M-G: 2.20.20 // A B.I.N. Kind Of Faith, Daniel 3:18, Part 3 of 5

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But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.

If Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah refused to bow before the golden image, they would be faithful to their core beliefs but under pain of death. There is nothing quite like being made an example of any time throughout history or today! There always appears to be an overcompensation to the point that it seems unfair to the one being made an example of. We have all seen this at one time or another. Some asked for it; some you feel a touch of sympathy. Neb was furious over the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to prostrate before the golden image.

Tyrants do not have to concern themselves with sensitivities and understanding because it is all about them. On a human level, absolute power corrupts absolutely; do those who do not believe in any absolutes ever say this? Are they absolutely sure? This was a perfect setup by the enemies of Daniel and his administrative assistants.

Daniel may have dodged a blazing “bullet,” by not being there and receiving the message from the king to comply or die along with his compadres. I personally feel that all of these fake wise men were not at all comfortable with Daniel as their boss (Dan 2:48). 

Daniel had to have faced some incredible challenges managing that dark, nefarious department of the state toward “lighter” policies. It is one of those “I need to know” things in heaven how in the world Daniel oversaw a department of devils? Even Nebuchadnezzar was cognizant of the hypocrisy and ineptitude of these so-called wise men (Dan 2:11-12; cf. Dan 2:27-28, 47).

Have you ever experienced having your career or life placed in jeopardy because you refused to violate your core beliefs in God? For Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, their very lives were put at risk on “Bowing On Nabu Day,” during the opening ceremony of the dedication of the golden image project by their employer-king! Their lives were only put at risk if they refused to bow.

All of the high-ranking leaders of the Babylonian empire were to be in attendance at the dedication (Dan 3:2). It was a given that Daniel who was put in charge of the affairs of the province of Babylon, but remained at the royal court (Dan 2:49) would be there on “Bowing On Nabu Day,” but he did not attend. No reason is given in Scripture for his absence. There is no telling the rumors circulating on why Daniel was not present; Daniel, like his associates, was not without their share of enemies who did not like the Jews.

If you recall it was these same Jewish men who purposed in their hearts not to defile themselves with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which Nebuchadnezzar drank (Dan 1:8). It was a risky venture on their part for they didn’t know the outcome. It reveals that their faith was more than superficial and willing to take risks based on their faith in Yahweh. This is not to suggest that there is any evidence that they were willing to die over the matter of food and drink. Obviously, violating dietary laws is not on par with being guilty of committing idolatry (cf. Mt 15:11; Mk 7:15).

Their concern over partaking in the king’s delicacies or drinking his wine may suggest that the other sons of Judah who were carted off to Babylon along with Daniel & Associates (Dan 1:3-5) may have been defiling themselves with the king’s delicacies and his wine. The reasoning of the other sons of Judah may have gone something like this,

“God placed us here, and He knows that we have to eat! Since we have no say so in the matter, it is God’s will that we will have to partake of the king’s food and wine for us to stay alive, even though it doesn’t conform to our dietary laws. ‘God, we give you thanks for your provisions!’” Contrast that with the approach taken by Daniel & Associates (Dan 1:8ff).

These four young men were given a ten-day trial on vegetables and water. At the end of the ten days, they looked better and fatter in appearance than all of the other young men (including the other sons of Judah) who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies (Dan 1:15)! God blessed these four young men, and they wound up serving the king (Dan 1:19)! These godly men would make any godly parents praise Yahweh! They were focused on pleasing God in a hostile and foreign environment. They didn’t take the position like the other sons of Judah, “What happens in Babylon stays in Babylon.”

Do we make rationales today like the other sons of Judah in this or that? Do we blame it on God or the circumstances and self-anesthetize ourselves of any responsibility or guilt, thinking we are victims? The problem is that we may be more malleable to compromise because of the circumstances colliding with Scripture rather than being less flexible in compromising our godly standards under pressure. We are more in fear of the circumstances than in fear of Christ! Living godly has a price tag, yes (cf. 2 Tim 3:12)?

We should not overlook the fact that all of those deported in the first wave in 605 B.C. knew they were not ever returning to their beloved Jerusalem. Their lives were all turned upside down. They would live out the rest of their days in a pagan Babylonian culture. Even with that depressing prospect, Dan & Associates remained godly men as they were in Israel who still desired to live for Yahweh rather than be angry with Him for hauling them off to a foreign land. Isn’t this reflective of submission to a higher authority?

There is no doubt that there were those Jews who became bitter and turned their back on Yahweh for allowing them to be carted off to Babylon, but not so with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. It would be seventy years before any Jews would be allowed to ever return to their homeland. Families were torn apart. It was an ugly time. Judah was steeped in spiritual darkness. 117 years earlier, Samaria, the capital of Israel, fell to the Assyrians over idolatry and its attendant vices in 722 B.C. Judah learned nothing from their disobedience to Yahweh. The one thing history teaches us; we don’t learn from history; my history professor was fond of saying this!

It should be noted that the time that had elapsed between chapters two and three is anybody’s guess. What is remarkable about Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah on that dark day on the official Babylonian calendar, “Bowing On Nabu Day,” is that these men did not have to measure or safeguard their words in giving an account to Nebuchadnezzar on why they didn’t bow to the image after the band struck up a tune (Dan 3:16). This exemplified a spiritual boldness in the face of death!

To Neb’s credit, he gave Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego an opportunity to clarify any misunderstanding for he knew these men had enemies, and they worked for Daniel. As able as these men were in his kingdom; he could not allow any leaders of his empire to publicly rebel against the king’s edict. These men refuse to toe the line in the matter, knowing right well they were signing their own consignment to the furnace. 

They didn’t know if providence would run interference for them, but whether they were delivered or not, they were purposely crossing that line of demarcation between life and death. It is obvious Yahweh was in control of the situation and wanted Daniel out of the equation on “Bowing On Nabu Day.” This test was for Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah alone.

Would we ever hazard our career or our very life over critical doctrines of the faith? There are bills to pay and family to take care of, right? This is a convenient time for self-effacement and thinking of others, right? This was not religious fanaticism on the part of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, but it was a natural response of those who have an active personal relationship with Yahweh. This is what genuine believers who are deeply in love with Him do (cf. Heb 11:1-40). It is a love that places God at the forefront of everything in their lives, including their very lives (cf. Col 1:18).

Hearing the sounds of the fire (7 times hot) and seeing the flames coming forth from the fiery furnace they saw their immediate future as Nebuchadnezzar inquired of them. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were not intimidated and were more than willing to be incinerated than to prostrate themselves before a deaf, dumb, and dead idol. They had a B.I.N. kind of faith to face the furnace rather than give in to their fears. God saving them was not a paramount concern, honoring Him under the pain of death was everything. Selah. 

Have you ever read or heard of others counting it a privilege to suffer or die for Jesus? I have read those kinds of books to my utter shame. This is an alien thing for most of us. We often whine over petty things when it doesn’t fit our narrative. Our pampered Christianity (baby pacifier-driven) in America could easily shift gears toward a persecuted Christianity in the not-so-distant future given the downslide of our conflicted culture.

There were no intimidating factors to dissuade Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, no latent reluctance on their part; their decision was resolute. Their B.I.N. kind of faith rendered the most powerful man on the face of the earth impotent, by their answer to the question,

And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands (Dan 3:15)?

Through deliverance or death, they were more than victors! How about the God who revealed the secrets of your dream, Neb? This pagan king was on the verge of finding out more about the God of Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego shortly. He knew this was the very God of Daniel, too!

What these Hebrew men are declaring to you and to me is that monotheism is critical to our faith. It is an issue worth dying for in a polytheistic world! There is no god but Yahweh! Salvation is of Yahweh, exclusively. No other gods can save one from eternal destruction. There is no debate, no thinking it through, for it is non-negotiable. Would we be willing to die for the truth that there is no God but Yahweh? That all other deities are false? <><  

To Part 4