.JPG)
The Bible Breakdown
Bible reading plan and SOAP guide: www.experiencerlc.com/the-bible
Subscribe to my weekly newsletter: www.brandoncannon.com
The Bible Breakdown
Daniel 03: Faith in the Fire
Ask a Question
Send Encouragement
|||| Take a Next Step ||||
SOAP Bible Study Method.
Bible Reading Plan.
Free Weekly Newsletter.
|||| Social ||||
Facebook.
Instagram.
X.
YouTube.
The More We Dig. The More We Find.
Hello everybody, welcome back to the Bible Breakdown Podcast with your host, pastor Brandon, today, daniel, chapter 3, and today's title is Faith in the Fire. Faith in the Fire. I'm telling you something it's one of my favorite stories in the entire Bible. We're going to get into it up here. So, if you have your Bibles, just get them ready. Just get ready and get ready to take a lap in Jesus' name, because we're going to get into it.
Speaker 1:Daniel, chapter 3, and while you are doing that, make sure you take just a moment as you are making your lap to like, share and subscribe to the YouTube channel and the podcast. Make sure you leave us a five-star review on the podcast and make sure you're going to the Bible Breakdown Discussion man. They're doing an amazing job. Those really are the heroes around here because every day, day in, day out, they're writing these devotions, just helping enrich our walk with God. Also, make sure you text RLC Bible to 94000, because we can send you every day the link to these different things that we're doing, and on occasion we may even send you some special announcements and things like that, and so if you're connected to the RLC community, the only way you're going to get that is by texting RLC Bible to 94000. Okay, all right. Well, if you have your Bibles and you're getting it out and getting it ready for Daniel, chapter three, don't forget the overall theme of Daniel is God is in control and, as we have been saying, that is so important that we remember, because we got to remember where Daniel is.
Speaker 1:Daniel is in enemy territory. Daniel is where he don't want to be. He don't want to be where he is at in the capital city of Babylon, but he's going to grow where he's been planted and he has just decided I'm here, might as well bring God some glory. And that's what he does. And so in chapter one, he decided that he wasn't going to defile God, even though he was in this strange land. And he finished, you know, going to the Harvard of Babylon, learned the languages, learned all the economics and all the things. And then, him and Shadrach, meshach and Abednego, they go into chapter two, and then there's a vision that the king has and he's like if y'all can't tell me the vision and what it means, I'm going to kill all you fools. Well, daniel told him what it was, what it meant, and so not only did nobody die, but Daniel got promoted. And then he said hey, I got three friends. They're pretty cool guys. Can you bring them along too? And they do.
Speaker 1:And so now, as we are opening up into chapter three, more time has passed. God's still in control and God is moving in their lives and he is continuing to help them. But here's the thing we got to understand. The Bible tells us over and over and over again that the world is not compatible with the glory of God. At some point, our relationship with God, our relationship with God and our dealings with people who are not Christ followers, it's going to butt heads. As a matter of fact, one of the ways to know if you're on the right track is do you occasionally butt heads with evil? If you don't, that might be because you're walking in the same direction, I don't know. So watch what happens today. And we're going to watch. I mean, let's just get into it. I mean it's going to be awesome. You ready? Here we go. Nebuchadnezzar is going to talk about is going to build a gold statue Now here. By the way, here's the thing I've always been curious. The Bible doesn't say but remember, yesterday he had this dream of the statue. I wonder if this one he made today was kind of a an idea behind that, so I don't know. Anyway, here we go, daniel.
Speaker 1:Chapter three, verse one says this king nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue of 90 feet tall and nine feet wide and set it up on the plain of dura in the province of babylon. That's a big statue, all right. Then he sent mission messengers to the high officers, officials, governors, advisors, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the provincial officials to come to the dedication of the statue he had set up. So all these officials came and stood before the statue of King Nebuchadnezzar that he had set up and then a herald shouted out people of all races and nations and languages, listen to the king's command. When you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the zither, the lyre, the harp, the pipes and other musical instruments, bow down to worship King Nebuchadnezzar's gold statue. Pause, how weird is that? Bow down to this statue. But here we go.
Speaker 1:Verse 6,. Anyone who refuses will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace. So at the sound of the musical instrument, all the people, whatever their race, nation or language, bow down to the ground and worship the gold statue that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Not because they wanted to, they just didn't want to die, verse 8,.
Speaker 1:But some of the astrologers went to the king and informed on the Jews. Snitches get stitches is all I'm saying. Verse 9. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar Long live the king. You issued a decree requiring all the people to bow down and worship the gold statue. When they hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the zither, the lyre, the harp, pipes and other musical instruments, I'm just kind of curious. What does a zither sound like? Anyway, verse 11. That decree makes me think of like a kazoo or something. But anyway, that decree also states that those who refuse to obey must be thrown into a blazing furnace.
Speaker 1:But there are some Jews, shadrach, meshach and Abednego, whom you have put in charge of the province of Babylon. They pay no attention to you, your majesty. They refuse to serve your gods and do not worship the gold statue you have set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered the Shadrach, meshach and Abednego be brought before him. And then, when they were brought in, nebuchadnezzar said to them and then, when they were brought in, nebuchadnezzar said to them Is this true, rackshack and Benny? Is this true, rackshack and Benny, that you refuse to serve my gods or worship the gold statue I have set up. I'm going to give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue that I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace.
Speaker 1:Then what god will be able to rescue you from my power? He had to say it, first of all. What an odd position I mean my mind is painting. This picture of everything has come to a stop. We're going to watch you three bow down in worship. You want to talk about peer pressure. Peer pressure, and it would have been bad enough if he had just said do it, I'm going to kill you. But then he had to bring God into it. He said what God will be able to rescue you from my power? You know it would have been bad enough if he had just said do it, I'm gonna kill you. But then he had to bring God into it. He said what God will be able to rescue you from my power? You know it's about to go down.
Speaker 1:So then verse six, verse 16, rackshack and Benny replied oh, nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you If we are thrown into the blazing furnace. The God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, your majesty. But even if he doesn't come on somebody, we want to make it clear to you, your majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue that you have set up Right now. I just would slow clap for these bros right here. You know what they just said. They just looked at the most powerful man in the world and said you a fool. I mean. They looked at him and they said our God is able to deliver us, but if he chooses not to, he's still God. That's amazing. How many of us have ever put God under conditions? God, if you do something, if you do what I need you to do in my life, then you're truly God. You know what they said. God, you don't have to prove anything to me. I sure would love for you to do it. I really didn't want to get nice and toasty today, but you ain't got nothing to prove. You're already God, and so you do what you got to do. Man, that's awesome. All right, verse 19. Let me keep going.
Speaker 1:Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Rackshack and Benny that his face became distorted with rage. I bet that was gross. He commanded that the furnace be heated up seven times hotter than usual. He ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Rackshack and Benny and to throw them into the blazing furnace. They tied them up and threw them into the furnace fully dressed in their pants, turbans, robes and other garments. I kind of hope that was the plan to begin with. Don't be throwing no naked people up in there. All right, verse 22. And because the king, in his anger, had demanded the fire, the hot fire, and the furnace, the flames killed.
Speaker 1:I love this next word. Look, I see four men. Didn't we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace? Yes, your majesty, we certainly did. They replied. Look, I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed, and the fourth one looks like a god. So in other words, remember he said what god can save you. You know what god said me, verse 26.
Speaker 1:Then nebuchadnezzar came close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted rakshak and benny, servants of the most high god, come out, come here. So shadrach, meshach and abednego stepped out of the fire. I love this. And then the officers, officials, governors and advisors crowded around them and they saw that the fire had not touched them, not a hair on their head, was singed Listen to this. And their clothes were not scorched. They didn't even smell like smoke. Then King Nebuchadnezzar said praise the God of Shadrach, meshach and Abednego. He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted him. They defied the king's command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own god. Therefore, I make this decree If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the god of Shadrach, meshach and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb. Their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble and there is no other God who can rescue like this. Then the king promoted Shadrach, meshach and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon.
Speaker 1:Come on, somebody. I'm going to slow, clap my way all the way to church, run a lap around that place and the walls of Jericho are going to come down on somebody. That's amazing. There's so many takeaways from that. There's so many wonderful things. I want to hear in the comments and YouTube video and then on the Bible breakdown discussion, some of the different takeaways that you have, but here's one of the biggest ones. There's going to be moments in our life where there's going to be crossroads and we're going to have to choose Are we going to worship God or are we going to go the way of the world?
Speaker 1:Now, this was a pretty in-your-face moment, right, even though. Can you imagine? Can you imagine how much pressure and stress this was? Everybody around you is worshiping. You know you could have just blended into the crowd. You know what I mean? Just kind of just done a little bow, you know just a little, and then you're done. They didn't do that. And then the most powerful man in the world says we're going to give you guys one more chance and you're going to bow and worship, aren't you? I mean, you were talking about intimidating. And then they have to make a choice. In one way, it would be easier if it was that in your face, right, because then you can see it for what it is.
Speaker 1:But many times the enemy doesn't come at us like that. He comes at us in one degree off Just a little bit here. It's not a big lie, it's a white lie. It's not stealing, it's just's a white lie. It's not stealing, it's just cutting a little bit off the edge. It's not dishonoring my spouse Just looking at images on a computer. It's these little things, at least in our own mind. But it's those little things that remove our integrity and they stop the flow of God's goodness in our life. And we're going to have those moments.
Speaker 1:But here's the catch they had such confidence in God that they didn't say to the king hey, you know what? God is going to save us, period. Because if you do, it's almost like you're saying you know we're going to put God to the test here. If he does, then he's God. If he's not, he's not, because I really don't want to die today. You know we're going to put God to the test here. If he does, then he's God. If he's not, he's not, because I really don't want to die today. You know what they said. They said God is God, he can deliver us and he will deliver us, but if he doesn't, he's still God. In other words, if he don't do it my way, he's still God. There's no conditions on my God. He's God. Either way of it, and a little bit more. That's powerful.
Speaker 1:Do you know what you can do? You know what you can do with someone like that Nothing. You can't bother people like that because their hope is not in this world. Also, their fear is not in you. Their hope and fear, all that together, is in God. And when you do, when you have that kind of attitude, you can't mess with someone like that. And so can I tell you.
Speaker 1:My encouragement for you today is make up your mind if God's good, before you get into the trouble, right Before you get in the middle of it. Just make up your mind. Is God worth serving? Is God good? Does God have to answer any more of your prayer requests before he's good enough? Has he not already proven himself? Then I'm going to tell you one of the most freeing prayers you can pray God. I pray that you will deliver me from whatever your biggest need is. But then you say but even if you don't, you're still God and I trust that you have a plan, I trust that you're in control. Watch what that does. Now.
Speaker 1:First of all, there's going to be a moment of devastation, because that means you have to come face to face with the fact God might not do it the way you want. God might not. He might not heal them, he might not bring that financial breakthrough in the way you thought, he might not give you that job. He might not. But when you say, god, you are God either way. You know what you're doing Is. You are just letting go and trusting him. And can I tell you there's no safer place to be than in the hands of our God, who loves you, because if he doesn't make this happen, it's because he's got something else even better over here and it may not look better, but it is. And so there's something just powerful when we just say, god, you're in control and I trust you. Let's pray together right now. Say God, you're in control and I trust you. Let's pray together right now.
Speaker 1:God, thank you so much for today. Thank you, god, that we can trust you. And God, I'll just be, I'll be first to raise my hand and say that's not always easy, because, god, there's been times when we have faced fires in our lives. You know, I don't know the name of the fire, or maybe somebody else's life, but we've all had them. And you know what we don't want. We don't want to get in it, we want you to save us from it.
Speaker 1:But sometimes the greatest testimonies are not what you saved us from, but what you saved us through. And so we trust you and we just look at whatever the biggest fire is in our life and we just say, god, you're able to deliver us. But even if you don't, you're still God and we still trust you, and we trust that you're able to do exceedingly and abundantly. Above all, we could ask, think or imagine according to your power that works within us. We thank you for that. Today, in Jesus' name, we pray Amen. Just like we read earlier, daniel, chapter 3, shadrach, meshach and Abednego look at the king and say God is able to save us, but even if he doesn't, we will never serve your gods. Even if not, god is still in control. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow for Daniel, chapter 4.
