From Victim to Victor 3

Hello Everyone,

Daniel’s story is your story in another way, too, and that is:

I can be victorious because my God “is able to deliver” (Daniel 3:8–27).

Daniel, chapter 3, tells the unforgettable story of a golden image the king had made.

It was mammoth, about ninety-feet tall—the height of a nine-story building.

And he issued a command that everyone in his kingdom bow to the image.

And everyone did … except for three Jews whose Babylonian names were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

They didn’t bow.

And that is where we will pick up the story, in Daniel 3, verse 13:

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 sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of 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 (NIV) Daniel 3:13b–23.

You and I are sometimes in the same position as they were.

We, too, are children of God.

We, too, face difficult choices.

We, too, have to decide between compromise and conviction.

And we, too, can be victorious because, as they told the king, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us.”

Let’s see how this episode concludes, starting in verse 24:

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, and the satraps, prefects, 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. …

Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon (NIV) Daniel 3:24–28, 30.

Now, this story is not a guarantee that you’ll never have to endure injury or pain.

But let’s remember the promise of Psalm 34:17 (NIV). It says: The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.

And, let’s remember the unwavering faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They said to the king, “God is able to deliver us … but if not, we still won’t bow to an idol.”

I suggest to you that it was at that moment that they became victors––not when they walked out of the fiery furnace.

It was their trust in God and their obedience of him that brought victory.

You and I can have that kind of confidence, because our God is able to save and deliver us.

He was able to save Noah and his family from the flood. …

He was able to save a whole nation of people from slavery in Egypt. …

He was able to save the kingdom of Israel from oppression by Philistines, Moabites, and Edomites.

And he is able to save and deliver you here, now, today.

He is able to do things for you that you cannot do for yourself.

And he is able to do things with you that you can’t even imagine.

 

So, I can be victorious because “there is a God in heaven,” as Daniel said.

I can be victorious because my God “is able to deliver,” as the three Hebrews said.

Greater Things Are Still To Come!