Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 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 your hand, O king. 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. Daniel 3:16-18.
The call of God upon each and every one of us is to know him on personal level, to know him for yourself, as he promised that all will know him from the least unto the greatest, so that none will say unto his neighbor to know the Lord: for this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. Hebrews 9:10-11.
As the law and the word of God is graven into the tablet of the heart of a believer (Psalms 37:30-31), it is now up to him to let it be the guiding force of his life, to practice it out of his love for God, and to speak it in the defense of it in all his ways against the false ordinances of man, their ungodly and ancestral customs, practices and lifestyle, or any situation that arises up against the word, will and purposes of God just as we see in the text before us today.
By keeping the laws and word of God in the heart, not only that we will not sin against him, if we abide in his word (your word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Psalms 119:11), he will also arise to help and defend us against every false power that might try to test our resolve, ensuring that his word and promises prevail in our situations, circumstances and experiences.
We must be ready for men’s confrontations against our faith, with boldness, just like Christ was bold before Pilate to make a good confession of the word of God, for we have not received the spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound mind. The righteous is bold like a lion, while humility is required to obey God, boldness is required to exercise faith in the word of God, and to stand, insist or to walk in his will on daily basis. The measure of your submission to the engrafted word of God in your heart is known and seen by your determination to stand on the word, and not to give in or admit defeat to conform to any ungodly demand made upon you in the face of suffering losses, or suffering damaging reputation before the people of the world, to lose worldly position and earthly opportunity: and others had trial of cruel mocking and scourging, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; of whom the world was not worthy: they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. Hebrews 11:36-38.
Our God is the Omnipotent, and he looks to his word to perform them (so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11), but if our heart is not steadfast and perfect in his word (Matthew 14:30), if we are not standing and acting on what is written, the power that brings the written word to life will be found missing or ineffective in our life’s experiences.
Faith has two sides, one side with its pain and challenges in a Godless world, but the present and eternal reward of faith, irrespective of its trials and price to pay, surpasses any present suffering and pain for standing up for righteousness and truth, and affirming our believes in his judgments, principles and ways in this faithless generation: but call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; partly, whilst ye were made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man drawback, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. Hebrews 10:32-38.
There is zero praise and reward for our faith, if we have not joyfully and boldly gone through its trial of fire which is more precious than gold and silver (1 Peter 1:7), for Christ himself, because of the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, and despised its shame, and is now set at the right hand of God in heaven. Hebrews 12:2.
Sometimes, a man of an unwavering faith in the word, faithfulness and power of God is likely subjected to be wrongfully accused and convicted as a rebellious and haughty man, because his faith stands him out from other people. While others are trembling out of fear, he rises up from within him to declare the word of God, and to show forth his power as Elijah demonstrated before the false prophets of Baal.
Was David not accused by his oldest brother of been proud at the battle of Israel against the Goliath of Gath? And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, why did you come down here? And with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of your heart; for thou art come down that thou mightiest see the battle. 1 Samuel 17:28.
The allegation brought against Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego before the king was their rebellious resistance against his expressed will and desire for everyone to bow down before the golden image set up, though it was a direct violation of God’s law which forbids them to bow to any image of any god whatsoever.
There is no negotiation with Satan as the fearless response, irrespective of the outcome of their resolution of these men of God, grieved and provoked the king’s anger, who gave commandment that the furnace of fire should be intensified, thrice heated than normal to consume the godly rebels who has refused to bow down to his golden image.
Our Lord teaches and encourages about losing your life to gain it, and warns against seeking to save your life to lose it. If you don’t release your faith to perish if you have to perish, how can you know the faithfulness of God to save you to the end? Though we have known God by his word – head or mental knowledge, yet we cannot personally experiment his unlimited power without ignoring human reasoning, and by faith, to abandon ourselves to his final decision in any situation before us. Is he not beautiful for situation? Why should we take decision to compromise his word, instead of keeping his way and resting in him? If we live or die, are we not the Lord’s? Either death or life will glorify him through us if we will not love our lives as to shrink from death. This was the victory of Abraham at Mount Moriah that produced the ram in the place of Isaac being killed. It is also the secret of power that shut the mouths of lions for Daniel’s sake, so that he should not be hurt when he was thrown to be destroyed inside the den of the lions which eventually changed the decree of king Nebuchadnezzar.
If we don’t publicly speak up to defend the truth, we are not of the truth, and the truth is not in us: for whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels. Luke 9:26.
It is the battle of God, of his kingdom, the battle of faith, the battle for his honor and righteousness, if we stand to defend the truth against any false custom, traditions and ungodly demands of men of the world upon us. It is in the face of the oppositions before us, because we have chosen to tremble and honor the word of God (hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. Isaiah 66:5) that we can know the mighty victorious hand of God in our favor against his adversaries.
If our heart departs not from the written laws and judgments of God in our personal determination and commitment to live by them, there is absolutely nothing on earth or under the earth, or in the sea, or any other power or any other creatures that can nullify the power of his word and of his faithfulness in our experiences and ways. 2 Chronicles 16:9.
It is good to know the scripture, but it is a different thing to practically know the power of the God of the Old and New Testaments. Genuine encounter and true knowledge of the nature and manner of God will enable us to establish a godly and unchangeable pattern of approach, worship and lifestyle to serve him acceptably with reverence and godly fear: wherefore they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, the nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land. 2 Kings 17:26.
There are a lot of things which are at stake from the text before us (a) the superiority and mighty power of God over all things created, including fire (b) the testimony of God as the One and Only God of heaven and earth (c) the testimony of faith of those who are involved in this story (d) the integrity of the word of God (e) the transgression of the first four of the Ten Commandments which should be honored. Man had a Maker and a God, a Father in heaven that is above all, and whose kingdom rules over all, to revere – thou shall have no other gods before me. Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shall not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. Exodus 20:3-5.
Thou shall have no other god beside me because he has not made or created any other god beside him for you to know or follow after. God resents anything or everything in his worship that looks like, or leads to, idolatry: to whom then will ye liken God? Or what likeness will ye compare unto him? The workman melts a graven image, and the goldsmith spreads it over with gold, and casts silver chains. He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooses a tree that will not rot; he seeks unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image that shall not be moved. Isaiah 40:18-20.
When a believer paid their devotion to the true God, they must not have any image before them, for the directing, exciting, or assisting of their devotion, but his worship should be governed by faith, not by sight or imaginary work of a sculptor made in the image of the infinite Spirit which should be worship in spirit and truth. Whoever seeks to worship the living God through the representation of anything in heaven above, or on earth, or under the earth, or in the sea has changed his truth into a lie, is a liar, guilty and worthy of death under the sin of idolatry.
Little children keep yourselves from idols. 1 John 5:21. Should you partake in other men’s sin in the world? Should you join yourself to the worship of the golden calf as the Israelites in the wilderness? Idolatry is a sin unto death of which, though you pray, God will not listen to forgive.
Should a true believer in God, redeemed by the blood of Christ, provide money or any material thing in support of, or in participation for, or in contribution to any ancestral festivity, or worship of a family god or goddess, community god or goddess, nation god or goddess or to whatever god or goddess and be guiltless? Should they drink of the Lord’s Table to partake in any way or form at the table of Satan? Can a servant serve two masters? Shall they dwell in safety and fare well before the Lord (Acts 15:29), if after they have been forgiven, freed and cleansed by the blood of the Lamb from their vain conversations received by tradition from their parents, being polluted with idols again? Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips. Psalms 16:4.
Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord. Deuteronomy 6:4.
After the God which made the heaven and the earth, there is another god placed on earth to rule and dominate the earth on God’s stead which is known to be man (what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visits him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passes through the paths of the seas. Psalms 8:4-8): I have said, you are gods; and all of you are children of the Most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Psalms 82: 6-7.
The sun rules by day, while the moon rules by night (Genesis 1:16): whatsoever God made to rule before the fall of man and under the redemption of Christ is now subject and restore to the believers in Christ Jesus by redemptive price. Joshua, as leader of the Israelites, asks God to cause the moon and the sun to stand still so that he and his army might continue fighting by daylight. Joshua 10:12-14. Did he bow to worship the moon and light as some foolish souls will do today?
Satan has corrupted the whole creation of God on earth, under the earth, and in the sea. Everything is cursed and are under the curse by man’s sin and disobedient against God from the Garden of Eden. Through his deception, Satan and his demons hijacked man’s God’s given power and authority, to become the ruler and the god of this world, by sharing powers and dominion among his fallen angels to make themselves as gods over man. They are no gods which are called gods than the fallen angels known as demons or evil spirits who are now known as the rulers of darkness of this world, operating from different locations, especially from the second heaven, where they have been disrupting the communication and affairs of God from his throne, between heaven and earth.
Woe unto you the inhibiters of the earth and of the sea. Revelation 12:12. Think about everything made by God over which Satan and his rebellious demons are exercising false control and authority as gods or goddess such as wealth, material or immaterial things. The demons exalt themselves as the god of the sea to rule over the sea and from the sea: over the rivers and from the rivers: they rule over the forest and from the forest, over mountains and valley, over individual’s without God in the world, over the family without Christ as their redeemer, over the spiritually ignorant tribes blinded by sins, and over the communities and the nations whose God is not Lord.
Through deception by sensuality and perceptibility or extrasensory (Genesis 3:6), man has refused to obey and to know God. His fall and expulsion by these two things out of the Garden of Eden has led to the encouragement and continuation of Satan’s deception to advance his cause for self seeking greatness and pleasure to make himself as a god over man to be worshipped indirectly through objects and other things created, contrary to the true worship of God in spirit and truth. If this was not possible in heaven, where he failed in this ambition, but for now, here on earth, where he succeed to reign as king of terror for the time been, being worship and serve though different objects, images, desires, pursuits, lusts and actions.
God’s has established his throne in the heaven: his kingdom rules over all. Psalms 103:19. God’s righteous rules and judgments are far different (and Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, there is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them. Esther 3:8) to the ungodly laws and constitutions of the nations, whereby, challenges and confrontations of powers from heaven against the powers and authority of men on earth clashes, all by the devises of Satan.
How can we manifest the power of God and bring every other thought into captivity unto the obedience of Christ, if we are not walking by the audacity of faith for the dominance will, act and power of God through exclusive obedience? Believer’s has the right and power to disobey the laws and ordinances of the rulers of nations and magistrates if such law or ordinance is contrary to the written laws and judgments of God. We should submit to every ordinances of man for the Lord’s sake (1 Peter 2:13-14), but we should obey God rather than man for the sake of our soul, lest by walking in the way of the people we live among, though it is not a good way (say ye not, a confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Isaiah 8:12-14), we should be defiled and perish with the people we are called to show the right way of God.