DANIEL 3:19-30 OPENING BLIND EYES

Written by , Rector of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia
 

¹⁹ Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual ²⁰ and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. ²¹ So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. ²² The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, ²³ and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
²⁴ Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”
They replied, “Certainly, O king.”
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.”
²⁶ Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”
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.
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.”
³⁰ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

The story of the three exiles in the furnace is a three-fold story of faith. The young men have an unyielding faith in God. God’s faithfulness is demonstrated by his presence with them in their trial, as well as his act of delivering them. Nebuchadnezzar is given an opportunity to place his faith in God, and at a certain level seems to grasp the offer. In each case the object of the faith is God and the objective is to make him known in the world.

Throughout the ages, this story has been a tremendous encouragement to Jews and Christians. It is part of our story as members of the Church. We are reminded that God’s sovereign love for the world will not leave the world without a witness even in its darkest hours. Likewise, through faith in God, we are privileged to demonstrate his love for the world and our love of him.

The story of the three young men and the trial of Jesus are illustrations of unyielding faith in God in the face of the greatest worldly powers of the times. Although the men were physically delivered, Jesus was crucified. But in both scenarios God showed that he is sovereign, in the one case by escorting the men through the fire unharmed and in the other by raising Jesus from the tomb. True faith observed opens the eyes of the blind that they might see God.

May our faith be the faith of David as he expressed it in Psalm 23: “^3b [God] guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. ⁴ Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for [God is] with me.”

You are my Shepherd and I am your sheep, O God. Nourish me in your pastures that my faith will grow and I will be strong in the daily challenges with which the world assaults my faith. May my life demonstrate your glory to at least one person today. Amen.

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