Daniel 3:1-30 | There Can Only Be One

One of the consistent prayers that we have together as a church is that we would be a church who raises up more leaders than we need. One way that we do that is by discipling one another, encouraging one another with a word like we will do during this service, and even after the service as we care for one another and stick around this room and pray for each other and love one another with God's word. Another way that we do that is by raising up men who can also preach the word. Paul says that what you have received, entrust to other men who can teach also, and we have the privilege of being able to participate in that kind of work this morning as David comes up to bring us God's word.

Good morning. Please turn your Bibles with me to Daniel chapter 3. If you're visiting, maybe you're a member and you don't have a Bible in front of you, there should be pew Bibles. If you don't have a copy of God's word, you can keep it. It's a gift from our church to you. We would love for you to have a copy of the Word of God. So again, please turn with me to Daniel chapter 3. I'll read for us verses 14 to 15, and then we'll pray.

Nebuchadnezzar asked them, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it true that you don’t serve my gods or worship the gold statue I have set up? Now if you’re ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum, and every kind of music, fall down and worship the statue I made. But if you don’t worship it, you will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire—and who is the god who can rescue you from my power?” — Daniel 3:14-15 (CSB)

Let's pray. Lord, we come before you this morning to hear your word, because we believe it has the power of life and sustenance. We pray that as we approach your word, we may submit to it, that we may learn that you are the one and only true King, and that no other King compares to you. In Jesus' name, amen.

Having faith and being faithful is hard. A lot of the older saints in here would know that, and a lot of people who have continued in their Christian life would know that being faithful is hard. When logging more hours than we've worked will give us more money. When forsaking God and His law will allow us to have more pleasures. When cheating on exams will allow us to get better grades and have better college offers, and when just listening to our emotions and acting on them is easier. There are many things that convince us that forsaking God will give us a better life. So what is stopping us? And why should we stay faithful?

In our passage today, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are caught in what seems like a battle between Nebuchadnezzar and God. Nebuchadnezzar is declaring, "I am the King of kings, I am the true King you want to worship. Forsake your God, bow down to me, and I will give you everything you want." And as the battle rages on, one thing is clear: there can only be one King. And for us, we must recognize who the true King is.

So, three points for us today: point number one, there are false kings; point number two, stand up to false kings; and point number three, there is one true King. Again, there are fake kings, stand up to fake kings, and there is only one true King. The main point for us today, what Daniel wants us to see today, is that there is only one true King.

There Are False Kings

King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue, ninety feet high and nine feet wide. He set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to assemble all the officials to attend the dedication of the statue he had set up. So the officials assembled for the dedication, then they stood before the statue Nebuchadnezzar had set up. A herald loudly proclaimed, "People of every nation and language, you are commanded: when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum, and every kind of music, you are to fall facedown and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. But whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire."

In the previous chapter, chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream of a statue he built being crushed by a rock. The head was gold, the body was made out of silver, the thighs were made out of brass, and the legs were made out of iron. Each part, following the head which was Babylon, represented a future kingdom that would come and dominate after Nebuchadnezzar's reign. But in this chapter, the author tells us that Nebuchadnezzar made a statue that was made of pure gold. The whole statue was gold. So, do you see what Nebuchadnezzar is trying to say? He is trying to say, "There is no kingdom after me. I am the greatest King that there was and is and that there will ever be. I am the greatest King."

So he is taking a shot at being the King of kings, and it is working. Notice how every person that was called to come to the dedication of the statue Nebuchadnezzar came. Verse 3 says, "So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces assembled for the dedication of the statue the king had set up. Then they stood before the statue Nebuchadnezzar had set up." Everyone recognizes that Nebuchadnezzar is the true King. So why do they obey so well?

Fake kings and idolatry are trusting in something other than God. Idolatry is believing that something other than God is worth serving, that something other than God can meet your needs, and this is exactly what Nebuchadnezzar is offering. These people are coming from all over the world because they recognize him as the true King. They think that because he has conquered land, because he has defeated Yahweh by destroying his temple, he has peace, power, and protection to provide. And by building the golden statue, Nebuchadnezzar is saying, "I have defeated all other gods. It only makes sense that you come and worship me." So these people are rushing to go worship and bow down to Nebuchadnezzar.

So it's worth asking ourselves what idols are in our lives. What sins are in your lives that you don't think you can live without them? Maybe it's wanting acceptance from people. How people view you instead of how God does might be your idol. And bowing to that may be saying yes to everything people ask you to do, lying, making white lies up to make yourself look better, living for other people's approvals. Money is another idol. Some people think that happiness, peace, comfort that can only come from God can actually come from money. So they serve it all their lives. And bowing down to that fake king might look like sacrificing relationships with other people, sacrificing morals, sacrificing a lot of things just for money.

Other people idolize relationships, being in a relationship. Some people just can't live without being in a relationship. That's like half of my college, and half of any college out there. Many people can't live without being in a relationship because they believe if they serve that true king, if that is their true king, they will be fulfilled, and they believe bowing to it is worth it.

Not only are fake kings, idols, alluring, they're threatening. Verse 6 reads, "But whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire." Nebuchadnezzar says, "Okay, you want wealth, you want power, you want to be in my kingdom, you want to live a peaceful life? Bow down to me." But not only does he have things to offer, not only does he have everything to offer, he has everything to take away. He says, "Bow down, or you will be tossed into this furnace." Daniel writes this to his audience to let them know that saying no to idols will cause hardships in our lives.

And Jesus tells us something similar in John when he says:

“If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours." — John 15:18-20 (CSB)

If you are a Christian in this room, this is a promise for you. Being faithful to God means you will be persecuted. And persecution is not always physical. John Stott says persecution is a clash between two irreconcilable value systems. So brothers and sisters, if you are a Christian in this room and you live your life out as a Christian in this world, know that there will be a day where there will be a time where two irreconcilable clashes will happen in your life. When you must choose between serving a fake king or serving God, you cannot have two masters, and you cannot serve two masters.

So let's reconsider the offer Nebuchadnezzar gives. "If you bow down to me, you will have a place, you will have power, you will have a peaceful life, you will have comfort, you can become rich in my kingdom, you can live a peaceful life. But if you don't, you will die." So if you are in a situation where a ninety-foot statue made of gold is right in front of you, and it's reminding you that Nebuchadnezzar just destroyed your temple, everyone around you is bowing, your friend is bowing. You hear the music alluring you to bow, signaling for you to bow, and you smell the fiery furnace right next to you burning. Would you bow? Would you bow?

See, sin is not something so easy to say no to. It's not something that you control, but it's something that controls you. So much so that one of Paul's metaphors for sin is slave master. If you're not a Christian, that means you are a slave to sin. You might think you're free from the law of God, free to live however you want, but the Bible teaches that you are a slave to sin. You are being threatened and you're being allured to serve fake kings. So if you're not a Christian in this room, I urge you to think about sin seriously.

So everything in that situation is telling you to bow. The weight of the situation is almost forcing you to bow. The offers that Nebuchadnezzar gives of life, of peace, the threats. You almost have to bow. So what does Daniel want his audience to do? And as Christians, how do we say no to idols? What can we do? This takes us to our second point.

Standing Up to False Kings

Let's keep reading from verse 8 to 15.

Some Chaldeans took this occasion to come forward and maliciously accuse the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever. You as king have issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum, and every kind of music must fall down and worship the gold statue. Whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire. There are some Jews you have appointed to manage the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men have ignored you, the king; they do not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” Then in a furious rage Nebuchadnezzar gave orders to bring in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king. Nebuchadnezzar asked them, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it true that you don’t serve my gods or worship the gold statue I have set up? Now if you’re ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum, and every kind of music, fall down and worship the statue I made. But if you don’t worship it, you will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire—and who is the god who can rescue you from my power?” — Daniel 3:8-15 (CSB)

One thing that's important to notice from this text that we just read is that the Chaldeans actually think Nebuchadnezzar is the true king. Do you see the way they're constantly affirming Nebuchadnezzar to be the king? They're saying, "Nebuchadnezzar, you're the king. You have to do something about this." Why would they do that? Why do they keep reminding Nebuchadnezzar he's king? I remember a time with my friend and I, and we'll just call this friend Glenn. Glenn and I were together, we were sitting outside, and someone we know, a mutual friend, comes along and disrespects Glenn in front of me and to Glenn. And so, to provoke Glenn into action, I was like, "Glenn, are you really going to let him talk to you like that? The Glenn I know, the Glenn I know that was raised in Oakland, is going to let a city boy talk to you like that?" And of course, Glenn didn't cast him into a fiery furnace and Glenn didn't even act, but the point is, I was trying to provoke Glenn into action by reminding him of who he is. And that's exactly what the Chaldeans are doing. Just notice how many times the Chaldeans call him king.

And so, the Chaldeans do this, and Nebuchadnezzar takes the bait. It works. Nebuchadnezzar becomes furious. And he's in unbelief. He asks Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He calls them over to ask them in person. He says, "Is this true? I've defeated your God. I've destroyed your temple. Everyone is bowing down to me. If you just bow down to me, I have life to offer you. I have peace to give you. And if you don't, I'm going to throw you into a furnace. Is it true that you do not bow down to me? Who is the king who can deliver you?" And the response, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's response, is remarkable. Let's read from verses 16 to 18.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question. If the God we serve exists, then he can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if he does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.” — Daniel 3:16-18 (CSB)

Have you ever just walked into a classroom when you were younger and just called your teacher by their first name? Like, "Hey, James!" And the teacher asks you, "What's the square root of four?" And you say, "I don't know, James, you tell me, you're the teacher." That's what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego just did. The Chaldeans call him, "King, king, king! Do something about this! You are the king, king, king!" And Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego just say, "Nebuchadnezzar, we don't need to tell you why we did not bow down to you." They're not doing this just to rage bait Nebuchadnezzar and get thrown into the furnace faster. They're doing this to prove a point: that they do not think Nebuchadnezzar is the king. So they say, "Nebuchadnezzar, we don't need to give you an answer to this question. We are not going to try to talk our way out of this. We did what we did. And if the God we serve exists, he can rescue us from the furnace and from your power."

But this is the remarkable part: "Even if he does not rescue us, we will not serve your gods or worship the statue." Even if he does not! How many of us can make that confession? I know many faithful Christians who can confidently say the first part, "If the God we serve exists, he will deliver us." We do this all the time. "God will deliver us from our financial problem. God will help me overcome this season in life. God will bring this mountain down for me. God will defeat my Goliath." But the biblical way to answer that question is to add the second half: "Even if God does not deliver me from this season in life. Even if my mountains are not brought down before me. Even if my Goliath does not fall before me. Even if I get tossed into a fiery furnace and to hell on earth, God is worthy to be praised." God's worth is not dependent on our circumstances. God's worth is not dependent on what he does for us. That's why during a lot of Sunday mornings we do prayers and praises. We just praise God for who he is because he is worthy of praise. Let's read from verses 19-23.

Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders to heat the furnace seven times more than was customary, and he commanded some of the best soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. So these men, in their trousers, robes, head coverings, and other clothes, were tied up and thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. Since the king’s command was so urgent and the furnace extremely hot, the raging flames killed those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell, bound, into the furnace of blazing fire. — Daniel 3:19-23 (CSB)

So Nebuchadnezzar gets mad, and he tries to make the furnace as hot as he is. So he makes it seven times hotter than it originally is, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, because they do not bow, are thrown into the furnace. If Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's hope, if their gospel, was not an immediate deliverance, if their hope and peace is outside of their circumstances, what hope did they have that kept them from bowing?

Ed Welch, a prominent Christian counselor, says, when fighting sin, so many people are focused on *how*: "How should I fight sin? What plans should I implement? What plan should I set up? What tools should I use to beat this sin? How can I beat this sin? What can I do?" But he says a more important question we miss asking is *why*: "Why should I fight this sin? Why should I not bow down to Nebuchadnezzar? Why?"

And Hebrews 11 actually gives us the reason why the three friends did not bow. Hebrews is a book written to Christians who are in persecution, who are tempted to leave the faith. Family and friends are persecuting them, so they're just tempted to leave the faith. They're tempted to take the knee and stop being a Christian. And in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, the author lists many models in the Old Testament who showed faith, and he said this about them:

These all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised. But they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth. Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they were thinking about where they came from, they would have had an opportunity to return. — Hebrews 11:13-15 (CSB)

So these people of faith, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, are not looking at their circumstances, but at the future. And this is exactly what Jesus did as well. Jesus, the preeminent, eternal living Son of God, came down to this earth for sinners like you and me to live a perfect life so that he can present himself as the perfect, unblemished Lamb to God. Nothing about his life was easy. And in Gethsemane, Jesus is praying, asking if there's another way. Sweating tears like blood, he knows that death on a cross means abandonment from his Father. He has so much pressure to just bow down, to walk away, to summon a legion of angels, and put an end to this evil world. However, Jesus says, "Not my will, but yours be done." Even if I die, you are worthy to be obeyed. Jesus remains faithful up to the cross. Why? Where was his hope?

This is revealed on the cross. Jesus reveals where his hope is on the cross. People are asking the same question Nebuchadnezzar asked Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, "Who will deliver you? Why don't you save yourself?" And Jesus answers by quoting Psalm 22. He says, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" And we know that Psalm 22 starts off as a lament, but ends in hope. And later in that very same Psalm, it says:

All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord. All the families of the nations will bow down before you, for kingship belongs to the Lord; he rules the nations. All who prosper on earth will eat and bow down; all those who go down to the dust will kneel before him—even the one who cannot preserve his life. — Psalm 22:27-29 (CSB)

So Jesus on the cross knows that one day there will be a day where a new kingdom will be established. He knows that there is coming a day when he will be enthroned at the right hand of God where everything in the world will be subject to him, when he will be asking everyone, "Who will deliver you?" So Jesus is doing exactly what the friends did, what the author of Hebrews said the friends did. They're both looking to the future. They're putting their hope and peace outside of their circumstances. And how are we to do that? What does that look like for us as Christians who live in the 21st century?

There's a brother in Christ, I know, who told me a while back, maybe a month back, that he's going through depression. And the way he tells me that is this: he says something God has ordained in my life is depression. Just from the statement, he's making it known that there is a King above depression. And what seems to oppress this brother, he knows who is in control. This brother described his depression to be likened to his legs being shattered and people telling him to constantly walk. Some people say depression is like the darkest part of hell. Some people say everything they delighted in is gone: reading the Word of God, following Jesus, their wife, their children—it's all gone. Depression is a condition that makes you want to do nothing but bow, just submit and succumb. And in the midst of that, when depression asks the brother, "Why do you continue to live? Who will deliver you?" This brother says, "Oh Nebuchadnezzar, oh depression, I have no reason to answer you. If the God I serve exists, he is able to deliver me. But even if he does not, my God is worthy to be praised."

For this brother and for us, God's goodness should not be dependent on our circumstances. If that were the case, God would not be that good. Our faithfulness to God should not be dependent on God's immediate deliverance, but it should be dependent on who he is. Again, when fighting against sinful urges, temptations, idols, fake kings, it's important to ask, why should I continue? So, if you're not a Christian here, I wonder if you have such a hope. I wonder where your hope is in. I wonder if the next time you go through something, you will have a hope outside of your circumstances that will carry you out. And if you are a Christian in this room, as citizens of another kingdom who are living on this earth right now, Daniel gives us a reason for being faithful to God. This brings us to our third and last point.

The One True King

Let's read the rest from verses 24 to the end.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm. He said to his advisers, “Didn’t we throw three men, bound, into the fire?” “Yes, of course, Your Majesty,” they replied to the king. He exclaimed, “Look! I see four men, not tied, walking around in the fire unharmed; and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and called, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High God—come out!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire. When the satraps, prefects, governors, and the king’s advisers gathered around, they saw that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men: not a hair of their heads was singed, their robes were unaffected, and there was no smell of fire on them. Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel and rescued his servants who trusted in him. They violated the king’s command and risked their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I issue a decree that anyone of any people, nation, or language who says anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be torn limb from limb and his house made a garbage dump. For there is no other god who is able to deliver like this.” Then the king rewarded Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. — Daniel 3:24-30 (CSB)

Did you notice who gathers to see this miracle? Verse 27 says, "When the satraps, prefects, governors, and the king’s advisers gathered around, they saw that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men." Everyone who gathered to see the dedication of Nebuchadnezzar's statue gathered to see God. They recognized God to be worthy, even Nebuchadnezzar is there before the presence of his servants and all of God. Notice how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's faithfulness made Nebuchadnezzar see how worthy God is?

Nebuchadnezzar says, "They violated the king's command and risked their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. For there is no other god who is able to deliver like this. Therefore, I issue a decree that anyone of any people, nation, or language, who says anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be torn limb from limb and his house made a garbage dump. For there is no other god who is able to deliver like this." Now obviously, going around house to house, tearing people limb from limb is not a valid form of missions and outreach, but we see God's name being lifted high and being exalted through the means of us being faithful Christians. Being faithful leads to people seeing God's worth. This means being unfaithful will hinder God's name and not allow people to see God's worth. And that's why we take church discipline so seriously. If a member in the church professing to be a Christian is in unrepentant sin, meaning they are constantly bowing down to fake idols and they are constantly saying God is not worth it, they are essentially saying with their actions that God is not worth serving. And if we let people be members, if we let them take the Supper, we are telling the world you can be a Christian and bow down to other gods. That is why we take church discipline seriously. It's important that we make sure our church members do not bow to other gods.

So God delivers Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And he does this through an angel. And the significance of that is very significant that I did not skip through it, but the text says that the angel was in the midst of the fire with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So if we see God as being a greater King than Nebuchadnezzar, not only is he above Nebuchadnezzar in the heavenly seated on the throne, but God is also greater because he comes down to where we are in the fire. That is what makes God so good. And that is something we can take delight in as Christians.

So Daniel is writing to an audience of Israelites who are in exile, and they are probably wondering where God is. And Daniel wants the audience to know, God is with you. Whatever you are going through, God is with you. If you are not a Christian in here, know that Christ faithfully stayed on the cross, expectantly hoping for the time where he would reign. And that time has come. And our Lord has risen from the dead and is reigning. There will be a day, however, where he will bring his kingdom down here, and judge every soul, and on that day you will stand before God. And he and Satan, the one you were faithfully serving, the fake king you were constantly bowing down to, will bring accusations against you just like the Chaldeans did. He will bring numerous accusations against you to God. And God will ask you, "Is this true? Is this true that you have not been bowing down to me? Who will deliver you?" And in that moment, you will realize that the god you have been serving your whole life will be nowhere to be found.

But here is the good news. And this good news is actually what the author of Daniel has been arguing this whole time. There is a better King. The true King, verse 24 reads:

Then King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm. He said to his advisers, “Didn’t we throw three men, bound, into the fire?” “Yes, of course, Your Majesty,” they replied to the king. He exclaimed, “Look! I see four men, not tied, walking around in the fire unharmed; and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” — Daniel 3:24-25 (CSB)

And verse 28 reads, "Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel and rescued his servants who trusted in him." If you are not a Christian in this room, here is your hope for you today. We are all sinners, and we have all rebelled against God by bowing to other gods. And the problem is that God is holy. And if God is holy, he will, and he must, punish us for our sins, for our rebellion. And he will punish us with his wrath. However, God sends his Son, just like he sent the angel to the friends, who takes on the form of man and lives a perfect life. And here is the craziest part: Jesus goes into that fiery furnace that was prepared for rebels like you and me, even though he did nothing wrong. So that those who would repent and believe would not be cast into that very fiery furnace. He is saving us from eternal fire, so that if you believe, on the day of judgment when God asks you, "Who will deliver you?" you have the confidence and trust to say, "I have been delivered, because your wrath for me was poured out on Jesus. Though I was headed toward the furnace, Jesus went before me on my behalf."

Do you see the stark difference between the two kings? Did you notice Nebuchadnezzar's servants, as they were taking Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego up to the furnace, they burned up. Nebuchadnezzar does not care about his servants. The idols, the kings, you want to serve in your life, do not care about you. But God does so much so that even though we did nothing right, he sent his Son to die in our place. So if you are a non-believer in this room, I encourage you to repent and have faith that no other God can save you. I encourage you to throw away any other hope you have, abandon all other hope and turn to Christ. And if you are a Christian here, do you see how much greater our King is? God is not greater just in the sense that he is above Nebuchadnezzar in the heavenlies, but that he is with us. Here is the good news of the Gospel for us as Christians: He has given us the ultimate deliverance. God will see us through. Fire for us, trials for us, is nothing but refinement. It is not a fire of judgment. If Jesus walked out of his grave, we too, if we have faith in him, will walk out of our graves. This is the hope the King of the universe came down and died for us to have. And this is what the author of Hebrews wanted us to understand too.

Going back to Hebrews 11 to wrap things up. Towards the end, it reads:

And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead, raised to life again. Other people were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, and mistreated. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and on mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. — Hebrews 11:32-38 (CSB)

That's encouraging. But our hope is not in that we might be delivered here in this life. That should not be what motivates us to go through a trial we are going through, we might be going through in our lives. Our hope is that we have been delivered from the ultimate furnace. Our hope should be that we will make it out of anything we are going through one day, because Christ went into the ultimate furnace. So our ultimate destination is to be faced to face with God. And until that day, God will see us through. Our King is the greatest King. So let's confess just as Nebuchadnezzar confessed and say with our hearts, "Praise be to God, for there is no other God who is able to deliver like this." Don't bow down to fake kings who will get you cast into the furnace, but bow down to the true King who walked into the furnace for you. Let's pray.

Lord, we thank You for Your Word in Daniel, that shows us Your glory. Your glory not only in our salvation, but Your glory in control, Your glory in being present with us in our afflictions. We pray that we may be reminded that we are able to continue in suffering, not because we might make it out one day on this earth, but because ultimately, we will make it out. And we thank You Christ for dying for us. In Jesus' name. Amen.