The Image of Gold and Blazing Furnace - Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego

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 “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.  But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. ”  [Daniel 5:16-18]

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The Image of Gold and Blazing Furnace

King Nebuchadnezzar made an idolatrous image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. He then summoned all the provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. So the provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.

Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: As soon as you hear all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.  Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”

Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

 Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king,  and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?  Now when you hear the music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.  But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual  and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.  So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace.  The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,  and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”

They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”

   So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire,  the governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.  Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”

 The three young men were unharmed. The fire had burned only the cords that bound them. Afflictions succeed in accomplishing God's purposes and setting us free from the things that binds us.  The king was so impressed that he forbade anyone to speak against the God of the Jews and promoted the three young men in the province of Babylon.

Are you taking a firm stand for truth like the three young men?

 

Walking in the fire

 “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods. ”  [Daniel 3:25]

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in furnace




RESULTS OF THE FLESH

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 “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;  idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions  and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  [Galatians 5:19-2]

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RESULTS OF THE FLESH

Listen! What kind of works does fallen human nature produce? There is no difficulty in identifying the works of the flesh.  They are evident to all. Adultery is unfaithfulness in the marriage relationship. Fornication is unlawful sexual intercourse.

Uncleanness is moral evil, sensuality. Lewdness is shameless conduct involving absence of restraint. Idolatry is not only the worship of idols, but also the immorality that accompanies demon worship. Sorcery is witchcraft, magic spells. It also include superstitions.

Hatred means strong feelings of malice directed toward individuals. Contentions are discord, variance, quarrels. Jealousies are distrust, suspicions. Wrath is outbursts of hot anger or passions.  Selfish ambitions are self-centered strivings to be number one. Dissensions are separations caused by disagreements. Heresies are sects formed by men with self-willed opinions.  Envy is displeasure at the success or prosperity of others. Murders are unlawful killing of others. Drunkenness refers to intoxication caused by strong drunk. Revelries  are riotous gatherings for entertainment, accompanied by drunkenness.

Paul warns his readers, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  The passage does not teach that a drunkard cannot be save, but it does say that those whose lives are characterized by the above catalog of fleshly works are not saved.

Why should Paul write in this manner to churches of Christians? The reason is that not all who profess to be saved are true children of God.

Let us examine ourselves in light of God's Word. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:25). 

ONE COMMAND

 “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  [Galatians 5:14]

One Command




 

DAVID'S SON IS DAVID'S LORD

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 “While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”  “The son of David,” they replied.  He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says, 

“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
   “Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
   under your feet.”’

   If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”  No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.  ”  [Mathew 22:41-46]

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DAVID'S SON IS DAVID'S LORD

While the Pharisees were still awed by Jesus’ answer to the lawyer, He faced them with a provocative problem. “What did they think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?

Most Pharisee did not believe that Jesus was the Christ; they were still waiting for the Messiah. So Jesus was not asking them, “What do you think of Me?”  He was asking in general way whose Son the Messiah would be when He appeared.

They answered correctly that the Messiah would be a descendant of David. Then the Lord Jesus quoted Psalm 110:1 where David said, “The Lord said to my Lord, “sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’” The first use of the word “LORD” refers to God the Father, and the second to the Messiah. So David spoke of the Messiah as his Lord.

Now Jesus posed the question, “If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?” The answer is that the Messiah is both David’s Lord and David’s Son—both God and Man. As God, He is David’s Lord; as a Man, He is David’s Son.

Had the Pharisees only been teachable, they would have realized that Jesus was the Messiah—the Son of David through the line of Mary, and the Son of God as revealed by His words, works, and ways.

But they refused to see. Completely baffled by His wisdom, they ceased trying to trick Him with questions. Hereafter they would use another method—violence. " 

Jesus, Son of David

 “As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!”  [Matthew 9:27]

Jesus, Son of David




JUSTIFIED BY FAITH

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 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,"  [Romans 5:1]

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JUSTIFIED BY FAITH

"Being justified by faith." The way of reaching this state of justification is not by tears, nor prayers, nor humblings, nor working, nor Bible-reading, nor church-going, nor chapel- going, nor sacraments, nor priestly absolution, but by faith, which faith is a simple and utter dependence and believing in the faithfulness of God, a dependence upon the promise of God, because it is God's promise, and is worthy of dependence. It is a reliance with all our might upon what God has said. This is faith, and every man who possesses this faith is perfectly justified tonight.

I know what the devil will say to you. He will say to you, "You are a sinner!" Tell him you know you are, but that for all that you are justified. He will tell you of the greatness of your sin. Tell him of the greatness of Christ's righteousness. He will tell you of all your mishaps and your backslidings, of your offences and your wanderings. Tell him, and tell your own conscience, that you know all that, but that Jesus Christ came to save sinners, and that, although your sin be great, Christ is quite able to put it all away.

Some of you, it seems to me, do not trust in Christ as sinners. You get a mingle-mangle kind of faith. You trust in Christ as though you thought Christ could do something for you, and you could do the rest. I tell you that while you look to yourselves, you do not know what faith means. You must be convinced that there is nothing good in yourselves; you must know that you are sinners, and that in your hearts you are as big and as black sinners as the very worst and vilest, and you must come to Jesus, and leave your fancied righteousnesses, and your pretended goodnesses behind you, and you must take him for everything, and trust in him. Oh! to feel your sin, and yet to know your righteousness--to have the two together--repentance on account of sin, and yet a glorious confidence in the all-atoning sacrifice! Oh! if you could understand that saying of the spouse, "I am black, but comely"--for that is where we must come--black in myself, as black as hell, and yet comely, fair, lovely, inexpressibly glorious through the righteousness of Jesus. 

[Excerpt from C H Spurgeon]

BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED

 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”  [Ephesians 2:8-9]

By Grace you have been Saved




JESUS RAISES LAZARUS FROM THE DEAD

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 “Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?"  [John  11:40]

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JESUS RAISES LAZARUS FROM THE DEAD

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said.
   “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
  Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.  I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”  The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
Jesus commanded the onlookers to take away the stone from the mouth of the grave. He could have done this Himself by merely speaking the word. However, God does not ordinarily do for men what they can do for themselves.

Martha expressed horror at the thought of opening the grave. She realized that her brother's body had been there for four days and feared that it had begun to decompose. He would have been buried the same day on which he died, as was the custom then.

Jesus called in a loud voice, " Lazarus, come out!".  Lazarus came out his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus commanded the people to lose Lazarus and let him go.  Only Christ can raise the dead, but He gives us the task of removing stones of stumbling, and of unwinding the grave-clothes of prejudice and superstition.

Have you accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?
I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.



THE DEAD MAN CAME OUT

 “Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!””  [John 11:43]

Jesus raised Lazarus




When Good People Differ

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 “But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord. Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas   Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work.  They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. "  [Acts 15:35-41]

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When Good People Differ

Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch at this time, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord. The time had come to begin the Second Missionary Journey. Paul broached the subject to Barnabas, suggesting that they revisit the cities where they had previously preached the word. When Barnabas insisted that his cousin,  Mark, accompany them, Paul strongly opposed the plan. Paul remembered vividly how Mark had departed from them in Pamphylia, and doubtless feared he would do it again. The contention between Barnabas and Paul became so sharp that these two honored servants of the Lord parted from one another.

Good people differ. Through we all might be filled with the same Holy Spirit, we see things through different eyes. Part of this is because we are different people, and part of this is because we grow in different ways.

In this passage, Paul, a visionary apostle, was interested in maximum mileage with minimum distraction. But Barnabas, a builder of people, saw great potential in Mark and didn’t want him left on the side of the road as wreckage.  Who was right? They both were. Barnabas dropped out of the story and out of the limelight. But he continued to do what he knew he should do—build up other people. Paul moved on to plant churches and open new regions for the gospel. At the end of his life, Paul looked back with gratitude for the work Barnabas did with Mark.  Later we learned that Mark was one of the few people Paul could count on after almost everyone else had deserted him.  Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:11, “Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.”

Next time you find yourself disagreeing with another Christian, consider a new possibility: you both might be right.
If you whole-heartedly want to glorify God, you can’t go wrong!

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” [Romans 8:28]



Paul's Helpful Minister

 “Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.  Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.”  [2 Timothy 4:9-11]

Bring Mark with you, he is helpful in ministry




Sinful Condition - "The Ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib..."

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 “Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel?"  [Isaiah 1:4-5]

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Sinful Condition

Sometimes when people are especially sinful we speak of them as behaving like animals. Isaiah said, in effect, “I wish I could say Israel was acting like animals.” At least animals have the instincts to do what is best for themselves. But sin causes human beings to act against their own best interests –even when they’re trying to be selfish!

The people of Israel were God’s chosen ones, his children. He cared and provided for them and protected them. Most important he loved them.  But they were like ungrateful children, rebellious against his authority, as well as his commands to maintain a just society and to worship only him.

The Lord does not accept ignorance as an excuse. Even ignorant animals knew better than God’s people. Their ignorant rebellion hurt them.

Later in his prophecy, Isaiah warned of judgment, and then he promised deliverance, including the coming of Christ. But first, he made a case for the seriousness of sin for how hurtful it is. We should listen too; we’re just as sinful as the Israelites, and we still need a Savior.




"The Ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib..."

 “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me.  The ox knows its owner,
    and the donkey its master's crib, but Israel does not know,     my people do not understand.””  [Isaiah 1:2-3]

Ox and Donkey