“LESSONS FROM THE FIERY FURNACE” Daniel 3:19-30 10/11/2009 Dane Boyles

Daniel 3:1 1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.

Daniel 3:2 2 He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up.

Daniel 3:3 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.

Daniel 3:4 4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations and men of every language:

Daniel 3:5 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.

Daniel 3:6-7 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.” 7 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

“LESSONS FROM THE FIERY FURNACE” Why is it you think the people would be willing to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s new god? What is it in the human mind that allows someone not to take their god(s) seriously.

“LESSONS FROM THE FIERY FURNACE” Relativity. Adam and Eve fell into sin because they relativized God’s commandment.

“LESSONS FROM THE FIERY FURNACE” Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah saw their relationship to God as a great gift and knew that it had to be protected. Their relationship with God was unlike any other relationship. They didn’t become situational in their thinking.

“LESSONS FROM THE FIERY FURNACE” Worship was to be special to the Jew! This relationship was a real gift but it had to be protected. So Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah refused to worship the idol Nebuchadnezzar had set up (3:8-12).

Daniel 3:12, 15 12 …Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego…pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.” 15 … 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?”

“LESSONS FROM THE FIERY FURNACE” These three men knew that Nebuchadnezzar wasn’t in control of the situation. 16 …“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. (Dan. 3:16)

“LESSONS FROM THE FIERY FURNACE” They Knew How to Think. They knew the LORD. But many folks try to know God without knowing his Word.

“LESSONS FROM THE FIERY FURNACE” Consequently, many people have a semantic understanding of God. That is, people speak of God but their language about God is not connected to a real person. God is more than an abstraction or an idea. He is real!

“LESSONS FROM THE FIERY FURNACE” Here is what I think the key is to knowing God: You can’t ask the question, “who is God?” without asking “Who was God at the Red Sea?” “Who was God at Kadesh?” “Who was God at Mt. Carmel?”

“LESSONS FROM THE FIERY FURNACE” The reason you can be faithful is because your faith is a function of the Word of God. 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17)

“LESSONS FROM THE FIERY FURNACE” They Knew What to Do. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. (Dan. 3:17)

“LESSONS FROM THE FIERY FURNACE” Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah knew what God could do. But they didn’t know what was actually going to happen. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Dan. 3:18)

“LESSONS FROM THE FIERY FURNACE” We know the potentiality of God—that is, what He can do—but what about what could actuality happen? I wonder if we’re all suspended between what God could do and what could actually happen.

“LESSONS FROM THE FIERY FURNACE” Here’s how it hit me: they didn’t believe that the situation had in it what they needed in order to be saved.

“LESSONS FROM THE FIERY FURNACE” What actually happens is whatever God decides. But Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah believed that the facts relating to the situation would not determine what happened to them. There were no necessary conditions.

“LESSONS FROM THE FIERY FURNACE” The Outcomes of Our Situations Have nothing to do with What Is or Isn’t There. We have to completely remove from our thinking all the probabilities.

“LESSONS FROM THE FIERY FURNACE” 28 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. (Dan. 3:28)

“LESSONS FROM THE FIERY FURNACE” Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah took the Word of God seriously. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3) That eliminated everything else.

“LESSONS FROM THE FIERY FURNACE” Daniel 3:19-30 10/11/2009 Dr “LESSONS FROM THE FIERY FURNACE” Daniel 3:19-30 10/11/2009 Dr. Dane Boyles