A Lamp to My Feet

In our last lesson we learned that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were willing to die a fiery death rather than compromise their obedience to God. If you have read Daniel 3, you know that this was taken as an act of defiance by Nebuchadnezzar to his command for all of his people to bow down and worship the image he had erected.

This made him so mad that he had more fuel added to the furnace until it was 7 times hotter. He had them bound and cast into the furnace which is so hot that it kills the men that threw them into the flames. Nebuchadnezzar looks into the flames and sees 4 people walking around inside the furnace, “and he appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

He calls for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to come out. When they walk out, their bonds are gone and there is no smell of smoke on any of their bodies or their clothing. This makes Nebuchadnezzar exclaim, ““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.”

Folks, these young men exhibit the faith we need.

Jesus said, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”