Shadrach. Meshach. Abednego: No Matter What!

Daniel 1–3

The Ten Signposts of the Bible
CAMDE—400—CALY
Creation. Abraham. Moses. David. ELIJAH. 400. Christ. Apostles. Letters. Yet-to-Come.

As believers, we repeatedly face a fork in the road—a decision point in our journey. Will we take the path of disobedience, drifting away from God along the road that often seems more attractive and easier? Or will we choose the path of obedience, walking with God along the trail that is usually more challenging? This is not a one-time decision, but a recurring one, because our walk with Jesus is ongoing. 

Today, we will meet three young men who faced a defining decision—one they would never forget. Let's consider what lessons we can learn from the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Their bold and courageous choice— and what followed— is recorded in the book of Daniel. 

When the book of Daniel opens, the year is around 605 BC. The Assyrian Empire is a thing of the past; the Babylonians are now in power. Within twenty years, the new empire will completely destroy Jerusalem. For the time being, however, their aim is to demoralize the people. So the Babylonians took the best and brightest of Judah's young people and carried them off to Babylon to be indoctrinated (Dan. 1:3–4). 

We don't know how many young people were taken, but among the captives were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Their Hebrew names were changed to honor the Babylonian gods. Daniel ("God is my Judge") became Belteshazzar ("Bel protects his life"). Hananiah ("the Lord is gracious") was renamed Shadrach ("Command of Aku"–the moon-god). Mishael ("Who is what God is?") became Meshach ("Who is what Aku is?"). And Azariah ("the Lord has helped") was renamed Abednego ("Servant of Nebo"). 

Imagine what these young Israelites experienced: being taken from their homes and families, held captive in a foreign land, and given new names honoring pagan gods. The Babylonians sought to change both their identity and their worship of Yahweh. It is difficult to fathom the full range of emotions they must have felt. 

This three-year training program included abundant food and wine from the king's table. However, for the Hebrew people, this diet did not comply with the Law of Moses because it had first been offered to pagan gods. So Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego persuaded the official in charge to let them follow a ten-day diet of vegetables and water. 

At the end of the ten days, "it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king's food" (Dan. 1:15). In fact, God placed them at the top of their class. When they appeared before Nebuchadnezzar, he found that "in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, [they were] ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom" (Dan. 1:20). The Hebrew captives had trusted God in their day-to-day situations. Now they would be tested in an even more significant way. 

Nebuchadnezzar, who thought of himself as a god, built a massive ninety-foot-tall golden image and commanded the people to bow before it. Everybody complied except Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. By this point, Daniel had been promoted because of his ability to interpret dreams. We'll catch up with him next time.

Nebuchadnezzar was enraged by the three Hebrews' refusal, so they were brought before him and threatened with death in a fiery furnace. Yet they remained steadfast in their reply:

Daniel 3:16–18
O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.

What a courageous and unwavering statement of faith! They would not recant their actions. They believed that God was more than able to deliver them from the fire, but even if he did not, they remained confident that he would bring them safely home to heaven. Regardless, they would not bow down to pagan gods or to a golden image. 

Furious, Nebuchadnezzar ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual. It became so intensely hot that the soldiers who threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the fire were themselves killed by the flames. From a safe distance, the king peered into the blazing furnace and could scarcely believe what he was witnessing. After confirming that only three men had been cast into the fire, he exclaimed, "I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods" (Dan. 3:25). There in the flames, were three men walking about, completely unharmed by the fire, accompanied by another whose appearance was supernatural. God had sent an angel to protect his servants. 

When Nebuchadnezzar called them out of the furnace, "the hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them" (Dan. 3:27). 

Nebuchadnezzar said:

Daniel 3:27–30
"Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way." Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. 

The actions of these three young men clearly demonstrated the greatness of God's power. It also showed that they were fully committed to trusting God regardless of the outcome. They would trust God, no matter what.

You may be walking through your own fire today—a fire of illness, grief, loss, disappointment, or discouragement. I don't know what God will do. Sometimes he brings healing on this earth; sometimes he chooses to bring us home to heaven. Grief is painful, but his presence is always with us. Discouragement can feel deep and dark, but God meets us there providing needed encouragement. He is able to deliver us from the fire, but even when he does not, his ways are always perfect because they are aligned with his perfect will. We can trust him no matter what. 

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read and reflect on Daniel 1-3. In what current "fire" do you need to remember that God is with you no matter what?

Talking to God: Ask God to strengthen you with his presence. 

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