Dan 3:1-18, Faith of “even if he does not”

Dan 3:1-18, Faith of “even if he does not”

1-18, 1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.
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.
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.
4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do:
5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
6Whoever 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 nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8 At this time some astrologers† came forward and denounced the Jews.
9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever!
10 Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold,
11and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace.
12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”
13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king,
14 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?
15 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?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.
17 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.
18 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.”

(Sermon Summary)
  There are many trials in the world that make us fall. Daniel's three friends, who were exiles in Babylon, passed the test of food and received the wisdom of the Lord. Thanks to Daniel's good interpretation of the king's dreams and dreams, his friends became rulers of Babylon. However, in today's text, they face many trials.

1. There is a temptation to bow down to the golden image (1-5, 7). The king erects a golden statue and summons major officials from all over the country to hold a huge inauguration ceremony and have them all bow down. It is a test to worship idols. Living in today's world, we face the test of idolatry, great and small. Wealth and fame, knowledge and hobbies, and various idols put us to the test. What idol test do I have now?
2. There is a furnace test (6). If you do not bow down to idols, you will be thrown into a hot furnace. This is a big test for the three friends. This is a violation of the 1st and 2nd commandments of the Ten Commandments (no other gods, no idol worship).

3. It is a test of accusation (8-12). Enemies don't just let them get along. They are jealous of Daniel's three friends and accuse the king of not bowing to the image. We too are tested by those who envy and accuse us.
4. The king's conciliation is a test (13-15). The king calls them and confirms the facts. He convinces him by giving him another chance and threatening to throw him into the furnace if he doesn't bow down to the statue. The world threatens and persuades us to not lead a proper life of faith.

5. How, then, do they overcome these trials? (16-18) We see the faith of the three friends, ‘even if not so’. I see the martyr's faith that risked my life. They speak boldly to the king.
 1) Give positive and negative answers (16). “We do not need to answer the king about this.” The truth problem and the commandment problem need no room for thought or prayer at all. It's a simple and straightforward problem. We don't have time to think about refusing idolatry, holy keeping on Sundays, or believing in Jesus. Of course you have to practice it.
 2) They believed in the absolute power of God. They were sure of God the Savior (17). They believed that God was able to deliver them from the fiery furnace.
 3) They were one in the faith (16-18). The word ‘we’ appears six times in the original text. Together they believed in God and His salvation, and they were completely one even before death. It was truly a beautiful belief.
 4) It is a faith of single-mindedness, martyrdom faith.

  They boldly say, “Even if He does not, we will not bow down to the golden image” (18). It is truly a great faith decision. They feared and loved God the king of righteousness more than the king of the unrighteous world. They feared the eternal fire of hell more than the furnaces of earth. Rather than the king who threw his body into the furnace, they feared God, who threw both spirit and body into the fire of hell. They valued the eternal blessings of heaven more than the wealth of the world. Truly, these are the people the world cannot bear (Heb.11:38).    What about us? We can do it too. Ask the Lord to give you this faith. All we have to do is look to the Lord who sustains us to the end (Heb. 12:2, Let us look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. did you). Because the Lord has overcome all these trials and has triumphed.

  Today, great and small tests of faith come like fire to us. However, I pray that you will live as a noble person who only looks to the Lord and wins and receives the praise and glory of the Lord. 1 Peter 1:6-7, In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  I earnestly intercede for you to live like that. Amen.