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Story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and the burning fiery furnace.

Daniel 3:16-18 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter”

17. “If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king”

18. “But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Part 1.

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon ( now Iraq)  made a golden statue, 30 metres and 5 metres wide and set it up on the Plain of Dura , then he sent messages to all the magistrates, administrators, governors, counselors, judges and all the officials of all the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that he had set up.

So all the dignitaries gathered together for the dedication of the golden  image that king Nebuchadnezzar had made.

Then a herald cried aloud; “O people of all nations and languages, whenever you hear the sound of the harp, flute in symphony and the band strikes up and the music starts playing, that  everyone will fall down (bow down) and worship the golden image that king Nebuchadnezzar has set up.

And whoever does not bow down and worship the golden image shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

So when all the people of Babylon heard the music started playing and the band strike up with all the symphony, that all the people, nations and languages bowed down and worshiped the golden image that king Nebuchadnezzar had made.

But some of the officials went to the king and accused certain Jews of not following the king’s order and refusing to worship the golden image.

They asked the king. “Your majesty, did you not make a law that  whenever we hear the band strike up and the music start playing, that everyone should bow down and worship the gold image that you have made, and that anyone who refuses will be thrown into the fiery burning furnace?

“Well, king, there are some Jews out there – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who you have appointed over the affairs of Babylon, who are refusing to serve your gods, or to worship the image that you have set up.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, ordered that Shadrach, Meshach and  Abednego be brought before him. So they brought the three men before the king.

The king asked them, “is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you are refusing to serve my gods, or to worship the golden image that I have set up. I will give you one more chance to obey my law, when the band strikes up, and you hear the music starts playing, you should bow down and worship the golden image that I have set up.

“If you refuse, you will be thrown in the fiery burning furnace in an hour, and who is the god that can deliver you out my hand.”

To be continued tomorrow.

 

 

Psalms 40:16 Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; let those who love Your salvation say continually, “The Lord be magnified.”

Psalms 48:1a God is great and greatly to be praised.

Psalms 113:3 From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, the Lord’s name is to be praised.

Psalms 71:5 For You are my hope, O Lord God: You are my trust from my youth.

14. I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more.

146:5 Happy are those who have the God of Jacob for their help, whose hope is in the Lord their God.

31:24 Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

The fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:22 The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, (patience) kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

The works of the flesh are evident, which are, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, fornication, adultery, uncleanness, lewdness, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you before, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

8. For whoever sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but whoever sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

Galatians 5:16. I say then; Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Daily abide in God’s love, joy, peace, longsuffering, (patience), kingness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

We need to pray and ask Jesus to help us to abide in His Holy Spirit, because we cannot do it of ourselves. Jesus is mighty to save us, and strong to deliver us from sinfulness

1 John 4:13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

Jesus said in Matthew,

Matthew 12:33 “Either make the tree good and it fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for a tree is known by its fruit.”

34. ” Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

35. ” A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.”

36. ” But I say to that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgement.”

37. “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”

20. “Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”

 

 

John 4:24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.

1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Jude 1:21 Keep yourselves in God’s love, as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Daniel in the lion’s den.  ( continuation.)

14. Hearing this, the King was very angry with himself for signing the law, and determined to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day trying to think of some way to get Daniel out of this predicament.

In the evening the men came again to the King and said, “Your majesty, there is nothing you can do, You signed the law and it cannot be changed.”

So at last the King Darius gave the order for Daniel’s arrest, and he was taken to the den of lions. The King say to him “may your God, whom you worship continually, deliver you.” And then they threw Daniel in the lions’s den.

A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den; and the King sealed it with his own signet ring, and that of his government, so that no one could rescue David from the lions.

Then the king returned to his palace ad went to bed without dinner. He refused his usual entertainment and didn’t sleep all night.

Very early the next morning he hurried out to the lion’s den and called out in anguish, “O Daniel, servant of the Living God, was your God, whom you worship continually able to deliver you from the lions.”

Then he heard a voice “Your majesty live forever.” It was Daniel! “My God has sent his angels,” he said, to shut the lion’s mouth so that they can’t touch me; for I am innocent before God, nor sir, have I wronged you.”

The King was overcome with joy and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. And not a scratch was found on him, because he believed in his God.

Then the King issued a command to bring the men who had accused Daniel, and throw them into the den along with their children and wives, and the lions leaped upon them and tore them apart before they hit the bottom of the den.

Afterwards King Darius wrote this message addressed to everyone in his empire.

26. King Darius said ” Peace be multiplied to you”

27. “I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom, men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for He is the Living God, and steadfast forever. His Kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall endure to the end.”

“He delivers and rescues, and He works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, and He has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.”

28. So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

 

 

 

 

Daniel 6:8 Then this  Daniel distinguished himself above the  satraps (administrators) and  governors because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole kingdom.

The Story of Daniel in the Lion’s Den.

King Darius of Persia ( now Iran) divided his kingdom into 120 provinces each under an administrator. The administrators were accountable to three governors, (Daniel was one of the Governors) so that the king could take care of the kingdom of Persia efficiently.

Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and governors, for he had great ability, and the King began to think of placing him over the entire kingdom.

This made the other administrators and governors very jealous, and they began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling his affairs so that they could complain to the king about him. But they couldn’t find anything to criticize. He was faithful and honest, and made no mistakes. So they concluded, “our only chance is his religion.”

So they decided to go to the king and say, “King Darius, live forever. We administrators, governors, counsellors and deputies have unanimously decided that you should make a law, irrevocable under any circumstance, that for the next thirty days, anyone who asks a favour of God or man – except from you, O King – shall be thrown in the lion’s den.”

“King Darius, we request your signature on this law; sign it so that it cannot be cancelled or changed; it will be the law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.” So the King signed the law.

But though Daniel knew about it, he went home and knelt  down as usual in his upstairs bedroom, with its window open towards Jerusalem, and prayed three times a day, just as he always had, giving thanks to his God.

Then the men went to Daniel’s house and found him praying there, asking favours of his God. They rushed back to the King and reminded him about his law. “Haven’t you signed a decree,they said, that permits no petition to any God or man – except you – for thirty days? And anyone disobeying will be thrown to the lions.

“Yes”, the King replied, “It is a law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be altered or revoked.” Then they told the King, “That fellow Daniel, one of the Jewish captives is paying no attention to you or your law, he is making his petitions to his God three times a day.”

Story to be continued, tomorrow.

 

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious about nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

7. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Don’t worry about anything, instead pray about everything; tell God your needs and concerns, and remember to thank Him for His answers.

If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your heart quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus. (TLB)