Today's Daily Lesson comes from Daniel chapter 3 verses 8 through 18:
8Accordingly, at this time certain Chaldeans came forward and denounced the Jews. 9They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 10You, O king, have made a decree, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, shall fall down and worship the golden statue, 11and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire. 12There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These pay no heed to you, O King. They do not serve your gods and they do not worship the golden statue that you have set up.”
13Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought in; so they brought those men before the king. 14Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods and you do not worship the golden statue that I have set up? 15Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble to fall down and worship the statue that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire, and who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?”
16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to present a defense to you in this matter. 17If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let him deliver us. 18But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up.”
What brave, brave people.
These were the ones who refused to bow down at the golden image. Faithful and courageous, they stood up to the king and refused his blasphemous orders. The golden statue -- likely made in King Nebuchadnezzar's own image -- would not be bowed down to by these three servants of the true LORD.
The miracle of their sparing is wondrous. And it makes for a good story -- even a child-friendly one. But the deliverance of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery flames is not the heart of the Lesson. The heart is their bravery and firmness of conviction. For as they said, "Even if we aren't spared the flames, be it known to you, O King, that we will not serve your gods will not worship the golden statue that you have set up."
And so, Jesus said, we too are to rejoice not in our successes against Satan and his kingdom, but in the promise that our names are recorded in the Book of Life. Thanks be to God!
And thanks be to these three courageous witnesses who dared to face the fiery furnace rather than bow at the whim of the one with the golden image.
NOTE: We are reading the whole Bible through this year. Tomorrow's Lesson comes from Daniel chapters 4-6.
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