Daniel 3 - Remaining Faithful When the Heat is On

Daniel 3

Showing loyalty to God while under threat

 “The God we serve is able to deliver us…we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”  Daniel 3:17-18

THE PLOT OF THE STORY 

• The king of Babylon makes an image of gold
• A comprehensive requirement: all must worship
• An accusation: some aren’t joining the bandwagon
• A stand is taken: we will not worship other gods
• A punishment is given: burned to death in a fiery furnace
• God (El) preserves his faithful servants: not so fast – not burned…and who is in there with them?
• The king of Babylon praises God (El) and promotes God’s servants

SCRUTINIZE YOUR SERVING, WATCH YOUR WORSHIPPING

The message for God’s people is repeated three times, by three different spokespeople:

The astrologers/accusers > Daniel 3:12  ^“They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego > Daniel 3:18

we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

King Nebuchadnezzar > Daniel 3:28

“were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.

KEY WORDS: “SERVE” & “WORSHIP” 

1. What do these words have in common?
2. How are they distinct in meaning? 
3. How do you use these words in relation to God and other “greater” entities (family, nation, company, society, common good, etc.)?

READING WITH CHRISTIANS AROUND THE WORLD – Christopher J.H. Wright, considering the cases of USA, China, & Egypt.

The Limits of Patriotism for All God’s People

o   How is it possible to be a proper citizen in the country God has placed you while remaining faithful to God’s command to worship Him alone?

o   How might it be more difficult if you work in a government position, as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did?

The Demanding State & Requirements of Conformity

o   According to Wright, “Christians in many parts of the world live under regimes that demand loyalty to other gods or totalitarian ideologies.” (p. 69) What examples of this are you aware of? 

o   Is this ever an issue in the United States?  Explain.

The Case of Uninvited Persecution

o   Did the three servants of God seek out a confrontation with the King? (Did they publicly challenge the decree or quietly choose not to honor it?)

o   Have you ever been the target of people unwilling to tolerate your religious beliefs or belief-inspired stances and practices?  Share.

Cultural Connection...

Movie: Silence. 2016.

Directed by Martin Scorsese, based on the 1966 historical novel by Shusaku Endo (a Roman Catholic Japanese man who personally experienced religious discrimination).

MAKING SENSE OF FIERY-FURNACE RESCUE

1.       God is able to save his people from persecution.

2.       God does not always choose to save his people from persecution.

3.       God’s people have taken inspiring stands of loyalty, and many have paid the ultimate price.

¹⁷ 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. ¹⁸ 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.”

CHALLENGING QUOTE from Christopher J. H. Wright's book The Message of Daniel:

“We need to remember that we live in a world which, as a whole, is in rebellion against God.  So even if we in the West live under substantially benevolent and tolerant political and social arrangements, it may well turn out to be a transient interlude in the great sweep of human history, induced by the relative acceptance of Christianity’s worldview and associated values for a few centuries, rather than a permanent state of affairs. 

For most of history and for most Christians in most of the world, the lives of believers have been lived against the background of threats, intolerance, and varying degrees of persecution.  Perhaps we in the West need to recognize our need to be prepared to face such things and to have the humility to learn from sisters and brothers in other parts of the world who have never known any other kind of life.”  (p. 73)