million dissidents executed. At the end of the speech all the officials were clapping for the monster. And clapping. And clapping. Everyone was afraid to stop clapping for fear they’d be imprisoned, or worse. “At last, after eleven minutes of non-stop clapping, the director of a paper factory finally decided enough was enough. He stopped clapping and sat down, and everyone else immediately stopped and sat down. That same night, the director of the paper factory was arrested and sent to prison or ten years. The officials who interrogated him told him, ‘Don’t ever be the first to stop applauding.’”
We’ve got a similar problem at Nebuchadnezzar’s dedication and worship service. There are three government employees who refuse to bow. The Chaldean high level officials were happy to report this to Nebuchadnezzar because they despised these three young men for their high positions as foreigners. So the Chaldeans brought charges against them, which literally means they chewed them up. These three youth who refused to bow are like the people who refuse to bake a cake or make floral arrangements for a same sex marriage. Or refuse to use pronouns other than biologically accurate ones. Or refuse to lie and confess their implicit racial bias. Or refuse to attend diversity training. Or refuse to celebrate sexual perversions or agree with gender neutral bathrooms. Or refuse to group people into oppressed and oppressors. These are people with hills worth dying on. What would you do? What will you do?
There the three young men stood alone among probably several thousand officials. They stuck out like a sore thumb on a plain outside a city some 2600 years ago, refusing to compromise their convictions just like many of God’s people have done through the centuries. From refusing to burn incense to Caesar to refusing to stop publishing the Bible to refusing to stop preaching to refusing to stop gathering for worship.
So here come these jealous spies, all too eager to ingratiate themselves with the king by reporting on these “certain Jews.” They lie, of course. The Jews never disrespected their king. They just refuse to worship pagan gods. They worship and serve the one true God. They lived under the first commandment to have no other gods before the one true God of Israel. Every other pagan worship is lies, and they refuse to live by lies.
Nebuchadnezzar went off “in rage and anger!” ESV says “furious rage.” His body is probably trembling and his hands shaking with fury as he shouts, “Bring them here!” And they drag them in before the king. But now the king is on the spot as he recognizes them. He can’t let them off the hook, right? Image is everything for politicians. How would that look before all the officials and people gathered around? He would lose all credibility!
The uncompromising confession.
Daniel 3:14-15, Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? 15 “Now if you are ready, at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, very well. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?”
Neb gives them a second chance. But if something is wrong the first time, it’s wrong the second time. Neb says, “Look fellows, all you have to do is bow down and worship my image. But if you don’t, it’s into the fiery furnace with you. And I can guarantee there isn’t a god anywhere who can deliver you out of my hands! So it’s bow or burn, fellas!” Go along with our agenda or you will not be needed here anymore. If you insist on praying with your guys before the game, you’ll be looking for a job somewhere else. We’ll cancel you into the outer darkness.
How ridiculous for Neb to say, “What god is there who can deliver you from my hand?” He’s inebriated with his own swollen ego and power. He’s going to find out something about the true God. What God can create a universe out of nothing? What God can design the human eye and ear and brain? What God can cover the entire earth with a flood and send fire on a city guilty of sodomy and moral perversions? What God can deliver a whole nation out of Egypt by opening the Red Sea so the whole nation can walk through on dry ground? What God can become a man and die for sinners and then rise again from the dead?
Pilate stepped into this same nonsense. In John 19:10-11 he told Jesus, “Don’t you know I have power to release you or crucify you?” Jesus replied, “You wouldn’t have any power unless God gave it to you.”
What would you do?
Daniel 3:16-18, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. 17 “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 “But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
This is a classic confession. First, “We don’t need to explain why we’re not bowing down. Trust us, we have our reasons.” They had settled it long ago that they would not compromise their faith in their God.
Second, “There is no question in our minds that our God, the one true and living and powerful God, can easily deliver us from your little fire over there if He wants to. Our God is able.” About two hundred years earlier Isaiah wrote Isaiah 43:2, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.
But Third, and this is the best part of their confession– “He can, but even if He does not!” “We will obey our God whether He does or doesn’t deliver us. We don’t serve Him for what we get out of Him. Even if He does not deliver us, you can count on this: we’re not going to bow down to your gods or your golden image!” This has to be one of the greatest confessions of uncompromising faith in God for all time. “We will not bow!” To bow even once, or even slightly, just a nod of the head, would destroy their testimony. Satan tempted Christ in the wilderness to bow and worship him, promising to give Him all the kingdoms of the world. Christ responded, “Go away Satan. It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”
What do we learn here?
Never be embarrassed to stand up for Christ. Some are ashamed to pray in public. They do the “drop the napkin” prayer. Or the “fake sneeze” prayer. We will not bow to the will of any authority that contradicts the will of God. We will not bow to the lies of the woke mob. Peter told the Jewish leaders, “We must obey God rather than man.” We cannot live by lies. The state is not God, as Neb thought he was. How many have laid down their lives in disobedience to the state around the world and throughout history. When you are having difficulty remaining faithful to God under the pressure of the state or corporation or academia, remember three Jews in a foreign land willing to take their stand for their God, standing up when everyone else is bowing. We will not compromise the truth, even if it costs us our lives. Coming to Christ does not mean your life will be easy or free from even severe persecution. But obeying God and His truth will result in a clear conscience before Him and you will glorify Him before a watching world.
Remember Peter’s exhortation that we read at the beginning of this message.
1 Peter 4:12-13, Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.
What will you do?