Calling and Purpose 50— Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
[Read Calling and Purpose—Daniel and Captivity]
[Read Calling and Purpose—God Gives Daniel Wisdom and Courage]
[Read Calling and Purpose--Daniel Speaks Truth to Power]
[Read Calling and Purpose—Daniel Continues to Speak Truth to Power]
We encounter Hananiah (whose Hebrew name means the Lord shows grace), Mishael (Who is what God is?), and Azariah (The Lord helps) early in the book of Daniel. They are Daniel’s friends—part of the group of young royals taken captive by the Babylonians. They have been trained to enter the oppressive King Nebuchadnezzar’s service—beginning with their renaming: Hananiah is given the name Shadrach (Babylonian meaning command of Aku, the moon god); Mishael is now Meshach (Who is what Aku is?); and Azariah is Abednego (servant of Nabu).”
We see in Daniel Chapters 1 and 2 that, along with their friend Daniel, they remain faithful to their God and are deemed healthier, more knowing, wiser, more understanding, and more intelligent and able to learn. In fact, when they enter the king’s service, they are described as being ten times better than all the other wise men in Babylonia. They are faithful in prayer and support one another in this difficult and dark place in which they find themselves. When we see them in Daniel Chapter 3, there is no mention of Daniel. Perhaps, referring back to Chapter 2, Daniel is separated from them—being in the royal palace while they administrated from elsewhere.
Short-term-memory-challenged King Nebuchadnezzar—whom we just saw in awe of Daniel’s God: “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries…”—decides to build a huge golden idol (90 feet high, 9 feet wide), demanding that all “must fall down and worship the image” or risk immediate death—made even more fearsome in that it would be death by fiery furnace. We are told that “all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.” Total crowd control. Complete fear-based rule.
Almost total. Three standouts: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego do not bow. Other anti-Semitic leaders report to the king that these employees “pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.” The king’s go-to reaction? “Furious with rage” Nebuchadnezzar summons Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and threatens them with blazing death if they don’t comply with his demand for idol worship.
Their response to this intimidation which was NOT an idle threat: “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.”
Total faith. They believe God is able to save them. They also know that God might choose not to spare their lives in this moment. Their trust in God’s goodness and sovereignty is complete. “Even if he does not”—they will still worship their God over all other idols and images. They know the Lord’s character. They would rather die trusting than to be unfaithful to Him. Not only amazing faith—but, remember, these men were taken prisoner, carried away from their homes and everything familiar to a foreign land, made to learn the king’s ways, expected to serve him—a tyrannical, unpredictable, despot—for years. They could have been bitter and angry at God for not rescuing them and returning them home. They could have become so compromised by the Babylonian culture that giving in and worshipping the Babylonian idols seemed the easier way of life. They could have easily responded in fear in front of the furnace—and recanted their faith. But, instead, they give a “no matter what” response to the king—we will worship our Most High, Faithful, Lord of the universe no matter what.
Another round of king fury—this time resulting in a demand for the furnace to be “heated seven times hotter than usual.” The three are tied up and tossed in. Those who threw them in died immediately from the heat.
I won’t go into the vision of four men in the furnace—the fourth being an angel, Jesus, or the presence of God with them. But, when the king sees Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego walking around unharmed inside the furnace, he says “servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” Even in this moment, the pagan king knows something of the God these three worship. Proof is in the fact that not only were they unscathed, the text makes it clear that their hair wasn’t even singed, their clothing was not damaged, and they didn’t even smell of smoke.
The result? King Nebuchadnezzar praises the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—or, rather, the God of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. He is awed by the Lord’s angel, by God’s complete rescue of these men, and amazed at their profound trust in the Lord.
And, in the end—all three men get a promotion.
Note: this whole story takes place without the presence of their de facto leader, Daniel. Sometimes in hardship, we discover that our faith is our own and stronger than we thought.
Reflect:
· Stripped of your home, your worship options, your name and its meaning, perhaps even of a mentor upon whose strength you’ve relied, how likely would you be to exhibit total and complete faith in the Lord—no matter what?
· List some of God’s character traits upon which you rely (lovingkindness, mercy…).
· Think of the names that God has given to you (beloved, forgiven, child, daughter/son…).
· In your work (compensated or not), are you using all of your gifts and skills to the best of your ability—such that you stand out as reliable, committed, trustworthy, wise, and dependable?
· Have you ever been asked to compromise your values at work? What was your response?
· Can you say with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that you truly believe that God is able to deliver you but you also will trust Him even if He doesn’t spare you from a challenging situation?
Additional Resources:
• Downloadable Resources--See Sample List of Interest Areas; Your Spiritual Gifts—A Study Guide; Knowing Your Unique Calling and Purpose Study Guide; Whole-Life Ministry: A Form of Worship, Grace-Giving, and Living into Your Calling.
Shirley Giles Davis, author of the God. Gifts. You. Your Unique Calling and Design workbook, Your Unique Design Class Guide, Your Unique Design Facilitator Guide, and Gifts-Calling-Purpose blog, is a consultant, coach, facilitator who has worked with faith-based organizations, nonprofit agencies, and leaders in a diversity of fields for over 30 years. She has also been Equipping Ministries Director at her church since 1999.
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