June 6: GOD’S REVEALED WILL
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18
The king decreed that his gold statue was to be worshiped, but God had long ago decreed otherwise. Nebuchadnezzar, and perhaps his court of attendants, saw as a generous gesture the unusual offer to the three Jews of a second chance to comply with his command. Their response, we have no need to answer you in this matter, was a way of saying: it is not necessary to grant us the favor of another trial, as our minds are settled. In other words, the answer of the young men that day would be the same the next day…and the next…and so on. And with full confidence in God’s capability to deliver them from the king’s hand, they were not presumptuous that He would. Such a decision is entirely up to God. However, they well knew His will regarding worship; therefore their obedience to Him remained unconditional.
The number of Hebrew captives trained for service to King Nebuchadnezzar was large. And all were present at the dedication. But only these three held firm their undivided allegiance to God. Others might have said to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah something like: “Take the king’s offer of a second chance, brothers! You could just drop down and adjust your sandals or something. God knows you’re not really worshiping the statue. Just do it and save your life!” Such “common sense” advice is prevalent today among those who profess to be wise. But true wisdom abstains even from the appearance of evil.
Behind all of this was Satan’s usual agenda: to obstruct the divine purpose for the human race. With the cloak of Babylon covering himself, he would endeavor, through the devisings of ambitious men, to exalt Babylon as supreme and worthy of the world’s loyalty. And now that everyone’s focus was upon the three faithful Hebrews, the “second chance” would afford everyone present the appearance that these three leading men of God were “on board” with the Babylonian agenda. Perish the thought! (see 1 Thessalonians 5:22)
After the king’s dream and the events of its interpretation—all by the power and grace of God—he, Nebuchadnezzar, was positively influenced, for a time, by the fear of the true God, having said: Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets… (2:47). But his thoughts were yet to be cleansed from ambitious desires for worldly dominance and self-exaltation (the very same motives as Satan himself). Nevertheless, we can be sure that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were filled with hope for the salvation of the king. Such a hope strengthens God’s people—for the sake of others—to remain steadfast in full surrender to Him.
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law. Romans 3:28-31