I posted a journal previously about the faith of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. How they trusted God whether he delivered them from teh furnace or not. Now I want to go deeper in the story and take a look at Nebuchadnezzar.

Daniel 3:20- And he commanded his most mighty men to cast Shadrach, Meshach and  Abednego into the fire.

3:21: Then these men were bound in their hats and and coats and hosen, and their other garmetns and were cast into the midst of the fiery furnace.

3:22 There fore because the Kin's commandment was urgent , and the fire exceedingly hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach , Meshach and Abednego.

Ok now obviously King Nebuchadnezzar knew the power of God and that He could deliver these boys. That is what they were mere teenage boys, not very big or strong and they were bound hand and foot in every way imaginable. But the king still called for the Mighty men of the kingdom to toss them into the furnace, which he had heated to 7x hotter then usual. The heat was so intense that it killed the men ordered to throw them into the furnace, yet the hebrew prisoners were unscathed by it.  This very part of the scripture shows us that the King knwe God and had experience with His long arm of protection over his children. Otherwise why would you choose the strongest men in your kingdom to toss the smallest of boys that were totally bound into a furnace? Why would you heat the furnace 7 x hotter then normal unless you suspected that God would protect them from the normal heat.

Ok moving on:

In these verses we see that the boys were freed and walking about hte fire, almost immediately upon entering it. We know the fire was hot enough to kill the men before them yet they were untouched and the king saw another man walking in the flames with them. Notice he does not call him a man but one having teh appearance of man. the king KNEW that mere man alone could not withstand that heat, fire and furnace, he had watched his servants get toasted by it seconds before. Nebuchadnezzar KNEW that God had sent a protector that was not an angel , not quite man, but somethign spectacular. then the king himself walked into the mouth of the furnace. Why did he do that? He knew it was deadly it  had just  been proven by the death of the servants.Yet the king approached anyway. Did he know that God would spare him as He was the Hebrew boys? Or was his guilt so great he felt that he deserved death for making himself an idol when he knew the greatness of God. Either way he approached and was spared and allowed to see into the furnace, he even spoke to the boys and they answered him back. Not only did they answer him they WALKED out of the fire untouched. Nebuchadnezzar had experienced the grace adn Unmerited favor of God in that moment. when God had every right to punish him for the wrongful imprisionment of those boys who knew the power of their God.

Grace and unmerited favor is what we all receive from God. We have all fallen short of the glory of God. Even those of us who have accepted Christ as our Savior still fall short, we are not perfect. But because of His love and mercy upon us HE stepped into those flames just as he did for the hebrew children. Only the next time he took the victory over death hell and the grave. Giving us the keys to eternal life and authority adn dominion over all the earth. IF we like King Nebuchadnezzar did step into the fire to seek him out in the midst of the storm and flames. God never said the road would be easy. He siad we would have to trust Him every step of the way. Each time we face a trial we are to be like the boys and the king. To know His power, but to ultimately trust that regardless of teh outcome He is still God all by himself.

Tags: god, trial, grace, favor, shadrach, nebuchadnezzar.

Add A Comment