Courage To Stand

Daniel 3                                                                                                  Courage to Stand

This world wants you to bow to its idols.  This world wants you to embrace its values on gay marriage, on transgender ideology, on feminism, sexual freedom, abortion, crime, socialism, and even the place of religion in the public arena. This world wants to silence your faith, your values and your voice. And if this world can’t silence your faith, it may just condemn your faith.  And there is no better example of this in our current culture, than the uproar created over NFL Kicker, Harrison Butker’s Commencement speech at Benedictine College given two weeks ago.  A speech given by a practicing Catholic to students at a Catholic School who were about to receive their diploma. In his speech he touted the need for clear examples of Christ-centered leadership that would take pride in glorifying God rather than “the deadly sin sort of pride that has an entire month dedicated to it.” He championed the Biblical role of motherhood, and the need for strong father figures in the home. He said to the men there, “Be unapologetic in your masculinity, fighting against the cultural emasculation of men. Do hard things. Never settle for what is easy. You might have a talent that you don’t necessarily enjoy, but if it glorifies God, maybe you should lean into that over something that you might think suits you better.” And for these few remarks, he was roundly condemned as a misogynist – as someone who is prejudiced against women, as homophobic, and out of touch with most of Americans. Even the NFL put out a statement saying that his speech doesn’t reflect the views of the league.  Why?  Why was he demonized by the press? Because most of the press and those who were offended by his speech have rejected Biblical values and want people like Harrison Butker to stay silent. They were angry that a public figure speaking at a private University would have the audacity to say anything that goes against “the party line.”

So why does this matter to us?  It matters because this is the world we live in today.  This world is openly trying to pressure us to conform to their ways, their values and their beliefs. And if we refuse to compromise our beliefs or conform to their values, we must pay the price. So, the question for us today is simple: What will you do, how will you respond when our culture pressures you to conform to their values?  Will you cave to the pressure, will you compromise your faith, or will you have the courage to stand?

That was the dilemma facing Daniel’s friends: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego when Nebuchadnezzar commanded that everyone worship the golden image he had set up on the plains of Dura. Would they submit to Nebuchadnezzar’s pressure to conform to his ungodly scheme or would they stand their ground and remain faithful to Yahweh. Well, their response is recorded for us in Daniel 3. And as we shall soon see, not only did they have the courage to take their stand, but no matter what consequences they were facing, their faith in God enabled them to keep standing. So let me invite you to find Daniel 3, and let’s see what gave these teenagers the courage to stand when everyone else was willing to bow.  Follow along as I begin reading this encounter from Daniel 3. 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. 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. 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.  Daniel 3:1-3 Last week we witnessed from Daniel 2, how Nebuchadnezzar gave praise to Daniel’s God and exalted Daniel and his friends to places of prominence in his Kingdom. But as we begin this chapter, we see his praise was shallow and short-lived. After being told by Daniel that the head of gold in his dream represented Babylon, and that Babylon would be succeeded by lesser kingdoms, Nebuchadnezzar devised a scheme that he believed would ensure his Kingdom’s prominence. He crafted a giant statue of gold and decreed that all his people, all nations and peoples of every language must fall down and worship this image. In other words, if all people bowed down to this statue, their submission meant that they were bowing to his authority – human authority – not God’s authority.  So, by doing this Nebuchadnezzar was openly defying Daniel’s God.

Now, let me make a note about the location of this statue. Nebuchadnezzar had this statue placed in the plain of Dura, which was the same location for the building of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. If you are familiar with the story of the Tower of Babel, The Tower of Babel had a two-fold function in the mind of its builders: (1) It was a defiant attempt to make a name for the people who built it – as a lasting legacy to their glory, and (2) It was an attempt to prevent the people who built it from being scattered throughout the earth, as God had decreed. Nebuchadnezzar’s statue had the same to goals in mind: He wanted to establish a lasting testimony to his glory and to provide a unifying religious focus for his kingdom.  And he was willing to enforce this religious unity with the threat of death. What he was doing by imposing this decree was establishing a totalitarian regime.

This is how totalitarian states have operated throughout history. There are visual symbols of unity – often statues of the dictator or national symbols – to which homage must be paid if you want to progress in society or stay alive. Before his death, Mao’s statue dominated China, just as the image of Lenin dominated the former Soviet Union. This homage to the national government can often be combined with religious affiliations, so long as it is clear which loyalty has priority. Contemporary China permits Christians to worship freely – but only in state-sponsored and state regulated “official churches;” while underground “house churches” remain heavily persecuted.  Like Nebuchadnezzar, these empires don’t require people to change their religion or beliefs: they just have to subordinate them to their allegiance to the empire. You can serve whatever god you want, just as long as it takes second place to the state.

Now, when we put it in these terms, it becomes clear that our culture places the same pressure on each of us to keep God secondary. That’s the goal of secular humanism.  You can worship any god you want, but in the end, it is human wisdom that reigns. Listen to how Professor Iain Duguid explains this.  He says, “We too find ourselves constantly being pressed to keep our beliefs private, and therefore secondary.  We are told that the public sphere must be kept untainted by any religion, for any other opinion threatens the unifying dogma of the separation of church and state.  We can believe whatever we want. However, we are strongly discouraged from talking about it or trying to influence the beliefs of others.”

This is the climate we live in today, and it was the climate Nebuchadnezzar wished to create to exalt his authority over Yahweh. So he issued this decree to enforce his totalitarian regime: “Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: 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. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.” 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. Daniel 3:4-7 Fear of death was used by Nebuchadnezzar to force everyone to submit to his authority. But as we will soon see, not everyone complied. There were three who stood alone in defiance to the king’s decree:

At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews.  They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! 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, and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 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.”Daniel 3:8-12

When everyone else bowed, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow. Their enemies saw this and immediately stepped forward to “maliciously accuse the Jews.” They’ve came forward to destroy the influence of these Jews who’d been promoted by the King. Playing into the King’s pride they remind him that “there are some Jews whom you have appointed of the province of Babylon, who pay no attention to you.” “These are your boys, Nebuchadnezzar, and they’ve ignored you. They don’t respect you and they don’t serve your gods, nor the golden image that you set up.”

These young men whom Nebuchadnezzar appointed refused to bow to his idol. Now they’re going to pay for their rebellion. For it wasn’t just their faith in God that caused the problem; it was their refusal to acknowledge Nebuchadnezzar’s authority. Sadly, nothing has changed today. In our world today, our faith in Jesus is not the problem.  It’s our insistence that He is the only way of salvation and the only source of authority – that is the problem. You see, we will never get in trouble for saying Jesus is our personal Savior.  But when we say, He’s the only way to heaven or that He alone sets the rules for what is right and wrong about sex, marriage and morality – that’s when we fall under the wrath of this present evil age. Why? Because we refuse to bow to the party line that says, “man is the one who determines what is best for life, not God.”  And in our day, just as in their day, it takes courage to refuse to bow to the spirit of the age. So, the biggest question we need to answer is this: Where does this courage come from?

It comes from the: Courage to Believe It comes from trusting that God is the only authority for all of life and morality. Look now at verse 13 with me. Having defied the king by their refusal to acknowledge his authority, we read: Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So, these men were brought before the king, 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? 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.

Notice what the King is doing here. He is giving them a second chance to surrender to his authority. Not so much for their benefit, but for him to save face. After all, he did appoint these men.  Perhaps if he gives them a second chance and they take it, no harm will be done to his reputation. But then he says, 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?”

Again, he threatens them with the fear of death if they don’t cave to his demands. And then he arrogantly assumes that their God has no power to save them. But they are not moved.  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “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.” Daniel 3:16-18

This is courageous faith in God. They totally reject Nebuchadnezzar’s claim that their God could not deliver them. They are convinced their God can set them free, and they said so. However, with breathtaking courage and confidence in their God, they also tell the king that they know the possibility that their God might not deliver them. But whether God delivers them or not, they’re not going to bow.

Where did their courageous faith come from?  It came from believing God is bigger than our problems.  They believed in the God who created the heavens and the earth.  They believed in the One who promised to always love them and be there for them.  They believed in the Almighty and Gracious God who promises to have their best interests at heart. So, they believe their God is so much greater than Nebuchadnezzar’s threats. They believe their God is more powerful than Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace.  So, their faith in Yahweh gave them the courage to stand strong even if it meant dying for their faith. That’s the kind of faith we need today…

That’s the kind of faith that gives you the confidence to refuse to compromise when the world criticizes. That’s the kind of faith that gives you the courage to stand when you’re being pressured to cave to values that are not of God. And that’s the kind of faith that will allow you stare death in the face because you know that God’s love for you goes beyond the grave.

At the end of the day, this is faith in God alone. It’s not faith in God’s ability to deliver you. It’s faith in the God who is for you. It’s the same faith witnessed in Job who said, “Though He slay me, yet I will trust in Him.” Job 13:15. It’s the same faith expressed by Paul when he said, ^“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.^” Philippians 1:20-21 And it’s the same faith that gave these young men the courage to defy Nebuchadnezzar’s authority. Why? Because they believed that if God should deliver them, God’s name would be vindicated. And they also believed that if they were to die, their faithful witness would declare the worthiness of their God and the unworthiness of Nebuchadnezzar’s self-created idol. So, whether they lived or died, they knew their faith in their God would bring glory to God…

So, I’ve got to ask: Do you have that kind of faith?  Do you believe God is greater than the forces of evil trying to pressure you to stay silent and look the other way?  Do you believe standing with God is better than caving to the ideologies of this world?  Will you continue to trust in Him, even if it means being ridiculed, slandered, canceled or even imprisoned for your faith?  Well, that’s the kind of faith these boys had, and it gave them the courage to stand, even if it meant being thrown into the fire.  So, what happened next?  Look at verse 19…

Saved in the Fire Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach 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, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.  Daniel 3:19-20

So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. Daniel 3:21-23

Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisors, “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.” Daniel 3:24-25

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.”

Against all odds, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were saved in the fire. AndNebuchadnezzar was witness to their salvation. There was a fourth man in the fire with them, and because he was with them, these young men came out of the flames totally unharmed: 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.  Yet, the very men who threw them in all died immediately.  This was an amazing miracle of salvation!

Who saved them? It was this fourth man in the fire. Who was the fourth man in the fire? Nebuchadnezzar says the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” For the most part scholars agree that the fourth man in the fire was none other than Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in a what theologians call a Christophany, a physical appearance of Christ in the Old Testament.  In other words, the fourth man in the fire was God. God was with them in the fire!  This miracle of God’s saving power was a fulfillment of the words the Lord had spoken to his people through the prophet Isaiah two centuries earlier: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43:2

Here’s the good news in our passage today! Our God saves!  Our God is great!  Our God is good. And He promises to be with you in whatever fiery trial you may face. Our God doesn’t promise to keep you from fiery trials. But He does promise to be with you in those trials. That’s a promise you can hold onto whenever this world attacks you for refusing to bow. It’s His promise recorded for us in Romans 8, that says: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?   No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-38

Now, there’s one last thing God wants us to see from His miraculous rescue today, and that is this: When we stand for God in a world that opposes God, our enemies will witness our faith and give God the glory.  That’s what we now see as Nebuchadnezzar responds to what he has just witnessed.  Listen to his response as these young men are rewarded for their faith:  Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Daniel 3:28 The king gives praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He publicly recognizes that it was their God who saved them. And he acknowledges their courageous faith. And from what he has just witnessed, he changes his tune about their God, and says, Therefore, I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon. Daniel 3:28-30

When I began this message, I made this statement: This world wants you to bow to its idols.  That reality is not going to change when you leave here today. You have a choice: You can stand for God, or you can bow to the world.  But if we’ve learned anything here today, the only way you can stand for God, is to believe God is standing with you.

And the only way you can believe God is standing with you, is to believe that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to save you when you couldn’t save yourself.  For He is the God who saves.  He is bigger than anything you will ever face.  So, trust in Him, and He will give you the courage to stand with Him.