Christmas Arrangement
Standing in the Fire
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The Bible is a miracle book and the fact that it exists is a miracle in itself. One particular aspect of the miracle is the Bible is known to be “The Good Book” because throughout its pages we see the wicked heart of man being addressed by the discontent of God to leave man in his depraved condition. God that he might rescue from the penalty, power and presence of sin seeks after man, in all his wickedness. That is a miracle.
What miracle of the Bible stands out as your favorite (leave a brief description in the “comments” section below)? We tend to think of the biblical records as “stories” but they are so much more than that as “story” has come to imply separation from reality. Miracles are called such because of what they are in reality, not separate from but rooted in reality. Miracles cannot be denied. Once I was talking with a young lady concerning her worldview, proudly proclaiming herself to be atheist. I asked her how she thought how the Universe came into existence (including the known and the unknown.). After a moment’s thought she said, “it was a miracle!” Funny she should use that word.
One miracle story is brought to the fore through my regular Bible study, in Daniel 3. We call it by different titles, though we are most familiar with its’ elements: three Hebrew children and a fiery furnace. This event takes place on the heels of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, beginning with a large image made of various materials and ends with God’s kingdom overtaking all the kingdoms of the world, including Nebuchadnezzar’s. Recall that the king was disturbed by the dream he had to the point that he deeply sought the truth concerning its’ meaning; however, he seemed to be strongly influenced by the imagery. In the end he proclaims that the God Daniel worships “’is the God of gods [and] the Lord of kings’ (2:47), he reverted to heinous idolatry, setting up a giant golden image and demanding that his subjects worship it alone.”[1]
Since it is declared the image is to be worshipped might suggest the image is not of Nebuchadnezzar (why not worship the “original?”) but of something else. Regardless, Daniels’ three friends refuse to worship any but the true and living God. That the image is to receive worship and not Nebuchadnezzar might indicate an attempt to make some portrayal of Daniel’s God to the people. Daniel’s friends make a distinction by refusing to worship this image: one will either worship the true and living God, or one will worship the figment of one’s imagination, a false substitute.
The declaration was that, at the right time, everyone is to bow down and worship. Imagine even a crowd of a few hundred people, a gong, and everyone bows . . . only 3 are still standing, maybe together, maybe one over there and another over there and another over there. Regardless, these exalted slaves stick out like a sore thumb. Rebellion against their conquering king? The audacity!
Consider for a moment the confusion of the situation: the Babylonians bring home captives who are exalted to positions of leadership, just under the king. The people must be ruled by captives. Also, worship as the Babylonians knew it, was being challenged—the God of the captives over against the god(s) of Babylon. Who is in control? Perhaps when Nebuchadnezzar commanded the image be worshipped and the Hebrew youths refused, he felt he was being mocked and made to be the fool in front of his people. No wonder he got angry and wanted them destroyed in the very furnace that was used in the production of the 90 foot golden image. No captive is going to humiliate the king because of a dream or an image.
Charles Spurgeon preached, “Let young Christians learn from their example, both in matters of faith in religion, and matters of uprightness in business, never to sacrifice their consciences. Lose all rather than lose your integrity, and when all else is gone, still hold fast a clear conscience as the rarest jewel which can adorn the bosom of a mortal. Be not guided by the will-o’-the-wisp of policy, but by the pole-star of divine authority . . . . An ounce of heart’s-ease is worth a ton of gold.” The Hebrew youths owed nobody an explanation, only uncompromised worship of the King of Kings. (3:13-18) They did not scream, kick, preach, demand an audience or fight for rights. They quietly stood under the faithfulness of God.
The outcome of the episode is intriguing. Not only were the Hebrew youths not destroyed in the fire, which incidentally burned so hot that guards were consumed, but the Lord manifested Himself standing alongside the faithful youths while Nebuchadnezzar confessed, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.”
While his declaration was principally true, his command concerning people who would not worship their God demonstrated he had much to learn.
Acts 4 reminds us that pressure to compromise our faith is ever upon us. Subjectively, the tendency to compromise is driven by fear, and that fear is selfish because we worry about what people think of us. Fear of God is what assures that compromise never occurs. Newspaper counselor Ann Landers reported that in the average of 10,000 letters she received from readers each month, the one problem that surfaced most was the problem of fear. People are afraid of losing their health, their wealth, their loved ones. People are afraid of life itself.[2]
The Hebrew youths understood fear: they were a conquered people, so they had no place to think, “Gee, I hope these Babylonians like me,” as they invaded the land. What was there to fear in not bowing down to an idol in the presence of their enemies?
Believers live free from the penalty of sin (hell), and in the tension of being free from the power of sin yet still in its presence. We find willing spirits in weak flesh. Objectively, the world is looking with engaged consciences for consistency, for uncompromised faith. Where are they going to find it?
We are able to call ourselves by the name of Christ (Christian), because He suffered, He died to pay the penalty of sin for us. Read Isaiah 53:3-9. If we maintain our stand for ourselves, aren’t we saying we love ourselves more than God? Second, if we call ourselves by the name of Christ and do not stand, have we taken His name in vain; that is, for the purpose of denying Him? Have you taken His name for nothing; that is, in vain?
I just watched a video of a boy singing at church (I wish I had a link for it). His singing was introduced as “singing that only a Savior could love.” His singing was not pretty. It was loud and out of tune and kids behind him were making faces. But the kid did not stop belting out the hymn:
“Living for Jesus a life that is true,
Striving to please Him in all that I do.
Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free.
This is the pathway of blessing for me.
Oh, Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee;
For Thou in Thine atonement didst give Thyself for me.
I own no other master.
My heart shall be Thy throne.
My life I give, henceforth to live, for Christ and Thee alone.”
Think of it: Wouldn’t we be standing up to ourselves (our own idol) for the sake of escaping the fire? We would rather save face than live out our love for Christ before others. Doesn’t God have a fiery punishment for idolaters? The difficulty is that we think ourselves "big" in our own eyes, but when it comes to our shifting motivations, our "bigness" seems threatened. Jonathan Swift captured this perfectly as Lemuel Gulliver, having just left Lilliput (where he was giant in a land of 6" people) and found himself in the land of giants (himself no more than 6" tall by their standard), says of himself as he wasnearly trampled:
"Being quite dispirited with Toil, and wholly overcome by Grief and Despair, I lay down between two Ridges, and heartily wished I might there end my Days. I bemoaned my desolate Widow, and Fatherless Children. I lamented my own Folly and Wilfulness in attempting a second Voyage against the Advice of all my Friends and Relations. In this terrible Agitation of Mind I could not forbear thinking of Lilliput, whose Inhabitants looked upon me as the greatest Prodigy that ever appeared in the World; Where I was able to draw an Imperial Fleet in my Hand, and perform those other Actions which will be recorded forever in the Chronicles of that Empire, while Posterity shall hardly believe them, although attested by Millions. I reflected what a Mortification it must prove to me to appear as inconsiderable in this Nation as one single Lilliputian would be among us. But this I conceived was to be the least of my Misfortunes: For as human Creatures are observed to be more savage and cruel in Proportion to their Bulk, what could I expect but to be a Morsel in the Mouth of the first among these enormous Barbarians that should happen to seize me?"
We may have certain size when it comes to the parts of our world we feel we can control, but when our faith is in ideas and not the person of the true and living God, we find ourselves nearly stepped upon by other threats that may be out of our control.
Another facet to consider why we find it difficult to stand in our faith is because we live under over-burdened schedules. To stand in our faith takes work and action. We don’t have time for anything else in our schedules, so for many, taking a stand seems like an extra burden—we have to stop and explain why our actions don’t match our words. All the Hebrew youths had was time, and the result of standing in their faith was promotion!
“If I die, I die.” Esther took a stand (4:16); Peter and the apostles took a stand (Acts 5:29); Paul took a stand (Philippians 1:20). We must remember there is a miracle here: the Lord was seen standing with those who took a stand. Their worship of the true and living God was their motivation. They stood in the fire, but they stood in their faith that God would take care of them, and the Lord preserved them. Spurgeon rightly said that when God puts His children in the furnace, He is found to be standing with them.
Pastor Zhang Rongliang, a prominent Chinese house-church leader, was arrested in a rented apartment at Xuzhai village the afternoon of December 1, 2004. Zhang already had spent 12 years in prison for his faith during five separate detentions. He experienced harsh torture, including electric shock, during his previous prison terms.
Nearly 1,800 Eritrean Christians are now believed to be under arrest because of their religious beliefs, held in police stations, military camps and prisons in 12 known locations across Eritrea.
What do we suffer in standing up for our faith? We suffer the loss of self-love and to many today, this is as painful as a fiery furnace, electric shock or prison camp. Beyond that, the thought of being the object of ridicule, mocking laughter, etc is as frightening to many of us as being thrown to the lions . . .
"Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28)
************
[1]MacArthur, John. Daniel : God's Control Over Rulers and Nations. MacArthur Bible studies, Page 28. Nashville, TN: W Publishing Group, 2000.
[2]Tan, Paul Lee. Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : [A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and Christian Workers]. Garland TX: Bible Communications, 1996, c1979.
What miracle of the Bible stands out as your favorite (leave a brief description in the “comments” section below)? We tend to think of the biblical records as “stories” but they are so much more than that as “story” has come to imply separation from reality. Miracles are called such because of what they are in reality, not separate from but rooted in reality. Miracles cannot be denied. Once I was talking with a young lady concerning her worldview, proudly proclaiming herself to be atheist. I asked her how she thought how the Universe came into existence (including the known and the unknown.). After a moment’s thought she said, “it was a miracle!” Funny she should use that word.
One miracle story is brought to the fore through my regular Bible study, in Daniel 3. We call it by different titles, though we are most familiar with its’ elements: three Hebrew children and a fiery furnace. This event takes place on the heels of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, beginning with a large image made of various materials and ends with God’s kingdom overtaking all the kingdoms of the world, including Nebuchadnezzar’s. Recall that the king was disturbed by the dream he had to the point that he deeply sought the truth concerning its’ meaning; however, he seemed to be strongly influenced by the imagery. In the end he proclaims that the God Daniel worships “’is the God of gods [and] the Lord of kings’ (2:47), he reverted to heinous idolatry, setting up a giant golden image and demanding that his subjects worship it alone.”[1]
Since it is declared the image is to be worshipped might suggest the image is not of Nebuchadnezzar (why not worship the “original?”) but of something else. Regardless, Daniels’ three friends refuse to worship any but the true and living God. That the image is to receive worship and not Nebuchadnezzar might indicate an attempt to make some portrayal of Daniel’s God to the people. Daniel’s friends make a distinction by refusing to worship this image: one will either worship the true and living God, or one will worship the figment of one’s imagination, a false substitute.
The declaration was that, at the right time, everyone is to bow down and worship. Imagine even a crowd of a few hundred people, a gong, and everyone bows . . . only 3 are still standing, maybe together, maybe one over there and another over there and another over there. Regardless, these exalted slaves stick out like a sore thumb. Rebellion against their conquering king? The audacity!
Consider for a moment the confusion of the situation: the Babylonians bring home captives who are exalted to positions of leadership, just under the king. The people must be ruled by captives. Also, worship as the Babylonians knew it, was being challenged—the God of the captives over against the god(s) of Babylon. Who is in control? Perhaps when Nebuchadnezzar commanded the image be worshipped and the Hebrew youths refused, he felt he was being mocked and made to be the fool in front of his people. No wonder he got angry and wanted them destroyed in the very furnace that was used in the production of the 90 foot golden image. No captive is going to humiliate the king because of a dream or an image.
Charles Spurgeon preached, “Let young Christians learn from their example, both in matters of faith in religion, and matters of uprightness in business, never to sacrifice their consciences. Lose all rather than lose your integrity, and when all else is gone, still hold fast a clear conscience as the rarest jewel which can adorn the bosom of a mortal. Be not guided by the will-o’-the-wisp of policy, but by the pole-star of divine authority . . . . An ounce of heart’s-ease is worth a ton of gold.” The Hebrew youths owed nobody an explanation, only uncompromised worship of the King of Kings. (3:13-18) They did not scream, kick, preach, demand an audience or fight for rights. They quietly stood under the faithfulness of God.
The outcome of the episode is intriguing. Not only were the Hebrew youths not destroyed in the fire, which incidentally burned so hot that guards were consumed, but the Lord manifested Himself standing alongside the faithful youths while Nebuchadnezzar confessed, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.”
While his declaration was principally true, his command concerning people who would not worship their God demonstrated he had much to learn.
Acts 4 reminds us that pressure to compromise our faith is ever upon us. Subjectively, the tendency to compromise is driven by fear, and that fear is selfish because we worry about what people think of us. Fear of God is what assures that compromise never occurs. Newspaper counselor Ann Landers reported that in the average of 10,000 letters she received from readers each month, the one problem that surfaced most was the problem of fear. People are afraid of losing their health, their wealth, their loved ones. People are afraid of life itself.[2]
The Hebrew youths understood fear: they were a conquered people, so they had no place to think, “Gee, I hope these Babylonians like me,” as they invaded the land. What was there to fear in not bowing down to an idol in the presence of their enemies?
Believers live free from the penalty of sin (hell), and in the tension of being free from the power of sin yet still in its presence. We find willing spirits in weak flesh. Objectively, the world is looking with engaged consciences for consistency, for uncompromised faith. Where are they going to find it?
We are able to call ourselves by the name of Christ (Christian), because He suffered, He died to pay the penalty of sin for us. Read Isaiah 53:3-9. If we maintain our stand for ourselves, aren’t we saying we love ourselves more than God? Second, if we call ourselves by the name of Christ and do not stand, have we taken His name in vain; that is, for the purpose of denying Him? Have you taken His name for nothing; that is, in vain?
I just watched a video of a boy singing at church (I wish I had a link for it). His singing was introduced as “singing that only a Savior could love.” His singing was not pretty. It was loud and out of tune and kids behind him were making faces. But the kid did not stop belting out the hymn:
“Living for Jesus a life that is true,
Striving to please Him in all that I do.
Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free.
This is the pathway of blessing for me.
Oh, Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee;
For Thou in Thine atonement didst give Thyself for me.
I own no other master.
My heart shall be Thy throne.
My life I give, henceforth to live, for Christ and Thee alone.”
Think of it: Wouldn’t we be standing up to ourselves (our own idol) for the sake of escaping the fire? We would rather save face than live out our love for Christ before others. Doesn’t God have a fiery punishment for idolaters? The difficulty is that we think ourselves "big" in our own eyes, but when it comes to our shifting motivations, our "bigness" seems threatened. Jonathan Swift captured this perfectly as Lemuel Gulliver, having just left Lilliput (where he was giant in a land of 6" people) and found himself in the land of giants (himself no more than 6" tall by their standard), says of himself as he wasnearly trampled:
"Being quite dispirited with Toil, and wholly overcome by Grief and Despair, I lay down between two Ridges, and heartily wished I might there end my Days. I bemoaned my desolate Widow, and Fatherless Children. I lamented my own Folly and Wilfulness in attempting a second Voyage against the Advice of all my Friends and Relations. In this terrible Agitation of Mind I could not forbear thinking of Lilliput, whose Inhabitants looked upon me as the greatest Prodigy that ever appeared in the World; Where I was able to draw an Imperial Fleet in my Hand, and perform those other Actions which will be recorded forever in the Chronicles of that Empire, while Posterity shall hardly believe them, although attested by Millions. I reflected what a Mortification it must prove to me to appear as inconsiderable in this Nation as one single Lilliputian would be among us. But this I conceived was to be the least of my Misfortunes: For as human Creatures are observed to be more savage and cruel in Proportion to their Bulk, what could I expect but to be a Morsel in the Mouth of the first among these enormous Barbarians that should happen to seize me?"
We may have certain size when it comes to the parts of our world we feel we can control, but when our faith is in ideas and not the person of the true and living God, we find ourselves nearly stepped upon by other threats that may be out of our control.
Another facet to consider why we find it difficult to stand in our faith is because we live under over-burdened schedules. To stand in our faith takes work and action. We don’t have time for anything else in our schedules, so for many, taking a stand seems like an extra burden—we have to stop and explain why our actions don’t match our words. All the Hebrew youths had was time, and the result of standing in their faith was promotion!
“If I die, I die.” Esther took a stand (4:16); Peter and the apostles took a stand (Acts 5:29); Paul took a stand (Philippians 1:20). We must remember there is a miracle here: the Lord was seen standing with those who took a stand. Their worship of the true and living God was their motivation. They stood in the fire, but they stood in their faith that God would take care of them, and the Lord preserved them. Spurgeon rightly said that when God puts His children in the furnace, He is found to be standing with them.
Pastor Zhang Rongliang, a prominent Chinese house-church leader, was arrested in a rented apartment at Xuzhai village the afternoon of December 1, 2004. Zhang already had spent 12 years in prison for his faith during five separate detentions. He experienced harsh torture, including electric shock, during his previous prison terms.
Nearly 1,800 Eritrean Christians are now believed to be under arrest because of their religious beliefs, held in police stations, military camps and prisons in 12 known locations across Eritrea.
What do we suffer in standing up for our faith? We suffer the loss of self-love and to many today, this is as painful as a fiery furnace, electric shock or prison camp. Beyond that, the thought of being the object of ridicule, mocking laughter, etc is as frightening to many of us as being thrown to the lions . . .
"Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28)
************
[1]MacArthur, John. Daniel : God's Control Over Rulers and Nations. MacArthur Bible studies, Page 28. Nashville, TN: W Publishing Group, 2000.
[2]Tan, Paul Lee. Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : [A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and Christian Workers]. Garland TX: Bible Communications, 1996, c1979.
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