Fact not fable

“When you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. (Daniel 3:5–7)

Last night a bolt of lightning hit so close we had to check if it was our house. My heart literally shook and it took a long time to get back to sleep. But all was okay.

The above well-known story about a fiery furnace is told to many children in Sunday school, but far too many Christians tend to put it in fable status. Is it too remarkable to believe? I did hear of a man walking off a crashed and burning airplane. He prayed and was not hurt by the flames. Our God is not helpless…

The story goes on. The three companions of Daniel refused to worship the image. When told, the king summoned them and said:

“Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” 
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 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.” 
Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. 
Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” (Daniel 3:14–25)

Is this Jesus showing up in the OT and walking with His people, protecting them when that is His will? In this event, the result was a changed life:

And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” (Daniel 3:27–29)

Application? No matter how difficult my problems may be, Jesus is with me in them and able to deliver me from harm. Not only that, He is able to use what could destroy me to make our world a safer place for others as He stops others from harming me.

Jesus, I’m not able to save myself from peril, but You are. All the things I could worry about, like getting hit by lightning, are nothing compared to Your power to protect Your children.

 

Protected even when disciplined…

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it, and say to it, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against you, and I will make you a desolation and a waste. I will lay your cities waste, and you shall become a desolation, and you shall know that I am the Lord. Because you cherished perpetual enmity and gave over the people of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of their final punishment, therefore, as I live, declares the Lord God, I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you; because you did not hate bloodshed, therefore blood shall pursue you. I will make Mount Seir a waste and a desolation, and I will cut off from it all who come and go. And I will fill its mountains with the slain. On your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines those slain with the sword shall fall. I will make you a perpetual desolation, and your cities shall not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the Lord. “Because you said, ‘These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will take possession of them’—although the Lord was there— therefore, as I live, declares the Lord God, I will deal with you according to the anger and envy that you showed because of your hatred against them. And I will make myself known among them, when I judge you. And you shall know that I am the Lord. “I have heard all the revilings that you uttered against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘They are laid desolate; they are given us to devour.’ (Ezekiel 35:1–12)

If I am reading this correctly, God is rebuking those who try to take advantage of His  people when they are experiencing His discipline. Such people hate the people of God so are not going to help or encourage them while they experience God's judgment, but instead use that time to hurt them even more.

This form of persecution still happens in the family of God. Those who are against Christian believers rejoice when we struggle, as if our situation proves to them that their unbelief is better than our faith. What can I do if this happens to me?

If their accusations are false that is one thing, but what if they are true? What if I sinned and God's correction became visible, even a thing for others to laugh at and put me down for doing such a thing?

If that happened to them, would they hide or deny or make excuses for it? If so, then I must openly admit my error and make no excuses. How can a anyone ruin me if I’m honest about getting what I deserve?

Making excuses is easier. I didn’t see it coming, or someone else is at fault. It is easy to plead ignorance than admit guilt.

I don’t know what happened in this OT situation, yet the passage says God was not happy with those who mess with His will. He may not expect our enemies to do the right thing or those who detest matters of faith to behave as if they did, but He rebukes them and warns them that He will make Himself known to them and will judge them.

This speaks to the reason behind His discipline of me. He will do it, but He will also protect me from anyone who is thinking how good it is to see me “finally get what she deserves” and smugly take advantage of what God is doing.

Jesus, so far this is an imaginary event yet if it were real, I can see it as a powerful statement of Your care for Your people even while You are rebuking us. Your discipline is given with love and for our good — but the harsh treatment of others is not motived by any goodness at all. May You grant discernment to see the difference so I can trust what You are doing and reject or dismiss the actions of those who want only to harm and hurt.

 

Living out Christ’s righteousness

Spiritual battles are won by putting on the protection God gives and using the weapons that are ours in Christ. Weapons are truth, faith, Christ’s righteousness, prayer and the Word of God, yet these also serve as protection. If I am lying, doubting, sinning and not reading my Bible or praying, then I’ve put myself on the side of the enemy rather than yielding to God and resisting the evil one.

MacArthur points out that the Bible defines righteousness three ways and asks which is God referring to in this verse: “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness.” (Ephesians 6:14)

Self-righteousness: It cannot be this one because it deceives me into thinking I can please God and reach Heaven on my own merit. The NT says NO WAY. Even the OT says:

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. (Isaiah 64:6)

Imputed righteousness: It is not this one because the righteousness of Christ is granted at the moment of salvation and is about my position or standing in Christ “who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) I don’t need to put that on because He already did that when I was saved! His righteousness actually makes me a target for the enemy. Jesus said, “A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” (John 15:20)

Practical righteousness: remains. It is moment-by-moment obedience to God. If I am not pursuing righteous behavior that aims to match my position in Christ, then the enemy has accomplished a great part of his purpose — getting me to sin. Instead . . .

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12–13)

Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. (1 John 2:6)

Living as Jesus wants me to live is my protection against the enemy. Even though he still attacks, God can use those attacks to show me areas that need attention, and as I resist them, He will be glorified. My latest big battle involved the question: will I obey and glorify God even in pain? If I turn inward and feel sorry for myself begging God to ‘fix it’ then I’m giving up. However, if I keep my eyes on God’s glory, my mind will not go there, not because of my own ability but because Jesus gives me what I need to overcome that temptation.

PRAY: Jesus, You are the only reason I can obey and be protected against the devices of evil. Your righteousness is a big motivation and source of being righteous. Without You, I cannot draw another breath, never mind obey what You tell me. Thank You for everything.

PONDER: Read Romans 3:10–23. Praise God that He has — by grace through faith — saved me from the power of sin and from its penalty and granted me the righteousness of Christ making possible the choice to live for Him!