Four in the Fire
Daniel 3:19-26 (NIV)
“Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meschach 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, Meschach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace….
The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace was so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. 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, Meschach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!’
So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire…”
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The Bible story of Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego is well-known. These three heroes from the book of Daniel refuse to worship the golden statue of the wicked Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. For their disobedience, they are bound together and thrown to their seeming doom in a blazing furnace. Instead of death, however, the men are protected from the fire and are joined by a mysterious figure in the furnace, the one Nebuchadnezzar refers to as "a son of the gods.” It is this sight that prompts Nebuchadnezzar to worship God and release the men from the fire.
This story is full of archetypes. Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego are a symbol of those who worship the living God in purity and authenticity. They refuse to bow to idols of man or submit to the spirit of the age. They are a model of the Christian, who must bravely navigate the complexities of a world that willfully rejects relationship with God.
Nebuchadnezzar is the personal embodiment of the world system that thrives on the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). Although once held in the king’s confidence, Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego become objects of his wrath after they refuse to worship his image. He takes action against the saints by ordering their death.
This pattern - that of the world system set against those who worship the living God in purity and righteousness - has continued throughout history, and still continues to this present day. We can expect to encounter opposition and persecutions for our worship of Jesus, in the form of our very own “fiery furnaces.” This fire will not kill us, however, but reveal the presence of the One who is always with us. In the case of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the “one like the son of the gods” didn’t come to rescue them. The fire simply revealed His presence.
The “fiery ordeal” spoken of by the writers of the New Testament (1 Peter 4:12; 1 Peter 1:6; James 1:12, etc.) is an allusion to this story from Daniel. The early church faced similar opposition from the oppressive Roman political system and the corrupt Jewish religious leaders. The Bible writers recognized the fact that God would ultimately vindicate believers in their suffering, even if they had to give their lives in the trial. Christ was glorified through their faith and persistence in the face of suffering. As such, God gave these men “the right to sit with Him on His throne” (Revelation 3:21).
Our fiery trials do not usher in God’s rescuing presence. Rather, they reveal the presence of Christ who is already within us. It is through trials, tests, temptations, and tribulations at the hands of the spirit of the age that Christ, operating in us and through us, will be revealed. It is our perseverance, our courage, and our faith in the face of opposition and suffering that will cause the world to truly see the One who is always with us. Like Nebuchadnezzar, they will be amazed and come to saving faith.
