In the penultimate part of the series on the different dimensions to the heroic account of Sharach, Mesach, Abenego’s death-defying act, we come to the second dimension:
Decree…
The wonder of the story of heroic faith of Shadrach, Mesach, Abednego (belonging to the first batch of exiles) is that their matchless act of valor, besides bringing manifold blessings to their own lives, also set right the flawed perception of Israel’s neighboring countries on God’s power to save his dear ones from harm’s way.
Having landed in the foreign land on account of their own sins and that of their countrymen, it is to their eternal credit that without wallowing in self pity or slipping into despair, these three men displayed remarkable resilience in seeking and honoring their Redeemer God in completely alien settings by first abstaining from pagan food (Daniel 1:8-20), a disposition that brought about blessings in its wake by way of their elevation in civil service; and then (when the situation demanded), publicly putting their very lives at stake for preserving Holy name of their God.
Following the miraculous deliverance from the fiery furnace, one look at the decree of that mighty but fickle Emperor Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3:28-29 — See below), extolling the Lord God of these 3 valorous men and warning people of his realm not to take His Holy Name lightly, would convey in no small measure the magnitude of the positive fall-out of this dramatic incident on the restoration of God’s Holy Name to its rightful place in the Civilized World of that age. No longer would any pagan nations or its citizens dare to speak ill of His Matchless Name!
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. 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.” (Daniel 3:28-29)
Prayer: Father, enable us always to stand up for Your glory in order Thy Name is always magnified before all those who are observing us keenly. In Jesus’ Name. Amen
Suresh Manoharan
An unworthy servant
J and SM Ministries
(To access the entire “Streams in the Desert” mini-series, please click here.)