Tested & Refined by Fire
Bible Reading: Daniel 3
The Big Question: What will I do when I am tested by God?
Background:
606/605 BC: Babylonians occupied Jerusalem under the campaign of Nebuchadnezzar II
Nebuchadnezzar took some of the brightest best looking young men of Judah to be inducted into language and literature of Babylon.
Shadrach: Hananiah is a Hebrew name that means "God who is gracious"
Meshach: Misha'el means "Who is like God?”
Abednego: Azariah means "God has helped"
They are close friend with Daniel and devoted to the commandments of the One True God.
In chapter 1, they were tested and refuse to defile themselves with the King's food and wine.
Upon the King’s review, he also found them to be “ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm”. [v.20]
Because of God's blessing they continue to success and other official was jealous of them.
Story Overview:
1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feetwide
5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.
In an effort to satisfy their jealousy, the other officials knowing that Shadrach, Meschach, and Abedego are devoted to their true God. report them to king:
12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego was reported to the King,
The King throw them in the fire.
But God Saved them.
God will send situation in our life to test us, how will we respond to those test?
One: we can avoid it
two: we can face it head on.
We avoid because:
I. We are afraid of the test.
a. being looked down
b. being looked different
c. being treated as an outcast
e. being looked like a fool
d. afraid of losing something that belongs to us or our life.
Example of Test:
Praying for healing of a person that is hurt or have cancer.
Giving a drunk beggar money.
When we are face with these kind of test, we will ask ourselves why is God testing us like this.
But if we overcome our fear and trust in the Lord and face the situationhead on, we will see the benefits of God's test.
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Benefits:
1. We get to meet Jesus our Lord personally
25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
2. God delivers us completely
So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.
3. God is honor
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”
4. We are honor
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
Conclude with some personal story of God test and his benefit.