3 Faithful Men

 I was reading the story of 3 faithful men in the book of Daniel and was reminded of a few truths.

In the 3rd chapter of Daniel, we learn about some friends of Daniel. Their names are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The Setting of this story takes place in Dura, a province of Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar had make a huge idol and expected all his subjects to bow down to it.

^4-5 Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:

 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

So when the music played everyone bowed down.....everyone except these 3 men.

⁹ They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.¹⁰ Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:¹¹ And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.¹² There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

So Nebuchadnezzar got MAD and commanded that they bring these men before him. He told them that they would have one more chance but if they wouldn't bow down he would CAST THEM into the FIRE

The wise men answered the king in this manner...

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.¹⁷ If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king,¹⁸ But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

...Our God can deliver us but even if He doesn't we will still not worship a golden image. THESE men had only the faith of God's Word, but they were faithful to trust in Him. Furthermore they spoke their faith and lived it.

Nebuchadnezzar was MAD and "full of fury." In fact he commanded that they heat the furnace seven times HOTTER and he called for the most mighty men to bind them and throw them into this furnace. The furnace WAS sooooooooooooo hot that the men that threw them in were killed by the flames.

When Nebuchadnezzar looked closely he was BLOWN AWAY...

 Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.²⁵ He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

These are the truths that I want you to get...
1.God comes into the fire with you.
2.When you are in the fire, you see God more than at other times
3. Others get the chance to see God helping you through the fire.

In the end God was glorified and Nebuchadnezzar realized that he was nothing but a pawn in God's hand.

²⁸ Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

²⁹ Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.³⁰ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.