Daniel: Faith in the Furnace(19-Feb-06)
Daniel 2 Faith in the Furnace February 19, 2006
(The sermon can be heard online at:
http://www.tenth.ca/audio.htm)
Big Idea: Sometimes not bowing down to an idol leads us to the furnace, but in the furnace we can show our devotion, meet God deeply and through our lives draw others to God.
There’s a best selling book called The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook.
The authors consulted numerous experts in their fields to discover how to survive various events. E.g. what you do if you’re sky jumping and your parachute doesn't open? Try to find someone near you who has a parachute, that hasn’t opened yet, hug that person, and hook arms—your new best friend. What to do if you’re sky jumping alone? You’re out of luck. Buried in an avalanche? Spit on the snow--it will tell you which direction is really up. Then dig as fast as you can. How to deal with a charging bull, don’t antagonize the bull? Don’t say, “You ugly bull.”
What should you do if confronted by an angry mountain Lion (Lorne Salmond)?
a) run
b) play dead
c) make yourself look bigger by opening up your coat
d) sing a gentle, happy song
Answer c) make yourself look bigger by opening up your coat
The premise of the book is that you never know what could happen.
This morning we’re going at some real people who face a worst case scenario.
Some people believe that if you really believe in God you’ll never have to face to worst case scenario, you’ll be saved that kind of ordeal.
If you watch some of the TV preachers, the message is if you really believe in God, you’ll be happy, successful in your work and finances, have great partner, a loyal dog etc.
One very well known, well do do TV preacher said, “If you believe you could live in a house life mine.”
But I don’t see that message in the Bible.
As John Ortberg pastor in Bay Area, whose insights have helped me in the preparation of this message, said Jesus said if you follow me, you’ll have a great big God, you’ll have outrageous joy, and you’ll be trouble all the time…
This morning we’re going to look at 3 people who because they followed God face a worst case scenario. If you have your Bibles please turn to Daniel 2.
The Image of Gold and the Fiery Furnace
1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet [a] wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 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. 3 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.
4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, "This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations and men of every language: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace."
In chapter 2 of Daniel, we see that King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream of enormous dazzling statue with a head of gold, arms of silver, and thighs--where he was the head of gold.
The dream was sent by God to King Nebuchadnezzar to show him a Kingdom was coming far greater than his Kingdom… the Kingdom of God… but what seems to impress King Nebuchadnezzar most about the image in the dream was that fact he was the head of gold…
And King Nebuchadnezzar sets up this statue of in honor himself: ninety feet high and 9 feet wide made of pure gold….
And the King commanded everyone in the province of Babylon to bow down and worship it…
The herald loudly proclaimed….
In Vss. 4-5 People’s of every nation (There’s a vast crowd assembled from the nations because Babylon was multi-cultural so this act of corporate worship would not only honor the King, but hopefully would unify these people through the common religious experience), as you soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kind of music you must fall down and worship and the image of gold.
So in the ceremony, you have all kind of musical and artistic encouragement to worship.
Like the opening ceremony at Turin Olympics you have all kind of music and pageantry to get you in the mood…
And that if wasn’t enough to move you to worship.
In Vs 6 (show) we see that whoever does not bow down before the image of gold would be immediately thrown into the fire…
If the music won’t move to you bow and worship the golden idol, no more Mr. Nice guy…
We have plan B… Bow or Burn…
And in this vast crowd there are 3 young adults Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego who are follow the living God, who will not bow down to the idol.
The first of the Ten Commandments is to have no other gods, but God and the second is to not make any idol or bow down to it.
The 3 followers of the living God will not bow down to the idol, they’re identified and brought to the King.
And the King flies into a rage… and orders that Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego be thrown into the furnace of fire…
Can you imagine that?
We have this candle that melted low in this glass cup-like container the opening not quite big for the whole hand to reach down into to candle. The other day I was trying to light it and when I try to light this can’t I can’t reach quite low into the glass and burn my fingers. Fire, even just a very little bit of fire on your hand hurts.
In the movie Pay it Forward the character played by Kevin says that when he was boy, his dad got mad at him that he poured gas over him and set him on fire.
Being burned alive, is one of the worst, most inhumane ways to die…
And these 3 young people in our story are facing being thrown in the fiery furnace…
It’s not likely that any of us will be burned alive because we will not bow down to physical idol of gold.
But we will have plenty of opportunities to bow down to modern idols, substitute gods.
If we don’t bow down to some of these idols sometimes may pay a price…
When I was studying in California last month, I heard the Quaker and respected educator Parker Palmer teach.
Palmer tells about facilitating a small group for employees of the federal government. In this group was a man in middle-management at the Department of Agriculture.
The son of a farmer whose father was a son of a farmer.
This man brought a deep work struggle to his small group. In his position at the Department of Agriculture, he was facing a decision. If he chooses one way, he wins the favor of his boss and the owners of many large farming companies.
If he choses another way, protects his farmland from environmental degradation.
He knew that the Department favored one decision as the “right” one, but in his “farmer’s heart,” he knew that he should stand in opposition to the party line.
This employee struggled with this decision in his small group. After days of soul searching, he came to the group with dark circles under his eyes, but at peace. He stayed up all night, he decided to make the politically dangerous decision in favor of the earth. When asked how he would cope with the inevitable back lash by his supervisors, he said quietly, “I don’t report to them. I report to the land.”
There can great in not bowing to an idol and doing what honors God.
I know women in this community now seniors who sensed God calling them to the a mission field as young people… but never met a man who they wanted to marry in their youth with the same call…. There were opportunities to get married to people, have a family, but the cost would have been to compromise their call of God on their lives…
They grew up in a society where traditional marriage having children meant was much more important then and as does now (it easier have for us to look back and say that was wrong to define a woman by whether she was married and had kids, but that was their world) and there can be a cost to following the will of God.
And Shadrach Meshach and Abednego will not bow down. They’re identified by some of “wise-men” and being disloyal to the King and the Empire. The King flies into a rage… and says unless you bow down you will be thrown into the fire… and the king says, who will be able save you then?
Shadrach, Mesach, and Abednego, in Vss. 16-17 they say, our god is able to deliver us and even if he does not we will never bow down to the image of gold…
At this the King orders the furnace to be heated 7 times hotter. The 7 in this culture was number symbolizes completeness, so this number could be read “as hot as possible.”
And they end up being thrown into that fire…
God is all powerful and able to deliver Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego and us, but there are times when God allows us to face real danger…
Why?
One of the reasons may be so we can demonstrate the kind of devotion that says even if God is able to deliver me, but even if he does not deliver me, whether God does what I want or not in this situation, I will serve no other God.
I’m sure that Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego prayed Lord even though we’re not going to bow down to the idol, please don’t let us be caught…
And then they’re caught. And they pray Lord please don’t let the King make good on his threat… please don’t let us be thrown into the furnace…
You’re been driving down a street and in your rear view mirror you a police car siren and flashers whirling, Lord please don’t let me be caught…
If that’s our hope and prayer in that situation, how much more intensely would these guys be praying that…
But there prayers aren’t answered…
When our prayers aren’t answered, it gives us an opportunity, to say even if God does not, we will serve not other gods…
So many of us pray God if you give me this thing or person or take away this thing or person, I’ll serve you no holding back…
So many us pray, if you answer this prayer, give me that request, fulfill that dream than I will do anything for you…
But when we’re facing the fire we have an opportunity to say, even if _______ I want this but even if ____________ I will serve no other Gods.
When our prayers are not answered the way we want, we can say with the prophet Habakkuk Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
And Shadrach and Meschech and Abednego are thrown into the fire but something amazing happens…. They’re not burned… they’re not even especially warm… nowhere in the Hebrew text does it say the 3 men go shirtless…. In vs. 27 Text does tell their hairs not singed and their clothes don’t even smell of fire.
It must have been so surreal--like a dream…
A few while dreaming, I’ve been shot… I fall down, I’m bleeding, but strangely I feel no pain and I’m alive, but I fake being dead.
These are guys there in the fire and they’re not, dead, they’re walking around and they’re not even hot.
Then in text Vss. 25 4th in fire one who likes a son of the gods…
This angelic form and the text does not say for sure, but may be incarnation of God, it may be the Christ…
We don’t know what they said or what happened, but that must have been the most amazing experience of their lives… the hardest experience turned out to be the best experience for them..
God meets them in the furnace…
John Ortberg says… there are times God when doesn’t not deliver us from the furnace but in the furnace…
No one in their right mind would ever choose the furnace… for its own sake…
But God often meets us in the furnace…
Some hardest time of our lives… are the time when we most deeply meet God…
Some times in the midst of great loss or failure… or a time of huge risk… God is most deeply present… and people will say that was hardest and best experience of life at the same time…
These 3 young men Shadrach, Meschech, and Abednego, likely look back years later and say that was hardest and greatest experience of our lives, we will never forget.... we will never forget…
God sometimes delivers from the furnace, but God often deliver in the furnace…
What happens?
Nebuchadnezzar stands up.. and he sees the 3 men in furnace another… who looks like an angelic figure…
And so the King I’m sure at quite a distance commands them to come out…. And then he says I decree anyone who says anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will cut to pieces and their houses turned into literally dunghills or public toilets.
We see that King Nebuchadnezzar takes a significant step toward God here.
Our journey with God is ultimately not just for ourselves and spiritual, but also so that others can come to know the living God.
Our call to follow the living God in life, sometime through the furnace, is not just for us but for others.
This I was with a woman in our community, who has trusted through the furnace and I know that her trust in God, has drawn people to God…
When we refuse to bow down to an idol and to serve God sometimes we face a furnace, but in the we have the opportunity to show our devotion to maker, meet God deeply as we do we are others are drawn to the living God…
Prayer
Benediction:
Fall for message Daniel 4, Pride, picked, God Daniel 5 get tape/cd desk.
Isaiah 43
Israel's Only Savior
1 But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 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.
3 For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…
(The sermon can be heard online at:
http://www.tenth.ca/audio.htm)
Big Idea: Sometimes not bowing down to an idol leads us to the furnace, but in the furnace we can show our devotion, meet God deeply and through our lives draw others to God.
There’s a best selling book called The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook.
The authors consulted numerous experts in their fields to discover how to survive various events. E.g. what you do if you’re sky jumping and your parachute doesn't open? Try to find someone near you who has a parachute, that hasn’t opened yet, hug that person, and hook arms—your new best friend. What to do if you’re sky jumping alone? You’re out of luck. Buried in an avalanche? Spit on the snow--it will tell you which direction is really up. Then dig as fast as you can. How to deal with a charging bull, don’t antagonize the bull? Don’t say, “You ugly bull.”
What should you do if confronted by an angry mountain Lion (Lorne Salmond)?
a) run
b) play dead
c) make yourself look bigger by opening up your coat
d) sing a gentle, happy song
Answer c) make yourself look bigger by opening up your coat
The premise of the book is that you never know what could happen.
This morning we’re going at some real people who face a worst case scenario.
Some people believe that if you really believe in God you’ll never have to face to worst case scenario, you’ll be saved that kind of ordeal.
If you watch some of the TV preachers, the message is if you really believe in God, you’ll be happy, successful in your work and finances, have great partner, a loyal dog etc.
One very well known, well do do TV preacher said, “If you believe you could live in a house life mine.”
But I don’t see that message in the Bible.
As John Ortberg pastor in Bay Area, whose insights have helped me in the preparation of this message, said Jesus said if you follow me, you’ll have a great big God, you’ll have outrageous joy, and you’ll be trouble all the time…
This morning we’re going to look at 3 people who because they followed God face a worst case scenario. If you have your Bibles please turn to Daniel 2.
The Image of Gold and the Fiery Furnace
1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet [a] wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 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. 3 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.
4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, "This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations and men of every language: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace."
In chapter 2 of Daniel, we see that King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream of enormous dazzling statue with a head of gold, arms of silver, and thighs--where he was the head of gold.
The dream was sent by God to King Nebuchadnezzar to show him a Kingdom was coming far greater than his Kingdom… the Kingdom of God… but what seems to impress King Nebuchadnezzar most about the image in the dream was that fact he was the head of gold…
And King Nebuchadnezzar sets up this statue of in honor himself: ninety feet high and 9 feet wide made of pure gold….
And the King commanded everyone in the province of Babylon to bow down and worship it…
The herald loudly proclaimed….
In Vss. 4-5 People’s of every nation (There’s a vast crowd assembled from the nations because Babylon was multi-cultural so this act of corporate worship would not only honor the King, but hopefully would unify these people through the common religious experience), as you soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kind of music you must fall down and worship and the image of gold.
So in the ceremony, you have all kind of musical and artistic encouragement to worship.
Like the opening ceremony at Turin Olympics you have all kind of music and pageantry to get you in the mood…
And that if wasn’t enough to move you to worship.
In Vs 6 (show) we see that whoever does not bow down before the image of gold would be immediately thrown into the fire…
If the music won’t move to you bow and worship the golden idol, no more Mr. Nice guy…
We have plan B… Bow or Burn…
And in this vast crowd there are 3 young adults Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego who are follow the living God, who will not bow down to the idol.
The first of the Ten Commandments is to have no other gods, but God and the second is to not make any idol or bow down to it.
The 3 followers of the living God will not bow down to the idol, they’re identified and brought to the King.
And the King flies into a rage… and orders that Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego be thrown into the furnace of fire…
Can you imagine that?
We have this candle that melted low in this glass cup-like container the opening not quite big for the whole hand to reach down into to candle. The other day I was trying to light it and when I try to light this can’t I can’t reach quite low into the glass and burn my fingers. Fire, even just a very little bit of fire on your hand hurts.
In the movie Pay it Forward the character played by Kevin says that when he was boy, his dad got mad at him that he poured gas over him and set him on fire.
Being burned alive, is one of the worst, most inhumane ways to die…
And these 3 young people in our story are facing being thrown in the fiery furnace…
It’s not likely that any of us will be burned alive because we will not bow down to physical idol of gold.
But we will have plenty of opportunities to bow down to modern idols, substitute gods.
If we don’t bow down to some of these idols sometimes may pay a price…
When I was studying in California last month, I heard the Quaker and respected educator Parker Palmer teach.
Palmer tells about facilitating a small group for employees of the federal government. In this group was a man in middle-management at the Department of Agriculture.
The son of a farmer whose father was a son of a farmer.
This man brought a deep work struggle to his small group. In his position at the Department of Agriculture, he was facing a decision. If he chooses one way, he wins the favor of his boss and the owners of many large farming companies.
If he choses another way, protects his farmland from environmental degradation.
He knew that the Department favored one decision as the “right” one, but in his “farmer’s heart,” he knew that he should stand in opposition to the party line.
This employee struggled with this decision in his small group. After days of soul searching, he came to the group with dark circles under his eyes, but at peace. He stayed up all night, he decided to make the politically dangerous decision in favor of the earth. When asked how he would cope with the inevitable back lash by his supervisors, he said quietly, “I don’t report to them. I report to the land.”
There can great in not bowing to an idol and doing what honors God.
I know women in this community now seniors who sensed God calling them to the a mission field as young people… but never met a man who they wanted to marry in their youth with the same call…. There were opportunities to get married to people, have a family, but the cost would have been to compromise their call of God on their lives…
They grew up in a society where traditional marriage having children meant was much more important then and as does now (it easier have for us to look back and say that was wrong to define a woman by whether she was married and had kids, but that was their world) and there can be a cost to following the will of God.
And Shadrach Meshach and Abednego will not bow down. They’re identified by some of “wise-men” and being disloyal to the King and the Empire. The King flies into a rage… and says unless you bow down you will be thrown into the fire… and the king says, who will be able save you then?
Shadrach, Mesach, and Abednego, in Vss. 16-17 they say, our god is able to deliver us and even if he does not we will never bow down to the image of gold…
At this the King orders the furnace to be heated 7 times hotter. The 7 in this culture was number symbolizes completeness, so this number could be read “as hot as possible.”
And they end up being thrown into that fire…
God is all powerful and able to deliver Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego and us, but there are times when God allows us to face real danger…
Why?
One of the reasons may be so we can demonstrate the kind of devotion that says even if God is able to deliver me, but even if he does not deliver me, whether God does what I want or not in this situation, I will serve no other God.
I’m sure that Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego prayed Lord even though we’re not going to bow down to the idol, please don’t let us be caught…
And then they’re caught. And they pray Lord please don’t let the King make good on his threat… please don’t let us be thrown into the furnace…
You’re been driving down a street and in your rear view mirror you a police car siren and flashers whirling, Lord please don’t let me be caught…
If that’s our hope and prayer in that situation, how much more intensely would these guys be praying that…
But there prayers aren’t answered…
When our prayers aren’t answered, it gives us an opportunity, to say even if God does not, we will serve not other gods…
So many of us pray God if you give me this thing or person or take away this thing or person, I’ll serve you no holding back…
So many us pray, if you answer this prayer, give me that request, fulfill that dream than I will do anything for you…
But when we’re facing the fire we have an opportunity to say, even if _______ I want this but even if ____________ I will serve no other Gods.
When our prayers are not answered the way we want, we can say with the prophet Habakkuk Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
And Shadrach and Meschech and Abednego are thrown into the fire but something amazing happens…. They’re not burned… they’re not even especially warm… nowhere in the Hebrew text does it say the 3 men go shirtless…. In vs. 27 Text does tell their hairs not singed and their clothes don’t even smell of fire.
It must have been so surreal--like a dream…
A few while dreaming, I’ve been shot… I fall down, I’m bleeding, but strangely I feel no pain and I’m alive, but I fake being dead.
These are guys there in the fire and they’re not, dead, they’re walking around and they’re not even hot.
Then in text Vss. 25 4th in fire one who likes a son of the gods…
This angelic form and the text does not say for sure, but may be incarnation of God, it may be the Christ…
We don’t know what they said or what happened, but that must have been the most amazing experience of their lives… the hardest experience turned out to be the best experience for them..
God meets them in the furnace…
John Ortberg says… there are times God when doesn’t not deliver us from the furnace but in the furnace…
No one in their right mind would ever choose the furnace… for its own sake…
But God often meets us in the furnace…
Some hardest time of our lives… are the time when we most deeply meet God…
Some times in the midst of great loss or failure… or a time of huge risk… God is most deeply present… and people will say that was hardest and best experience of life at the same time…
These 3 young men Shadrach, Meschech, and Abednego, likely look back years later and say that was hardest and greatest experience of our lives, we will never forget.... we will never forget…
God sometimes delivers from the furnace, but God often deliver in the furnace…
What happens?
Nebuchadnezzar stands up.. and he sees the 3 men in furnace another… who looks like an angelic figure…
And so the King I’m sure at quite a distance commands them to come out…. And then he says I decree anyone who says anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will cut to pieces and their houses turned into literally dunghills or public toilets.
We see that King Nebuchadnezzar takes a significant step toward God here.
Our journey with God is ultimately not just for ourselves and spiritual, but also so that others can come to know the living God.
Our call to follow the living God in life, sometime through the furnace, is not just for us but for others.
This I was with a woman in our community, who has trusted through the furnace and I know that her trust in God, has drawn people to God…
When we refuse to bow down to an idol and to serve God sometimes we face a furnace, but in the we have the opportunity to show our devotion to maker, meet God deeply as we do we are others are drawn to the living God…
Prayer
Benediction:
Fall for message Daniel 4, Pride, picked, God Daniel 5 get tape/cd desk.
Isaiah 43
Israel's Only Savior
1 But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 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.
3 For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…
posted by Shigematsu at 12:52 PM
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