Daniel 3:19 – “Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury and his face became distorted and full of rage, he commanded the furnace be heated seven times hotter.”
In Daniel 3, the king decreed that when the music played, every man should bow down and worship a golden image. Word got back to the king that there were three young men that refused to bow down. He was furious and commanded that these men be brought before him. He literally gets up in God’s face and says, “Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?”
They flat out said to him, “we are not careful to answer you”. Hallelujah, three guys with a spiritual backbone, with the lion’s roar of faith on the inside. They were not your normal every day guys. Daniel 3:12 says, “there were certain Jews”, they were extraordinary, and they believed in an extraordinary God. They told the king that if he threw them in the fire, God would deliver them, and if he didn’t throw them in, they still wouldn’t bow down and worship or serve his idols.
Side note: religion has misinterpreted the words “but if not” in verse 18 to insinuate that God was not able or willing to deliver them. If that be so then the verse would read, “if you throw us in the fire and God doesn’t deliver us, we still won’t worship your gods”. That’s true, they would be dead. Common sense.
Their consequence? They were thrown into the fiery furnace, seven times hotter than usual. Have you ever felt that way? Like, as they say, “going from the frying pan to the fire”? Then what happened? Jesus showed up! When the king looked into the furnace, he said, “Hey! Didn’t we throw three men in the fire? Who’s that fourth man, He looks like the Son of God!” That’s what’s going to happen in your fiery situation, Jesus is going to show up.
Three things about the three Jews…
1. Verse 16 - They were bold and confident, they didn’t try to be politically correct.
2. Verse 17 – They declared, not only is God able, but God will do what He said He would do.
3. Verse 18 – They went all the way with God, and God responded to their faith, He showed up and showed off!
Is it getting hot? Are you in a fiery situation? Don’t worry, the FOURTH MAN is about to show up!
