WEDNESDAY
Today, let’s look at another story of God’s people who remained still, surrendered to the work and will of the Lord.
The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego while in exile in Babylon is one of my favorite stories in all of Scripture. King Nebuchadnezzar sets up a golden image that everyone is to bow down to and worship when the music plays. The three Jewish boys refuse and that’s where we pick up the story.
Daniel 3:13–18 (NIV)
13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King 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 deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are facing an insurmountable obstacle with an almost certain negative outcome. They are slaves with no power or ability effect their situation, but they are surrendered. They begin by telling the king that they do not need to defend themselves in this matter. Defensiveness is often a sign of someone who is un-surrendered. Someone who feels the need to fight for themself instead of allowing God to fight for them.
Then, these three reveal their understanding of God and his Word (we will return to this theme in a later week). They know that God is able to deliver them even from this and they have faith that he will. However, they also reveal that they are not sure that it is his will in this moment to deliver them from this. They say that even if God doesn’t deliver them, they will not serve the Babylonian gods or worship the image of gold. There are some in the prosperity gospel who would take this admittance as a lack of faith for they have failed to “name and claim” their deliverance. However, their previous statement and, even more so, their actions to this point have revealed their great trust in God. Here, this is simply an honest statement as they are unsure of his will, yet they are surrendered to it regardless. We will revisit this in a later week of this campaign when we will talk about the times God does not seem to be fighting for us.
In this event we see another important result of surrender—obedience. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are surrendered to God and therefore determined to obey God even if it costs them their lives. Obedience in the Christian life should come as a result of surrender. Jon Tyson helpfully articulates this relationship.
“Christians often talk about the need for obedience. It’s a concept we have come to see as central to our faith. But surrender is superior to obedience. Obedience is a momentary decision, but surrender is the posture of the kingdom.” - Tyson, Jon. The Burden Is Light: Liberating Your Life from the Tyranny of Performance and Success (p. 71). (Function). Kindle Edition.
He goes on to talk about how our obedience can actually be distorted as an attempt to control God. Obedience without surrender can lead us to be good in the effort to get something from God. We reason that if we are good, God must bring good into our lives. We go to church not to worship but because it is good for our kids and will help us have a better family. We give and follow biblical monetary principles assuming God will then owe us wealth. We create this fictional bargain and attempt to control God with our obedience. To be truly devoted to God, our obedience must flow from our heart’s posture of surrender.
Now let’s finish the story and that will bring us to the end of today.
Daniel 3:19–27 (NIV) 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, Your Majesty.”
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.
Reflection
Reflect on your concept of the relationship between surrender and obedience. Are you first surrendered to the will and the way of God? Or are you obeying God to create this fictional bargain in an attempt to control God and get what you want from him?
Does your defensiveness reveal a lack of surrender?