The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Daniel 3:24-27,
"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."
Nebuchadnezzar set up a statue to be worshiped and when the God-fearing friends of Daniel refused to bow down to it, Nebuchadnezzar had them thrown into a hot furnace. In the fire, they were unharmed and there was a forth figure seen in the fire, someone who looked "like a son of the gods." There is only one God and he has only one Son, Jesus Christ. We believe this forth figure to be a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, the Son of God.
Nebuchadnezzar called them out of the fire and found that, not only were they unharmed, even their clothes had no odor of smoke!
Is this an account for only the genre of children's Bible stories? I think not - not by a long shot. This account reveals very important adult-level truths (as well as truths for the younger ones), that need to be learned and understood by the most mature of believers.
From this account we learn how to address the issues of what we all will be confronted with in the days ahead, "So give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." Matthew 22:21. We find out that at times it may only be after we make the right life-and-death decisions that express our faith (as did Daniel's friends) that we find ourselves in the Lord's presence in this life. We find for ourselves, experientially, that the one to fear is not the civil authority or anyone else when it comes to the things of God, but God, "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him." Luke 12:4-5.
I'm certain there are many truths that can glean from this account. It is an amazing account, as so many are in Daniel's book. It is a truthful and accurate record of an event that took place that day in Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom and it holds for all of us many things we need to learn.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"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."
Nebuchadnezzar set up a statue to be worshiped and when the God-fearing friends of Daniel refused to bow down to it, Nebuchadnezzar had them thrown into a hot furnace. In the fire, they were unharmed and there was a forth figure seen in the fire, someone who looked "like a son of the gods." There is only one God and he has only one Son, Jesus Christ. We believe this forth figure to be a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, the Son of God.
Nebuchadnezzar called them out of the fire and found that, not only were they unharmed, even their clothes had no odor of smoke!
Is this an account for only the genre of children's Bible stories? I think not - not by a long shot. This account reveals very important adult-level truths (as well as truths for the younger ones), that need to be learned and understood by the most mature of believers.
From this account we learn how to address the issues of what we all will be confronted with in the days ahead, "So give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." Matthew 22:21. We find out that at times it may only be after we make the right life-and-death decisions that express our faith (as did Daniel's friends) that we find ourselves in the Lord's presence in this life. We find for ourselves, experientially, that the one to fear is not the civil authority or anyone else when it comes to the things of God, but God, "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him." Luke 12:4-5.
I'm certain there are many truths that can glean from this account. It is an amazing account, as so many are in Daniel's book. It is a truthful and accurate record of an event that took place that day in Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom and it holds for all of us many things we need to learn.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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