The fourth Man in the furnace.
It's one of those stories told so often, it's known by nonbelievers through the zeitgeist. The firey furnace. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego and the Fourth Man. Let's try to see it fresh and new. Hear what God has to say today.
We have to start with our old buddy, Nebuchadnezzar. He is one of the most important parts of this story. His arc is one of the most important parts of the book of Daniel.
The King previously bowed before Daniel in honor of Daniel's God, our God, THE God. And he believed what Daniel had to say. So much so that Nebuchadnezzar commissioned a giant gold statue to be made. He heard Daniel's interpretation of the dream and believed that Babylon was the greatest empire of all time. And, I assume that he came to the conclusion that he was also the greatest all time. So he made the whole statue gold, instead of just the head.
There's a lesson here. Believers can make mistakes about Scripture; but if a believer is in the Bible, he or she has the Holy Spirit to help interpret. But a nonbeliever, as Nebuchadnezzar is at this time, now believes in the great things he's seen; but doesn't have the blessing of the Holy Spirit, so he is running everything through his own logic and beliefs.
Think about what he did. In the context of the story, it's only a few words, but in real life it had to be a very expensive, labor-intensive, and high-profile endeavor. Where did that much gold come from? What else could the king have done with that wealth. And it wasn't even placed in a the palace or a temple; he had it erected on the plain of Dura. Out in the open. What a statement.
He heard, Daniel, believed Daniel, and believed in Daniel's God; but he missed the point and made it about his own glory.
With that much cost and effort, he wanted everyone to behold it. He reached out to the various officials to get everyone together for a dedication.
And not only that, not a single moment of dedication, but an ongoing worship of the statue. When the various instruments played, everyone was to fall to their knees and worship the statue. If you were caught not kneeling when the instruments played, you would be cast into a fiery furnace. This was followed by all the people of all of the various lands in Babylon–lots of captives and traders were a part of this massive empire.
Except.
Except the Jews.
And because of that, certain Chaldeans snitched on the Hebrews for not bowing at the music, probably out of jealousy for the captives who were promoted above them after Daniel's dream interpretation—Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-negoo. They called these men out by name, pointing out that the king had put them in administrative positions. Also emphasizing that the Hebrews didn't worship the king's gods...so we know ole' Neb wasn't there yet.
This civil disobedience by the Hebrews enraged Neb and he called them before him. He questioned whether they served his gods and bowed to his statue. He even gave them another chance at the next sounding of the music. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-negoo answered that they didn't need to account for themselves.
Here's the money line. It's launched millions of prayers and songs and worship:
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.” Daniel 3:17–18
He will deliver us.
But even if He does not.
We ain't ever gonna serve yo gods.
Period.
As you might imagine...this did not land well with the most powerful man on the planet.
Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath, and his facial expression was altered toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. He answered by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. Daniel 3:19
Wrath! Retaliation!
The most powerful man on the planet was going to have his wrath satiated.
He even sacrificed valiant warrior to cast the Hebrew captives into the overheated fire. The Hebrews were tied up covered in all of the their clothing and went into the fire still tied up.
And now the most famous part:
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, “Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?” They replied to the king, “Certainly, O king.” 25 He said, “Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!” Daniel 3:24–25
It was the king who saw the fourth man. Even though this barbarian was trying to slaughter His children, God is still trying to reach out Nebuchadnezzar. To show him who the real God is. The captives bonds have been loosened, but they have not burned.
Look at how Nebuchadnezzar responds:
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he responded and said, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the Most High God, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire. Daniel 3:26
Nebuchadnezzar got to the door of the furnace.
MIRACLE.
His valiant warriors burned up, but not him.
Then Nebuchadnezzar proclaims that these men are servant of the Most High God. Not their god but THE GOD. This is one step further than he went with Daniel. He now recognizes that their in ONE El Elyon.
Interestingly, verse 27 tells us that it was the snitches, the other jealous officials that noticed that Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego came out unscathed. Not singed clothes, not burned skin, and not even any smell of smoke. But their bindings had been freed.
MIRACLE
God showed the fourth Man to Neb, but He showed the failure of the snitches scheme to the snitches.
Different lessons for different people from the same demonstration of God's power.
And a happy and satisfying ending, which we don't often see:
Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God.
29 Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.”
30 Then the king caused Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego to prosper in the province of Babylon. Daniel 3:28–30
Nebuchadnezzar took a step backwards. He still sees God as their God, but at least he also sees Him as the supreme God that should not be messed with. Getting closer.
So much to learn from this passage. From the Hebrew captives, from the snitches, from the king; but mostly from the Fourth Man. I should say that we don't know for certain that it was Jesus. it might have been an angel or some other divine being. But for me, because it was Nebuchadnezzar who saw Him, I believe God was making the showing of Himself to continue to reach out to Neb. God has very specific things He wants from Neb and He needs Neb to know Him. Just an opinion, of course.
If only we could all live in the state of, "But even if He does not." Utter and complete faith. For these three is was rewarded, but we see cases like Jeremiah where it is not. And it's the same God. Even if.
Amen.