Daniel 3:17
King James Version (KJV)
“17 If it be so, our God (Elohim) whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king (Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon).”
Here is a lesson we should carry with us daily, especially for our youth, in the face of a lost world that requires moment by moment decisions. Above, Abednego, Shadrach, and Meshach decline to kneel to a golden image and are sent to a fiery furnace; quite different to our reality today right? one would think.
Unlike most of the repercussions we face for poor choices today, these men knew their choice would likely end their lives, but to face an eternity without the love and peace of their Elohim would prove an unbearable thought, so they declined to do the mainstream thing, what the world wanted them to do – stating they are Children of the Almighty YHWH and worship (prostrate themselves) only to Him; in those days no one dared insult the authority of a sitting king, for if they did serious repercussions would be faced, and a good time to remember we have a King, only higher than any other that may have to be faced on earth, Abednego, Meshach, and Shadrach knew this, our and their King, a King that never abandons a faithful child: The catch word is “faithful (obedient) child”. See full account at Daniel chapter 3 (whole chapter).
For the most part today we do not face instant death, if choosing the right thing in YH’s eyes, but at times we forget that this faith is about obedience to YHWH, the result? eternal death versus eternal salvation, even in life, and no different to these three faithful men, a choice between death now or eternal salvation forever.
The story of these 3 faithful men proves a benefit to us who are barraged daily by decision to honor images (worldly things), be it peer pressure or other methods of the enemy. Today, however, images vary from actual images in a church to other things the world offers, they are things is the point. By context the word worship in Hebrew means to prostrate or bow to, an act that normally requires us to submit to a thing and no different to what Abednego, Meshach and Shadrach faced.
To give into, to follow, or to be called to; drugs, alcohol, premarital relations, steeling, greed, adultery, lasciviousness – such as pornography, etc… are images that society exposes us to today, things that rightly qualify as images that call to us to give into or not, that our faithful friends proved not to; men who’s example we need to take to heart, they that proved to not forget what King they worship when called to be a part of the world, men that define what it means to be true children of YHWH, wise men that preferred to have eternal solutions over temporary ones.
Remember friends, our walks are different to the ways of the world, we can and we must be brave. His ways are not temporary, they lead us to eternal peace and joy, to salvation: Let’s remember Abednego, Shadrach and Meshach, true friends: YH provides we decide.
