2022: A Year of Peace and Restoration (Part Nine)

—Isaiah 43:2 NASB

—Daniel 3:17–18 NASB

Another in The Fire

God’s promise is clear: whatever you will face, He will be there with you! We can’t avoid all problems in life; we have to face them and overcome! God may not always spare us from ‘the fire,’ but He will save us in ‘the fire.’ He is the One who is ‘Another in the Fire,’ as the cool song goes. This is what the breath-taking story of Daniel’s friends teaches us. They were obedient to God, yet punished with death in a furnace of fire by a mad ruler. Three of them were thrown into the fire, yet there was a Fourth One in the Fire, ‘like a son of the gods,’ as the king noticed—the Heavenly Messiah was right there in their trouble to save them for their dedication, faithfulness and fearlessness! It’s worth it to trust God and be brave and bold. In Star Wars they say, May the Force be with you! We say, May the Fourth be with you! When God is with you in the fire, don’t fear—only believe.

Civil Disobedience

In 1955, Rosa Parks changed America and the world forever by one simple act of ‘civil disobedience,’ refusing to obey the bus driver regarding the segregation laws at the time. The brave woman of colour did what was morally right despite the unjust segregation laws. Eventually, the court ruled that these laws were unconstitutional and it made a huge difference in the land of the free and home of the brave. Sometimes civil disobedience can ‘move mountains,’ that is, insurmountable obstacles. She disobeyed ‘the king,’ to put it in terminology of the time of Daniel’s friends.

These young men were part of the Jewish captives after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (586 BC) by Babylonian armies. Foreign forces would often enslave conquered peoples and use them in their service, and so they did with Daniel and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (Dan 1:1–6). They were given Babylonian names (v 7) with profound meaning.

As in Hebrew, other cultures too assigned great significance to the meaning of names. Daniel, meaning ‘God is my Judge,’ was given the name Belteshazzar, meaning ‘Bel [chief Babylonian god] protect my life.’ Hananiah, ‘The Lord shows grace,’ was called Shadrach: ‘under the command of Aku’ (another Babylonian god). Mishael, ‘Who is like God?’ was renamed, Meshach: ‘who is like Aku?’ Azariah, ‘the Lord helps,’ was assigned the name Abed-Nego: ‘servant of Nego’ (yet another god of ancient polytheism). The purpose here, as with their Babylonian education (v 4), was to change their identity and use them for Babylonian services. The intention of an attempted change of ‘religious and ideological DNA’ through names is obvious: to switch spiritual alliance from Yahweh to Babylonian gods, finding their source and security in them, rather than in the God of their fathers.

In order to subdue a people, you must deal with their religious beliefs and identity. The Communists understood the power of religion and sought to abolish it altogether, but of course replaced it with an atheistic one. Similar to the French Revolution that subjugated the Catholic Church under the power of the state, yet replaced the dominant religion with Deism, a modified yet secular ‘religion.’ There is really no substitute to religion; we are religious beings. Humans have the need to worship something or someone. Just look at the celebrity cult in the West!

Anyway, Daniel and his friends did at first what we might call a mild form of civil disobedience, by requesting food that was in line with their own religious instructions (1:8ff), rather than eating Babylonian food, some of which was impure for Jews. At the end of the test period these guys looked better than all the others (v 15). Apart from that, they excelled at their studies and stood out as the best students (v 17). They eventually ‘entered the king’s personal service’ (v 19). Although they were given Babylonian names, Babylonian education and Babylonian food, internally they stayed true to their God and His law. The external pressure didn’t change their internal condition. You must stay faithful to who you are! Never compromise your divine convictions. And, as we shall see, they were tested even to the point of death in a very serious act of ‘civil disobedience.’

Spiritual Excellence

Apart from their educational excellence, the spiritual gift in Daniel brought them powerful promotion. The king of Babylon had puzzling dreams and basically freaked out over the lack of clarity (2:1). He wanted to know what these dreams meant and called all the magicians and priests together to tell him (2:2ff). Yet they couldn’t tell him, nor interpret them, so the king became angry and gave orders to have them all executed! Yes, that’s how it was done in those days. Aren’t you glad you live in today’s world?

These religious people claimed that, ‘There is not a man on earth who could declare the matter for the king’ (2:10), admitting their incompetence. Only ‘gods’ could declare this ‘difficult’ task the king gave them (v 11). Hence, a true divine source and someone with access to it was needed. The king wasn’t impressed, nor did he accept their ‘excuse.’ Instead, an execution order was given (v 12). They gave an excuse; he gave an execution! The problem was, this execution order would include Daniel and his friends (v 13).

Daniel, with ‘discretion and discernment’ (v 14), respectfully asked for a bit of time to get an answer back to the king (v 16) and turned to prayer for God to give them clarity and guidance on the matter (vv 17ff). Daniel and his friends knew that ‘wisdom and power belong to Him,’ who ‘gives wisdom to wise men’ and ‘reveals the profound and hidden things’ (vv 20–22). The wisdom and clarity given to Daniel was given by God (v 23), which is what caused them to stand out in spiritual excellence. Like Joseph, Daniel was a prophet in a secular environment who spoke to kings according to the revelation God gave them.

Daniel, like Joseph, declared that it is God who ‘reveals mysteries’ (v 28). Based on this confidence in God, Daniel requested to be brought before the king to declare him his dreams (v 24). With such brave action, Daniel also stopped the execution order and saved many lives. And remember, Daniel too would be executed if he got it wrong before the king! So, no pressure…!

The king didn’t tell what his dreams was, but wanted the true interpreter to first retell the dream he had and then give its interpretation, so as to know that it wasn’t fake or made up. The pressure was on, but those who are confident in and intimate with God have nothing to fear, not even death itself. Because those ‘who know their God will display strength and take action’ (11:32b). Daniel knew his God and took action. This enabled Daniel to demonstrate spiritual excellence. This is what we need if we want to speak to kings and rulers.

The interpretation of the dream (2:31ff) impressed the king, making him to declare that the God of Daniel was ‘a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries’ (v 47). This prophetic action brought Daniel his promotion (v 48) and he requested his three friends to join the administration (v 49). Never forget those who prayed with you in secret when you are the one prophesying in public! Stand as a team, never single yourself out. Pride precedes a fall (Prov 16:18; cf., 11:2); God gives grace to the humble (Prov 3:34; 1 Pet 5:5; Jas 4:6). Those friends of Daniel were about to show incredible courage!

Face the Fear in the Fire

We humans tend to avoid problems and trouble, and, like the flow of electricity, seek the way of least resistance. Now, it’s good to avoid certain conflicts. Not every fight is worth fighting. You must ‘pick your fights’ wisely, as they say. But you must never be afraid to face your fears in the fire. ‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going’ – or we run and hide! Difficulties and challenges show what is truly in us. Sometime we think we are ready for it, only to find out we are not; other times, we feel inadequate but suddenly find incredible strength to conquer! Don’t overestimate yourself and become cocky, but never underestimate the strength that is in you. Daniel’s friends faced the fire with great courage and were protected and rewarded by an Almighty God of miracles. Here goes the story.

Daniel’s interpretation of the dream declared the ‘head of gold’ of the statue in the king’s dream (2:32) to be the king of Babylon himself (v 38). The other body parts were successive kingdoms (2:32–33), which can be traced in history: Persia, Greece and Rome. The Kingdom of God would eventually destroy all human kingdoms (2:34–35, 44–45). God will triumph in history and nothing and no one can stop His ultimate victory.

The king, being called the loftiest of titles (2:37), including the ‘head of gold’ (v 38), seem to have gotten into some ‘grandomania’ (Grössenwahnsinn), something we find throughout history. Basically, dictatorial leaders who go nuts over the power and wealth they hold. Instead of using what they have for the benefit and welfare of others, they use it to enrich themselves and glorify their own name. This is what the king of Babylon did. He set up an ‘image of gold’ to be worshiped under threat of death, a rather brutal death in the furnace of fire (3:1–7), a punishment impossible to survive!

However, certain guys ‘brought charges against the Jews’ (v 8) as these ‘certain Jews’ did not follow the king’s orders in worshiping the golden image. The issue was brought before the king as one of disrespect and insult of the king himself, hence a very personal matter (v 12). These ‘certain Jews’ happened to be Daniel’s friends. Now remember, Daniel and his friends had halted the execution order against all wise men in Babylon (2:24) and then completely stopped it by interpreting the king’s dreams. They saved their lives. But here the very people who saved lives were accused in a way that it should have cost them their lives. Real life is like that sometimes: you do good, and some jealous people cause you harm. Learn to handle it, it’s part of life!

The king summoned these boys and gave them ‘a fair trial,’ that is, basically a chance to save their own lives by denying their God and following the king’s orders of his religion (3:13–15). He mockingly ended his ‘gracious offer’ of ‘my way or death’ with the words, ‘what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?’ (v 15). This was a direct challenge to the power of God, the very God who had given interpretation to the king through Daniel and his friends.

The brave men showed their unwavering faith in and dedication to God by their powerful declaration to the king:

—Daniel 3:17–18 NASB

These guys are certainly among the coolest and most courageous ones in the entire Bible! What they were saying in other words is, ‘God is able, but even if He doesn’t rescue us, we won’t put up with false religion but choose to remain faithful to the true God we worship! We’d rather die than enter idolatry and man-worship!’ That’s courage! Awesome courage! It’s better to lose this life and win eternity than to win this life and lose eternity. Jesus said basically the same thing in relation to our priorities in life: ‘For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?’ (Mk 8:36–37). This is powerful and we better think about it again.

Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah stood up to the pressure and wouldn’t surrender what was dearest to them: their God. Their lives were His. Their witness to Him was important to them; their dedication to Him was uncompromising – God rewards this attitude. They seemed to have been fearless, despite seeing the scary furnace of fire, that the king in his wrath heated up seven times more (3: 19). Not everyone is that fearless when faced with ‘the fire’ of life’s suffering, challenges and trials. But, afraid or not, we must face the fear in the fire. Trust God that when you pass through the waters, He will be with you; when you go through the rivers, they won’t overflow you; and when you walk in the fire, it will not scorch or burn you (Isa 43:2). God will be with you! With Him you can face anything and everything.

The three brave guys were thrown into the furnace of fire, hands bound (3:22–23). Watching the ‘spectacle,’ the king was confused: they threw in three, but there were four in there! He was perplexed as they were walking around in the fire ‘without harm’ and the Fourth One was ‘like a son of the gods’ (v 25). The God whom they served and was declared able to deliver (v 17) showed up in the fire! Isn’t that powerful? God is with us in‘our fire.’ He comes to rescue by sharing in the circumstances. The greatest demonstration thereof was, of course, Jesus Christ Himself: He became a man and died on the cross to carry our sin, deliver us from death and give us eternal life. Lofty and exalted as God is, He also dwells with the humble and contrite (Isa 57:15). God associates with those suffering. He comes ‘into the fire’ with us to rescue us right there.

The king, struck with awe, called the ‘servants of the Most High God’ (v 26) out of the fire and saw that ‘the fire had no effect’ on them (v 27). He declared that ‘there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way’ (v 29). Remember his mocking question before this incident? ‘What god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?’ (v 15); now he answered his own question after seeing the incredible power of God in action, a power towards ‘His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and yielding up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God’ (v 28). Those who trust God, dedicated to Him, even if they must violate the law, and are willing to yield their lives to Him even in the face of death, are a penetrating witness to God’s power (vv 28–29) and will truly be rewarded (v 30). Not compromising our faith and conviction is powerful. We will sometimes get into trouble, but ‘good trouble,’ in which God will show Himself powerful and in which we can prove to be His witnesses. Seek to glorify His name by your trustful dedication and uncompromising obedience. The reward is certain. Don’t fear; just believe. God is faithful and powerful.