(Daniel 3:14-18)
“14 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?’ 16 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.”
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In 605 B.C., King Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem; consequently, some youths from the royal family and of the nobles had been taken captive and were forced to march about 500 miles, under harsh conditions, into Babylon to live in exile. The names of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego were assigned to them after they had been appointed to the king’s personal service (as prophesied in Isaiah 39:5-7). In Daniel 1:7, it is written that the real names of these three men were actually Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Dual names were not uncommon in ancient times. Pharaoh had also assigned Joseph an Egyptian name (Genesis 41:45), and Hadassah (had-as-saw’) is better known by her Persian name, Esther (es-tare’) (Esther 2:7).
Hananiah (khan-an-yaw’) or (khan-an-yaw’-hoo):
A compound of the words chanan (khaw-nan’) and Yahh (yaw). The word chanan means to show favor. It expresses generosity as a gift from the heart (Psalm 37:21), especially with GOD being the Source of this undeserved favor (Genesis 33:11). GOD’s favor is especially seen in His deliverance from one’s enemies or surrounding evils (Psalm 77:9; Amos 5:15). The word Yahh is short for the Tetragrammaton “YHWH”, which is the divine name of GOD. Thus, the name Hananiah means “GOD has favored.” And by context, it is evident that this favor is GOD’s grace; therefore, we could say that this name means “the Lord shows grace.”
Shadrach (shad-rak’):
This name is of foreign origin and some scholars believe it to mean “royal” or “the great scribe.” Thus, the commander of the officials was perhaps training Hananiah to become a scribe for king Nebuchadnezzar. Some scholars, however, believe the name might mean “under the command of Aku” (the moon god).
Mishael (mee-shaw-ale’):
A compound of the words miy (me), asher (ash-er’), and el (ale). The word miy is an interrogative pronoun of persons: who?. The word asher is a primitive relative pronoun of every gender and number translated in multiple versatile ways: who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that, whilst, as if, as when, until, much, whosoever, whereas, wherein, whom, whose, etc. The word el means god. Thus, the name Mishael means “Who is what God is?”. It’s almost as if this “God” is unknown or unknowable; however, it’s also strikingly similar to how GOD identified Himself to Moses in the burning bush in Exodus 3:14 when GOD said, “I AM WHO I AM.” The name can also be interpreted to mean “Who is like God?” Clearly, the name proudly proclaims, “There is no one like our GOD!”
Meshach (may-shak’):
Also of foreign origin, some scholars believe the name to mean “guest of the king.” But some scholars believe it may mean, “Who is like Aku?”
Azariah (az-ar-yaw’) or (az-ar-yaw’-hoo):
A compound of the words azar (aw-zar’) and Yahh (yaw). The word azar means to help, assist, aid. An example would be seen in Psalm 28:7 when David wrote, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.” And again, the word Yahh is short for the Tetragrammaton “YHWH”, which is the divine name of GOD. Thus, the name Azariah means “GOD has helped.”
Abed-nego (ab-ade’ neg-o’):
Also of foreign origin, some scholars believe the name means “servant of Nego/Nebo,” which might mean “servant of Nebuchadnezzar.” However, some scholars believe it means “servant of Nabu,” which would be the god of learning and writing.
And so it is evident that king Nebuchadnezzar desired to indoctrinate the young men into converting their loyalties from the one true GOD to worshiping the multiple gods of Babylon. Now, these three young men, whom will be referred to by their Babylonian names for the sake of continuity of the story, were youths when they began their three-year indoctrination (Daniel 1:4,10,17). The Babylonian training period of three years (1:5) was apparently similar to that of the Persians. Plato wrote that Persian youths began their education at the age of fourteen (Alcibiades 1.121), and Xenophon testified that they finished around the age of sixteen or seventeen (Cyropaedia 1.2.8). According to the Persian Avesta, a Zoroastrian scripture, a student trained with a religious teacher for three years. Thus, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego were most likely around the age of fourteen when they first began their training and were around sixteen or seventeen when the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar (1:18).
This story, in context, begins after GOD (through Daniel) revealed and interpreted (2:31-45) Nebuchadnezzar’s dream which left his spirit troubled (2:1). Afterwards, Nebuchadnezzar paid homage to Daniel, praised GOD, and then promoted Daniel as “ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon” (2:46-48). And because Daniel received favor from the king, he “made request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego over the administration of the province of Babylon, while Daniel was at the king’s court” (2:49). This provided them with further opportunity to promote the peace and welfare of the city where the Lord had exiled them, as Jeremiah had counseled them to do (Jeremiah 29:5-7).
After an unspecified amount of time, Nebuchadnezzar “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.” (3:1). The word “image” is the English translation of the Aramaic word tselem (tseh’-lem), which means statue, as seen in Numbers 33:52; 2Kings 11:18, and it signifies a replica (1Samuel 6:5). The word means image in the sense of essential nature, as in human nature in its characteristics even though it’s not an exact replica as it can be described as a shadow of something or someone. And because this statue is not described as being a god (specifically, Bel/Marduk), this statue was most likely a statue of himself, especially since he praised himself in 4:30. A cubit is approximately 18 inches or 45 centimeters; thus, this golden statue was about 1,080 inches, or 90 feet in height and 108 inches, or 9 feet in width. But because this measurement is disproportionate to a human figure, perhaps it was a mere column which had his image engraved within. Or perhaps the king was not as concerned with proportion as he was with having his statue taller than all others he had seen from the places he conquered and/or planned to conquer. Its location on a plain in Babylon recalls the location of the Tower of Babel, which was also on a plain (Genesis 11:2); moreover, its purpose was to provide a unifying center for all the people. It seems that Nebuchadnezzar was trying to succeed where previous successors failed.
A modern day 90-ft statue, called “Our Lady of the Rockies,” currently exists in Butte, Montana in the United States; it is a statue of Mary, the mother of Jesus. This statue took six years to complete with our modern technology; however, ancient Babylon did not have such luxuries of the modern technology we do now. If Nebuchadnezzar’s statue was made after the manner described in Isaiah 44:9-20, the body was formed of wood, and the whole, when properly shaped, was covered with thin plates of gold, such as seen in Exodus 25:11,24; 30:3; 37:2,11,26; 1Kings 6:20-21; 2Chronicles 3:4; 9:17. As the height of the whole is disproportionate to the width, it is probable that the height of the pedestal on which the statue stood is included in the total height. Many Greek and Arabic interpreters suppose that the completion of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue would have been around the 18th year of his reign. And if he had his dream interpreted in the second year of his reign (2:1), then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego would have been about the age of 32 or 33. This means that by the time Nebuchadnezzar commanded the three to worship his statue, they had already faithfully and successfully endured 18-19 years of Babylonian indoctrination and sinful lifestyle.
Why did Nebuchadnezzar make this statue? The king might have received pushback from his own people against the favor he showed Daniel and his three friends while also praising the GOD of the Jews for having interpreted his dream, but it’s not the most likely scenario. By Nebuchadnezzar’s response in 2:47 of “your God is a God of gods,” it is evident that the king only considered GOD to be Daniel’s God (not his own) and only one of many gods, albeit a powerful god. In fact, it is written in 3:12 that the king had multiple gods. To the king, Daniel’s god was of great benefit to him because Daniel’s god was a “revealer of mysteries.” Consequently, the king desired to add Daniel’s God into his personal collection of the best, just as he did with humans he conquered (2Kings 24:14; Daniel 1:4). In short, I believe the best explanation as to why the king constructed the statue was pride. In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, that statue was made of a gold head, the breast and arms were made of silver, the belly and thighs were made of bronze, the legs were made of iron, and the feet were part iron and part clay (2:32-33). And Daniel informed Nebuchadnezzar that he was the head of gold (2:38), which eventually gets crushed by the rock (2:45). And because Nebuchadnezzar’s statue was “of gold” (3:1), it seems evident that he pridefully determined that not only is he going to be the head of gold, but that he will be entirely gold and he will not get crushed. Furthermore, there shall be no other kingdom other than his own. In fact, because Nebuchadnezzar was full of pride, he commanded everyone to fall down and worship his statue and whoever failed to do so would be cast into a furnace of blazing fire (3:5-6).
It is written in 3:8-12 that Chaldeans brought charges against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego for refusing to comply with the king’s command. But why didn’t they also accuse Daniel? Well, we know for certain that Daniel would have undoubtedly remained faithful, refusing to worship the statue because of Daniel’s actions in 1:8; 6:10,23. However, there is no indication that Daniel had been there for this event. It’s possible that the king sent him elsewhere for administration work, but it’s also possible that he was there yet was not accused. Due to Daniel’s promoted position over the wise men (2:48), the Chaldeans might have feared accusing Daniel; however, because Daniel appointed favor over his three friends (2:49), the Chaldeans might have taken their envy/hatred out on Daniel’s friends. This is a common tactic of Satan and his children: “If I can’t get to you, then I’ll get to those whom are closest to you.” In fact, this tactic is as old as the forbidden fruit when the ancient serpent attacked Eve in order to get to Adam, in order to get to GOD (Genesis 3).
And this brings us to the passage of Scripture under examination where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego are given an ultimatum: worship the statue or die.
The Gospel has always been countercultural and in opposition to the ways of the world. The ways of the world presents candy-coated sin in appealing wrapping paper: pornography, premarital and/or extramarital sex, homosexuality, getting drunk and other forms of substance abuse, lying, cheating, gambling, stealing, slandering, gossiping, etc. Many people live in complacency and become so desensitized to sin that they either don’t realize they’re going along with what is against GOD’s will or they even willingly indulge and celebrate all manners of immorality, making excuses in order to rationalize away conviction. Not only did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego have to endure three years of insidious indoctrination in order to learn the ways of the Babylonians, but they endured about 16 more years of being surrounded by a society saturated in sin. Yet they remained faithful. In fact, these three men only had charges brought against them because they were known for their faith and loyalty to GOD alone. And because of their faith, they found themselves at a crossroad where they had to decide whether they were going to live faithfully to the Lord or faithlessly abandon the Lord in order to save their own lives from the furnace of fire. Ironically, these men came to this crossroad due to their own people of Judah who had rebelled against GOD and lived faithlessly, ignoring GOD’s Law and worshiping other gods (Leviticus 26:33,39; Deuteronomy 4:27; 28:64; Jeremiah 25:1-38). Judah’s disobedience brought these men to this crossroad. The young men were exiled from Jerusalem (which was thought to be the place where GOD would establish His Kingdom on earth) to Babylon (which symbolizes human resistance to GOD’s will).
These three men could have conjured up many different excuses as to why it would be acceptable to compromise and obey Nebuchadnezzar’s command:
- “I will bow down and act like I’m worshiping the statue even though I’m not. GOD will understand. I need to save my life. I’ll just ask for forgiveness later.”
- “I have to obey authorities. The king has commanded this and I should be obedient. After all, I know the statue isn’t a real god. It’s not like I’m actually worshiping it. GOD will understand. I’ll just ask for forgiveness later.”
- “I’m living in a foreign land. I have to abide by their rules. This is just the way their culture is and I don’t want to offend them. GOD will understand. I’ll just ask for forgiveness later.”
- “Our ancestors did worse than this by setting up idols in GOD’s Temple! This isn’t as bad as that. It’s not like I’m defiling the Temple. GOD will understand. I’ll just ask for forgiveness later.”
- “Bowing to this stupid idol isn’t actually going to hurt anyone. But if I don’t go along with it, I could die. I feel like this is a good compromise. GOD will understand. I’ll just ask for forgiveness later.”
- “If we get ourselves killed and some pagans take our high positions, they won’t help our people in exile. I need to live so I can help our fellow brothers. GOD will understand. I’ll just ask for forgiveness later.”
Though all of the excuses may seem like sensible reasons for compromise, they are actually faithless, disobedient, and dangerous rationalizations of rebellion against GOD. We must be willing to lose our lives for the Lord if we are to truly receive life (Matthew 10:38-39; 16:24-26; Mark 8:34-37; Luke 9:23-25; 17:33; John 12:24-26; Romans 14:8; Philippians 1:18-21; 1Thessalonians 5:10; Revelation 14:13). While it is true that we should submit ourselves to the governing authorities (Romans 13:1-7; Titus 3:1; 1Peter 2:13-20), it is also true that we must not obey the authorities if they disobey GOD and command for us to disobey GOD (Acts 4:19-20; 5:29). While we shouldn’t go out of our way to offend people, our duty is to speak the Truth out from love while letting our light shine into the darkness of the world (Matthew 5:14-16; Ephesians 4:15). If people get offended, then let them get offended. Even if the ancestors had defiled the Temple with idols, bowing down and worshiping the statue would have been as equally damning because not only are we commanded not to put any other gods before GOD (Exodus 20:3), but our bodies are the temple (1Corinthians 6:19-20) and that would be allowing an idol within the temple. Bowing to an idol most certainly would hurt people even if it doesn’t seem like it would because by doing so you would be destroying your testimony, quenching the Spirit, and putting out your light of witness for others to see. And by responding in fear rather than faith, aborting your commission to be a witness for GOD, you would be terminating the potential miracle prematurely. How can GOD perform a miracle for you if you won’t take the step of faith necessary to place yourself in a position where you would need a miracle from GOD?
These three men had been in danger of death once before concerning the interpretation of the king’s dream, but it was the Lord who brought salvation (Daniel 2:19-23,46-47). And so at this crossroad, saving themselves as an excuse to be alive to help others is to place too much importance on their roles in the story of salvation. Does GOD actually need them to ensure His sovereign will is fulfilled? Is it human effort which brings salvation? Is compromise acceptable at the crossroad? Does GOD mind? Are you certain you’ll be able to receive His forgiveness later? Is it even possible to travel both directions at the crossroad? What will you decide to do at the crossroad of commitment or compromise? True children of GOD would recognize this as the crossroad of blessing or curse written in the Holy Scriptures (Deuteronomy 11:26-28): “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I am commanding you today; and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known.”
As faithful men of the one true GOD, thoughts of Scripture would certainly have come to their minds, exhorting them to allow their righteous roots to produce good fruit that will be seen by men, which will glorify GOD. According to GOD’s Word, the direction to travel at the crossroad is clear. It is written in Leviticus 18:2-5: “I am the Lord your God. You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes. You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, to live in accord with them; I am the Lord your God. So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the Lord.”
Emboldened by righteous conviction, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego responded: “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter.” What was “this matter”? It was the matter of serving the Lord faithfully. And so they boldly declared, “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us out of your hand, O king. 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.”
The calm before the storm… eerie silence. The crowd awaits for the king’s response to the very men he allowed to be appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon. This was the defining moment of faith. At the crossroad of compromise or commitment, these three men chose to seek the Lord. By doing so, they chose to deny themselves, take up their crosses, and choose GOD’s will. This, of course, led them to a seemingly dead end. However, it is only when we come to the end of ourselves that we can ever experience the beginning of GOD’s miraculous power. And this is why it is written in 2Corinthians 12:9-10 that GOD’s grace is sufficient for us because His power is perfected in our weaknesses. Therefore we should be content with weaknesses, insults, distresses, persecutions, and even the possibility of death, because when we are weak, GOD will be revealed as strong.
Is GOD able? Absolutely! (Daniel 3:29; 4:37; Matthew 3:9; Romans 11:23; 14:4; 2Corinthians 9:8; Ephesians 3:20; Hebrews 2:18; 7:25; 11:19; James 4:12; Jude 1:24)
Can GOD deliver us? Absolutely! (Exodus 6:6; 18:10; Deuteronomy 23:14; Judges 6:9; 10:11-12; 1Samuel 10:18; 12:11; 2Kings 17:39; Isaiah 38:6; Jeremiah 1:8,19; Jeremiah 15:20-21; 39:17; 42:11; Daniel 6:20-22; 2Corinthians 1:10)
Are all things possible for GOD Almighty? Absolutely! (Genesis 18:14; Job 42:2; Jeremiah 32:17,27; Zechariah 8:6; Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27; Luke 1:37; 18:27)
But what if GOD doesn’t deliver us? What if in GOD’s sovereign will He allows us to experience the pain of persecution? What if GOD allows death to overcome us? To this possibility, the three men of faith boldly declared that even if GOD does not deliver them from the furnace of blazing fire, they will still remain obedient to GOD’s will— even unto death. Why? Because those men knew that no matter what happens to our fleshly bodies in this life, only GOD can determine the quality of the life that is to come in eternity (2Samuel 24:14; Matthew 10:28; Hebrews 10:27,30-31). Indeed, it is written that we will be hated by the world and suffer persecution (Matthew 10:22; 24:9; Mark 13:13; Luke 21:17; John 15:18-25; 17:14; Acts 14:22; 2Corinthians 4:8-11; 2Timothy 3:12; 1John 3:13). Indeed, many have already died as martyrs due to their loyalty to the Lord and many more will also be martyred in the future (Genesis 4:8; 2Chronicles 24:20-22; Matthew 14:8-11; 23:35; Luke 11:51; Acts 7:59-60; 12:1-2; Revelation 2:13; 6:9-11; 11:7-8). But as we learned in the “Work Out Your Salvation” Picture Scripture, we are called to endure until the end.
Enraged, Nebuchadnezzar ordered to heat the furnace seven times hotter than normal. The number seven in the Bible often symbolizes completeness or fullness; thus, the king ordered that the furnace be as hot as it could possibly be. And this, of course, symbolizes the maximum potential of power that an earthly king could possess. However, as it is written in Job 5:19, “From six troubles He will deliver you, even in seven evil will not touch you.” Interestingly, GOD can deliver someone even from a an earthly king’s furnace which is seven times hotter than normal. Also interesting is that in the seven occurrences Eliphaz lists to Job, he says “you will know that your tent is secure” (Job 5:24). And as believers, we know that this body of ours is a mere tent that will be taken down and restored with a new glorified resurrected body and that’s why we walk by faith and not by sight while remaining steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that our toil is not in vain. (1Corinthians 15:40-58; 2Corinthians 5:1-7). GOD is able to deliver us from seven troubles because GOD is able to deliver us completely and eternally. Therefore, the full power of GOD will always overcome the full power of man. Even the most powerful man who is supposed to be the king of kings (Ezekiel 26:7; Daniel 2:37) is no match for the Lord, who is the one true King of kings (Deuteronomy 10:17; Psalm 136:2-3; 1Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; 19:16). And for this reason, we live, not in fear of man, but by faith in GOD.
In Daniel 3:21, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were thrown into the fire. Understand this: GOD did not prevent the men from being thrown into the fire; however, because GOD’s presence was with them, the fire could not harm them (3:25). In fact, not even a hair on their heads were singed, nor did they even have the smell of smoke upon them (3:27). However, in a great reversal, the wicked servants who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego into the fire were killed by the flames (3:22). Why? Because the eternal flames of Hell are not for GOD’s children, but for the wicked (Matthew 3:10,12; 7:19; 13:40-42,49-50; 22:7; 25:41; Luke 3:9,17; 16:24; John 15:6). Not a hair on their heads were singed because the very hairs of their heads were all numbered (Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:7; 21:18) because GOD considers His children to be of value (Matthew 10:31; 12:12)!
In Daniel 2:11, the Chaldeans, in response to the king’s demand to reveal his dream prior to interpreting it, said, “there is no one else who could declare it to the king except gods, whose dwelling place is not with mortal flesh.” However, the Lord did reveal the king’s dream (2:31-35) and the Lord does dwell with humans (Exodus 29:45; Isaiah 57:15). In fact, it is written in John 1:14 that “the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” And in Daniel 3:25, it is written that the One in the fire with the three men looked like “a son of the gods!” But in 3:28, the king also stated it was an “angel.” So, who did the king see? Nebuchadnezzar obviously did not have a personal relationship with the Lord and thus only recognized this fourth in the fire as a heavenly being. But as always, Scripture interprets Scripture and other clues are found in the Bible which will help us identify the fourth person.
There have been many times when “the angel of the LORD” seems to refer to GOD rather than an actual angel (Genesis 16:7-13; 18:1-22; 22:11-12,15-18; 31:11-13; 32:24-30; Exodus 3:2-6,14-15; Joshua 5:13-15; Judges 6:11-23; 13:3-22). And because this Holy being is sometimes addressed as being GOD, possesses the power to give life, appears to be omniscient, judges, forgives, and even receives worship without rebuking the worshiper, it seems likely that this Holy being would be none other than the second person in the Trinity, who is the Son. In fact, in Judges 13:18, this “angel of the LORD” says His name is wonderful, or incomprehensible, just as it is written in Isaiah 9:6 and Revelation 19:12. Jesus is the One who, “like a Son of Man” (Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 1:13), rides the clouds to battle the powers of evil (Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:26; 14:62; Luke 21:27). But this “Son of Man” of Revelation 1:12-16 resembles the description of the “Ancient of Days” from Daniel 7:9. And this is a demonstration of GOD’s presence to be with believers in their distress, which is a graphic fulfillment of the Lord’s promise in Isaiah 43:2. Indeed, the reason Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were “loose” (Daniel 3:25) is because true freedom is only found in the Lord who is Christ Jesus (Psalm 119:45; Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:17-21; John 8:31-32,34-36; Acts 13:38-39; Romans 8:1-2,14-15,21; Galatians 5:1).
All of these historical earthly events throughout the Bible are also used as reflections to reveal the future. And this is why Paul refers to our life experiences as being seen in a muddled mirror in 1Corinthians 13:12: “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.” And so the three men within the fire reveals that all believers will be tested by the fire of persecution and GOD’s discipline so that they may be purified as dross is removed from silver (Psalm 66:10; 119:119; Proverbs 25:4; Isaiah 1:25-26; 48:10; Ezekiel 22:17-22; Daniel 11:35; 12:10; Micah 3:2-3; Zechariah 13:9; Mark 9:49; 1Corinthians 3:11-15; 1Peter 1:6-7). And just as the three men had been bound and then set free, all believers who place their faith in Christ Jesus will be freed from the bondage of sin (Romans 6:6-7; 8:1-2).
Not even death can separate us from the love of GOD. Nebuchadnezzar said it himself in Daniel 3:28 — we are delivered even from death due to our trust in the Lord alone. Indeed, GOD will swallow death for all time and then wipe away every tear from His children’s faces (Isaiah 25:8; 1Corinthains 15:53-57; Revelation 7:17; 21:4). And so true faith is knowing that GOD causes all things to work together for good to those who love GOD, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Truth faith calms the spirit (Psalm 46:10). True faith is knowing that if GOD is for us, no one can be against us (Romans 8:31)! True faith is believing exactly what is written in Romans 8:37-39: “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
And because we are His children, we can boldly declare that even if GOD doesn’t intercede on our behalf here in this life, we will remain obedient and faithful because we know the ending to the story of salvation, and it doesn’t end even at death in this life. True faith will never be abandoned even under the threat of death because we know that not even death can separate us from the love of GOD.
How many “even if” scenarios can you think of that you have already faced in your walk with Christ? Have you remained faithful? How many “even if” scenarios can you think of that could happen in the future? Will you remain faithful?
The Artist J:
The book of Daniel starts off immediately after Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon just besieged Jerusalem. The king asks his chief eunuch to bring some of the people of Israel who were of the royal family, and of nobility, without blemish, wise and of good appearance back with him to the land of Shinar. Four of these young men that were taken were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. There in the kingdom of Babylon they were to be taught to read and speak the language of the Chaldeans, they were to be made to eat the food of Babylon, and drink the wine of Babylon. They were to be educated, or forced to conform to the ways and the lifestyle of wicked Babylon. Babylon can be used as a type and shadow, or portrayal of the world. Thus these men were about to begin a lifelong battle of the flesh versus the Spirit. Do I follow the ways of God, or the way I’m being pressured to follow in the place that I live, the way of world? This is the same battle all who profess faith in Jesus Christ as our savior must face every single day as well, but thankfully these four individuals are an excellent example of how to stand your ground, staying strong in the faith and fight that battle. Even though Daniel and his three friends now lived in Babylon, they never made themselves of Babylon. They never allowed the culture to be so ingrained in them that it deviated them away from their obedience towards God, and the way that He set forth for them to live by. They decided through the faith that they had in God to go against the grain, and believed that God would be faithful to help preserve them doing it.
They stayed faithful even if denying to conform meant suffering punishment of death.
It’s not easy going against the grain, or swim against the current. It takes effort, and the temptation to stop fighting and just go with the flow is always present. This pressure to conform to the world is the very tactic that Satan uses to this day. He tries to get those who profess Christ to conform to the ways of the world. He wants to make us eat the food and drink the wine of Babylon, to digest the world’s wickedness and to drive us from God. But like Daniel we must recognize that the meat and wine of Babylon offered to us is in direct opposition to the word of God, and so we must reject it and allow the response of Babylon to be as it may.
Christians have quite a bit in common with these four young Hebrew men. Like them, we also are God’s people, sons and daughters of royalty and nobility. Just as Daniel and his friends were royalty so 1Peter 2:9 tells us that those who believe on Christ are: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
Christians, like Daniel and his friends, are also “without blemish.” We have been made that way thanks to the blood of Jesus Christ who became a blemish for us by bearing ours sins on our behalf. 2Corinthians 5:21 says, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
We as Christians, like these four men, are living in the midst of a world contrary to the ways of God who instead follow the ways of Babylon. Therefore, much like Daniel and his friends, if you are truly one of God’s people who has placed their trust and faith on Him, then He will preserve your faith, even through a crooked and twisted generation you’ll shine as lights to the world (Psalm 31:23; Philippians 2:15).
This was the case with Daniel and his friends. In Daniel 1:8-9 it says “But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself [Daniel stood firm in his faith in God]. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs [God preserving Daniel due to his faith].”
God gave them favor because of their faith to follow the words of God, and not their own flesh, or the fear of what might happen to them for rejecting Babylon.
In chapter 2, After God used Daniel to interpret a dream for King Nebuchadnezzar, the king made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon, and Daniel asked the king to appoint Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (the Babylonian names of his three friends) over the affairs of the province of Babylon.
So now, those who reject the laws of Babylon (that were contrary to the law of God) now have Government jobs, and most likely did them with excellency, for Jeremiah the prophet said in Jeremiah 29:7 “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”
You see, Daniel wasn’t bothered by learning the language, or dressing in the garbs of Babylon, or working for its good. He lived there now, so he had its best interest in mind. It’s only Babylon’s ways that were contrary to God’s ways that forced Daniel to rebel against his nation’s laws. This also applies to Christians. Until God takes us to be with Him, God has placed us where we live for a reason. We are in the world, so that we can do the good works that God has set beforehand for us to accomplish. The world where we live is fallen, yet since we are here we are to still show it good and most importantly show it God. Be a light where God has placed you. Jesus said that all the law and the prophets in scripture are summed up in this, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-40).
So as time continues, our heroes of the story have to once again swim against the current in the face of a kingdom that is trying to pull them downstream. King Nebuchadnezzar erected a golden statue and made a decree that if all people did not bow before it then they would be thrown into a fiery furnace. He wanted all the people of his kingdom to bow before this golden statue and give it praise, robbing God of what rightfully belongs to Him.
A sole ruler of the land using a structure to lead astray the people away from Almighty God is a recurring strategy that Satan continually uses with Babylon; from the beginning of Genesis until his end in Revelation. Satan always wants to pull our praise away from God and to place our focus on something else to bow down to instead of Jesus Christ.
Our adversary the devil often likes to copy the things of God and twist them to be used for wickedness. We see in scripture that God has chosen Jerusalem to be His chosen city, and He will one day rule over the whole earth from there as the one true king, so likewise throughout scripture it becomes evident that Satan has also chosen Babylon in an attempt to do the same. Intending to set up a rule that instead of being under God, is directly opposing God.
Throughout scripture Babylon is portrayed as the wicked counterpart in direct opposition to the righteous ways of God and His people. Jerusalem is intended to be governed righteously under the authority and rule of Almighty God, and Babylon is continually known for its wickedness, and is always destined to be destroyed by God.
Satan has been using the spiritual mindset and worldliness of Babylon to entice God’s people to sin and bow down to its ways ever since Genesis.
In Genesis 10 a man by the name of Nimrod, (or Amraphel as he was called in Genesis 14) set up the kingdom of Babel, in the land of Shinar, where Babylon would eventually be. He also went into Assyria and built Nineveh. Assyria, another enemy of God is referred to in the book of Micah as the land of Nimrod. Jewish tradition says Nimrod was a wicked man who hated God and established a one-world government. One man who ruled the ancient world from Babylon. You can see how this is supposed to be Satan’s attempt to mirror Jesus, who is a completely righteous man, God in the flesh, who will establish a one-world kingdom under His rule in Jerusalem.
Nimrod ordered the construction of the Tower of Babel, a gigantic monument of his pride and to make a name for his kingdom (much like Nebuchadnezzar did with the golden statue).
Jewish tradition says his goal was to get high enough to enter heaven and kill God. So as you can see the first kingdom of Babylon was ruled by an antichrist spirit.
So this one man ruled in wickedness, built a tower and convinced people to turn on God. Yet God came down and confused their languages to scatter Nimrod’s kingdom.
A Chaldean (Babylonian) sacred text from the 3rd century BC even has its own telling of these events saying “That the first inhabitants of the earth, glorying in their own strength and size, and despising the gods, undertook to raise a tower whose top should reach the sky in the place where Babylon now stands; but when it approached the heavens, the winds assisted the gods, and overthrew the work of the contrivers; and its ruins are said to be still in Babylon; and the gods introduced a diversity of tongues among men, who till that time had all spoken the same language; and a war arose between Kronos and Titan. The place on which they built the tower is now called Babylon.”
Of course we know that the “gods” they were speaking of was in actuality “THE” God of the Bible.
Later in the book of Joshua, Satan continued to use the wicked ways of Babylon when it reared its ugly head again to lure someone to turn from God. Joshua was leading the Israelites to take the land God had promised them, but after a great victory and a miracle from God in taking the city of Jericho, God’s anger burned against Israel making them lose their next battle. When Joshua prayed to God about why He would allow them to lose, God revealed it was because of a man in his camp named Achan. Achan had taken and hidden something, and when Joshua questioned him he said “Truly I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar [Babylon], and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath” (Joshua 7:20-21).
Achan had disobeyed God when he said not to take any spoils from Jericho, but instead he coveted the things of Shinar and of the world, and hid them inside his tent, which didn’t only affect him but his nation as a whole in God’s eyes. God does not accept the worldly and sinful ways of Babylon that the devil uses to entice us.
This is why Christians must be vigilant to not covet and hide the ways of the world into our tents, for our bodies are a tent for our souls (2Corinthians 5:1-5).
You see, Achan saw something that he considered beautiful from Babylon (which is the world), desired it, and acted upon it to have it and brought it into his tent (his body). Yet Christians must crucify themselves daily, dying to themselves, for 2Corinthians 5:7-10 says, “We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
About 800 years pass from the time of the conquest of Jericho and then another Babylon rises: Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom that we started this lesson with. This Babylon came about when the kingdom of Judah did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. Instead of following the ways of God, God’s people fell into the ways of the first Babylon, wickedness. They were serving false gods, using fortune tellers, mediums and necromancers, sacrificing their own children and many more abominations that provoked God’s anger. So God judged them by allowing them to be conquered by Nebuchadnezzar king of the New Babylonian empire when he invaded Judah and besieged Jerusalem, and yet again just as with Nimrod, there was one man (Nebuchadnezzar) who ruled most of the world and set up another monument in the form of a golden statue and set a decree to steal the praises of God from his people and turn their hearts from Him, just like previously. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, however, rejected this decree and rebelled against the king. Refusing to bow down to anything but the one true God, even knowing their refusal would have them thrown into a blazing hot furnace. They still stood with boldness and said “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” (Daniel 3:17-18).
God heard the words and saw the boldness and faith of these three men standing against Babylon, and yet God did NOT deliver them from the burning fiery furnace, but yet He also did. God allowed them to be placed in the fire, but Jesus went through it with them. The son of God was in their midst and they came out of the furnace unscathed, and so thwarting the attempts by Satan to overcome God’s own. For though Babylon threw them in the fire, it was actually Jesus that kept them from being consumed and overcame by Babylon, not the three men. John 16:33 says, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Everyday around the world Christians go through trials and are persecuted and even martyred for going against the grain and not bowing down to the things contrary to God. Even though God allows us to go through trials, He is right here with us, and Jesus has already conquered everything the world and Satan could throw at Him and overcame it. Which means when we go through trials and persecution from the world, even if we die, thanks to the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection, and the righteousness that He seals in us, we are guaranteed to come out the other side unburned, never to be harmed by the fires of hell, because Jesus has already defeated sin and the grave.
Babylon was eventually conquered by the Persian king Cyrus the Great during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar’s son, although not before God changed the heart of Nebuchadnezzar, dealing another blow to Satan. God proves that He can even take the most wicked and prideful of men, who are seemingly instruments of Satan, men like Nebuchadnezzar who killed those who wouldn’t bow down to his idol, or like Saul of Tarsus in the New Testament who persecuted the church, and can still humble them and bring them to Salvation through faith in Christ.
At first Nebuchadnezzar referred to God while talking to Daniel as “Your God,” saying, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings.” Then after the fiery furnace as “the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.” Near the end, however, God takes 7 years humbling his heart, and he eventually says “I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever”, and “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” I believe at that point the Most High very well might have became not just the God of Daniel and his friends, but Nebuchadnezzar’s God.
Now finally, in a time still yet to come in the near future, Satan will once again have a man that will rule over the whole earth, and turn the hearts of men from following God. This man is known as the Antichrist. See if his strategy sounds familiar to you after learning of the previous Babylons. Revelation 13:7-10 says of the Beast (who is the Antichrist), “And authority was given it [the beast] over every tribe and people and language and nation, [just like with Nimrod] and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain [followers of Christ].”
And in 13:11-15 it says, “Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth [the false prophet]. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. It exercises all the authority of the first beast [the Antichrist] in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to MAKE AN IMAGE FOR THE BEAST that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those WHO WOULD NOT WORSHIP THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST TO BE SLAIN.”
That should sound familiar, right? Because it’s Satan’s plan through all time. With Nimrod- gather all the people under one ruler, make a structure and turn people from worshipping God. With Nebuchadnezzar- gather all the people under one ruler, make a structure and turn people from worshipping God. The Antichrist- gather all the people under one ruler, make a structure and turn people from worshipping God.
There will be another city and spirit of Babylon on the earth that will once again get the nations drunk on her wickedness. But God will destroy Babylon just as is prophesied, and an angel will sound saying “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!” (Revelation 18:2).
Then Jesus will bring a new Jerusalem down from heaven and rule as the one true king of righteousness for a thousand years, then defeat Satan one more time and rule forevermore, accomplishing what the devil has been pretending to copy the whole time!
So in closing, in every iteration of Babylon satan has tried to ensnare God’s people. Therefore, as God’s people who are living in the world, we are to live in a way that is set apart from the world and holding on to Christ. Daniel and his friends remained focused on the things of God, outshining all of Nebuchadnezzar’s magicians, and so-called wise men, because the wisest of men really follow God. All else are fools. Scripture is filled with examples telling us not to bow down and conform to the ways of world. Job not cursing God, Joseph fleeing from Potiphar’s wife, Daniel and friends, Mordecai refusing to bow to Haman in Esther, and many more, but ultimately our best example is found in Jesus Christ. Jesus fasted for 40 days and was tempted by the devil, saying “ ‘All the kingdoms of the world I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve” ’ ” (Matthew 4:9-10).
We must be determined to answer the same as Jesus when we are pressed in on all sides by the enemy to bow down to the world. We can know all the scriptures, and talk about God all day long, but what it all really comes down to is when the devil and the world are pressuring us to bow down and deny Christ and follow the flesh instead of the ways of God, we must do as Jesus did and put our faith and knowledge of scripture into action and stand against sin. What will you do when confronted to conform to the world? Will you just go with the flow of the world, or stand fast to what the scriptures actually say and be a DOER of the word, and not just a hearer only (Matthew 7:24; John 13:17; Romans 2:13; James 1:22-25)? So stand firm in the faith, and be strong. Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain (1Corinthians 15:58). Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world (1Peter 5:9). Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7). Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2).
Quest For Truth 