The Refining Fire

by Barbie Breathitt
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, provoked the wrath of King Nebuchadnezzar because they didn’t respect his gods and refused to worship the gold statue that he erected. The king offered them a second chance to escape a sure death if they would bow their knees and worship the statue. 

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, "Nebuchadnezzar, we don't need to explain these things to you. If you throw us into the hot furnace, the God we serve can save us. And if he wants to, he can save us from your power. But even if God does not save us, we want you to know, king, that we refuse to serve your gods. We will not worship the gold idol you have set up." Daniel 3:16-18 Easy-to-Read Version, Revised Edition

Nebuchadnezzar’s face turned purple with rage. He ordered the furnace fired up seven times hotter than usual. Strongmen tied Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s hands and feet, and threw them fully dressed into the roaring furnace. The flames from the furnace killed the strongmen who bound Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But isn’t it interesting that the same flame that destroyed those who sought to bind and destroy the men of God, was able to set the men of God free?

Abednego : The Man Who Defied a King

Abednego [Ăbĕd'-negō]—servant of nebo or servant of light. The name given by the prince of the eunuchs of King Nebuchadnezzar to Azariah, one of the four young princes of Judah who were carried away into Babylon. He was one of the three faithful Jews delivered from the fiery furnace (Dan. 1:7; 2:49; 3). How God honored the faith and courage of these Hebrew youths!

The Man Who Defied a King

There are at least four lessons to be learned from the dauntless, defiant witness of Abed-nego and his two companions:

Trust Him to Deliver You

"A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling." (Psalm 91:7,10)

Naturally speaking, this is a terrifying world we're living in today. A world that staggers from one disaster to another. Almost daily we hear about wars, about the dangers of nuclear weapons and chemical warfare, about oil spills and earthquakes and floods, about diseases on the rise and crime sweeping through our cities.

But in the midst of it all, God is promising to be a refuge and a fortress to those who will trust and dwell in Him.

"But, Gloria," you might say, "He made that promise thousands of years ago when things weren't in as desperate shape as they are today!"

That may be so, but you know what? That promise is right up to date. It was made for our generation. Just think about it. Back when Psalm 91 was written, man hadn't even invented weapons that could destroy ten thousand people at once. We're the generation that did that. So when He said, "No evil will befall you," He was including us.