Well, let's turn to the portion
of Scripture we were reading in Daniel, there in Daniel chapter
3, and our text is found at verse
25. The words of Nebuchadnezzar,
Daniel 3.25, He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose,
walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurts, and the
form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Surely it's a portion
we're not unfamiliar with. It's one that we probably learnt
even in Sunday school all those many years ago. But what remarkable things are
recorded here in this chapter. And tonight, as we look at this
particular verse, I want to say something with regards to faith
in the furnace, or more particularly, fellowship with Christ in trials. Fellowship with Christ in trials. We remember, of course, that
what we have recorded here is for us Whatever things were written
aforetime, Paul says, were written for our learning that we, through
patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope. And I trust
that we will find something to give us hope as we come to consider
this text. We certainly see in this chapter
how God's children are to stand separate from the worlds and
the ways of the world. John says in that first general
epistle of not the world, neither the things that are in the world
or that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of
the eyes, the lust of life. He's not of the Father, but he's
of the world. And the world and its lusts are
fading away. For we're to be those then who
are a separated people. be not conformed to this world
but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind that you
may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of
God is the language of Paul there in Romans 12 2 and here in a
sense we see something of the the grandeur we might say the
splendor of the world it's pomp and its ceremony, and yet, in
many ways, it's so ridiculous. This image is set up there in
the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. And all are to worship
it. And how many times is it? Four
times. Four times. It's there in verses
5, 7, 10, and 15. All that goes on proclaiming this image to be some sort of
God, that at what time you hear the sound of the cornet, flute,
harp, sackbutt, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, you fall
down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king
hath set up. Those are the words in verse
5. Then we have it again in verse 7 as I said. And of course we
have it twice in the portion that we read from verse 8. there
at verse 10 and again at verse 15 fine repetitions but all the
the ceremony of the world what is it? what is it? well these
men they scorn it and they reject it and how bold they are and we read in verse 12 of them these
certain Jews say to the Emperor, these certain Jews whom thou
hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, these men, O King, have not regarded
thee. They serve not thy gods, nor
worship the golden image which thou hast set up. And thou, Nebuchadnezzar,
He's so enraged, as we see there in verse 13, and then he speaks
to them in a way, he speaks, I suppose, kindly words in verse
15, if they will conform to what is required, then all will be
well for them. But how they answer him at verse
16, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in
this matter, If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to
deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver
us out of thine hand. But if not, be it known unto
thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the
golden image which thou hast set up." And what remarkable
faith it is. They're looking to their God
to deliver them, but if God doesn't deliver them, well, they will
bow to his divine sovereignty. They'll accept that the furnace
is there to consume them. It will bring their life to an
end. Or they are men of very real
faith and they will not therefore in
any way worship an idol. They only worship the living
and the true God and they suffer. All that will live godly in Christ
Jesus Paul says, are to suffer persecution in the world. It's
inevitable. Well, as we come to consider
the words that I've announced for our text, I want to deal
with some three points this evening. First of all, to say something
with regards to the faith of the godly, and then to look at
the furnace of trials, and finally, the fellowship that is had with
the Lord Jesus Christ. First of all, then, the faith,
the faith of the God. We've already noticed this in
the words that they speak, particularly here at verse 17. Our God, whom
we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace,
and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O King. As in Paul
says something similar in the opening chapter of 2 Corinthians,
he hath delivered, he doth deliver, and he will yet deliver, he is
the God of deliverances and this is where these men are looking
and trusting in their God and yet this is the God who has brought
them of course into into captivity think of the ministry of Jeremiah
he was living at the time of the Babylonian captivity and
he spoke plainly that God himself was the one who had raised up
this man, this great Babylonian emperor Nebuchadnezzar, a very
real man known to history, not just spoken of here in Holy Scripture,
but there are other documents that establish the fact that
he really did live, he was a great emperor, but he was God's servant
in the chastening of the Jews. They were to go into captivity,
they would be there some some 70 years and of course later
in chapter 9 we see that in Daniel's day the 70 years were accomplished
and he prays that remarkable prayer he reads in Jeremiah and
understands from the prophets writings that God was going to
accomplish those 70 years and he sets his face and he prays
prays over the word of God prays over the promise of God well
These young men are men of the same faith as Daniel. And we know that all those who
are justified live by faith. The just shall live by faith,
is the word that we have there in Habakkuk. Habakkuk 2 verse
4. And remember how it's then repeated
three times in the New Testament, in Romans 1.17, In Galatians
3.11 and in Hebrews 10.38, the just shall live by faith. This is how these men are living
their lives, the faith of the godly. And it's interesting,
isn't it, because that verse in Romans 1.17 was the one that
really came with such tremendous power and authority to Martin
Luther in the midst of all the torments of his soul, when in
his monkish shell he could find no peace at all. He was seeking
to establish a righteousness that would make him acceptable
unto God. That's why he'd taken the cowl
and was living the life of a Romish monk. And he came to that scripture
in Romans, In the previous verse Paul says
I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ it is the power of
God unto salvation to everyone that believeth to the Jew first
and also to the Greek and then remember how he continues therein
is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is
written the just shall live by faith." What is the righteousness
of God? It's not a man's active righteousness.
It's something passive. It's God's righteousness. It's
what God has done. And it was Paul, of course, that
self-righteous Pharisee who thought he could make himself righteous
before God, who was strict of all his supposed righteousnesses,
and expresses his great desire to the Philippians to be found
In him that is in Christ, not having mine own righteousness
which is of the law, but that which is with the faith of Christ,
the righteousness which is of God by faith, or the faith of
the godly. They live, they live by faith. They walk by faith, and not by
sight. And it's difficult really to
define what that faith is, We have that definition at the beginning
of Hebrews 11, that faith is the substance of things hoped
for, the evidence of things not seen. It's not a leap in the
dark in any sense. It has to do with him who is
the light of the world. It's not so much that we want
definitions. What the scripture does is continually
set before us the blessed object of faith. Him who is the light
of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ. Looking onto Jesus, the
author and finisher of our faith. That's the one we have to look
to, and it's looking to Him and all that that entails, trusting
in Him, leaning upon Him, resting in Him. As all our salvation,
all our desire, And from where does that faith come? It comes
from God, it's the gift of God. By grace are you saved through
faith and out of yourselves. It is the gift of God. We're
familiar with these scriptures. In Colossians 2.12 we read of
faith, of the operation of God. All through faith's the life
of God. Deep in the heart it lies, it lives, it labors on
the Lord. Though damned it never dies.
We're just saying those words in the hymn. It's the faith of
the God, and it's the faith that we see in these young men. Whatever the consequence, they believe that God is able
to deliver them out of the fiery furnace, out of the hand of this
great emperor. But if not, be it known unto
thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the
golden image which thou hast set up. Well, there we have something
of the faith of the godly. Let's turn to the furnace of trials, as I call it. Dr.
Gill makes this observation concerning the fiery furnace in this passage.
He says, it may be an emblem of fiery trials. An emblem of
fiery trials. These things are written for
our learning, remember. What is the application? Well,
Peter tells us, doesn't he, beloved, think it not strange concerning
the fiery trial that is to try you as though some strange thing
happened unto you? It's not strange, it's the lot
of the people of God, the fiery trial. The faith is always associated
with the trial of faith. Abraham is the great pattern
of faith, isn't he? He's the father of all them that
believe. And we see in Genesis 17 how his faith was tried in
the matter of Isaac. The promise that he'd waited
and waited and waited and waited. And the promise was fulfilled
and Sarah had the son. And then God tries him. by commanding
him to sacrifice that son. Or God tried him, tested his
faith. Beloved, think it not strange
concerning the fiery trial that is to try you. God says in Isaiah, I have chosen
thee in the furnace of affliction. When we think of election, you
see, there's a connection between God's election and the furnace
of afflictions. This is the appointed lot of
the people of God. They're not going to have an
easy life. They have to fight the good fight of faith, have
to lay hold on eternal life. There's a fiery furnace. Again,
Isaiah 31.9, the Lord, we read, whose fire is in Zion and his
furnace in Jerusalem. What is Zion? What is Jerusalem? That's the people of God. That's
the people of God. And we've already referred to
the opening verse of Hebrews 11. It's that great chapter on
faith. And the faith of all these great
men and women of the Old Testament. What a tremendous catalogue it
is. And when we come towards the end of that chapter we read
of those who through faith quenched the violence of fire all through
faith they quenched the violence of fire isn't that what these
young men did? verse 19 Nebuchadnezzar commanded that
they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it
was wont to be heated very hot one seven times and seven I suppose
is the number of perfection it must have been as hot as they
could ever possibly make it that's what it's saying and he commanded
the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach
Meshach and Abednego and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace
then these men were bound in their coats their hosen their
socks, I suppose, whatever they wore, their hats, their other
garments, they're fully clothed and they're cast into the midst
of the burning, fiery furnace. And therefore, because the King's
commandment was urgent and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame
of the fire slew those men that took them up. Even as they approached the furnace,
these men who took them up to cast them in, they were killed
because of the intensity of the heat. And this is their trial, you
see, the trial of these men. What a trial it is. And there's
no avoiding the trial, as I've already said. Peter again says,
Now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold
temptations. that the trial of your faith,
being much more precious than the gold that perisheth, might
be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of
Jesus Christ. Now for a season it needs be."
Oh, there's a needs be. It's necessary, but there's also
the if. How wise God is in all His dealings with us. Too wise
to be mistaken. Too good to be unkind. But how these men had to be cast
into this fiery furnace, and they fell down, it says, bound
into the midst of the burning, fiery furnace. They were bound
up. No avoiding this. Oh, we must,
through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God, says
the apostle. He's only echoing the words of
the Lord Jesus. In the world you shall have tribulation,
said Christ. be of good cheer I have overcome
the world we must we must there's no avoiding the trial but here
we see this great truth that there's no hurt in the fire that's
remarkable what we have at verse 27 what does it say at the end of
that verse upon whose bodies the fire had
no power, nor was a hair of their head singed, neither were their
coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them."
They were all together preserved in the midst of this great trial.
And why was this? Because the Lord Jesus Christ
himself was with them. That's the wonder of it. That's
the text, isn't it? Lo, I see four men. This is the language of Nebuchadnezzar,
a heathen monarch. Lo, I see four men, loose, walking
in the midst of the fire, and they have no hearts. And the
form of the fourth is like the Son of God. All Christ is with them. Isn't
the Lord Jesus Christ that one who watches over his people always? He's spoken of, remember, in
Malachi, as that one who is the refiner. And he watches over his crucible.
The language that we have there in Malachi 3. In verse 3, he
shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he shall purify
the sons of Levi. and purge them as gold and silver
that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness."
The Lord's gracious purpose with his people, to make them fruitful
in good works. But then he watches over them
all the time. He sits as the refiner, examining the crucible,
making sure that the heat is just right. I am the Lord, I
change not, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed, he
says in verse 6 of that chapter. He doesn't consume them when
he refines them. What is the refiner doing? He's
purging out all the dross. Now what is the Lord doing in
the furnace then? He's purifying the faith of his
people. gold in the furnished tride,
ne'er lose his aught but wrath. So is the Christian purified
and bettered by the cross. We have to take up our cross
and follow the Lord Jesus. We have to be conformed to His
image. And the Lord has His ways, trials,
troubles, chastenings. No chastening for the present
seemeth to be joyous, Paul says. but grievous nevertheless afterward,
that yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them who
exercise thereby." There's always an afterward in the dealings
of the Lord with his people. What do we see here? It's a principle
thing really. We see that these believers know
real fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. or this one who
is with them. The form of the fourth is like
the Son of God." Interesting expression, like the Son of God,
because it reminds us of what we have later. In chapter 7, chapter 7 verses 13 and 14, Daniel speaks of a vision. I saw in the night visions. Behold,
one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven and
came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before
Him. And there was given Him dominion and glory and a kingdom,
that all people, nations, and languages should serve Him. His
dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and
His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. There we have
one like the Son of Man, and there we have one like the Son
of God. And it's one and the same person.
It's the Son of Man, it's the Son of God. It's Him who is God
and Man. Those two natures in the one
person of Jesus Christ. Without controversy, Paul says.
Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. And He is that One who is with
His people, who cares for His people. What does He say? We have God's promises. When
thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither
shall the flame kindle upon them. When the Lord is trying His people,
He cares for them. He protects them. He brings them
through. This is Paul's great desire,
isn't it? That I may know Him. The power
of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings being made
conformable unto His death. As I said, where there is that
faith that is true faith, genuine faith, that faith that is the
gift of God, It cannot be separated from the trial. God has joined
the two together. We see it there at the end of
Philippians 1. Unto you it is given, in the behalf of Christ,
not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake,
Paul says. The two go together. What is
given? Belief, faith. But more than that, suffering
for his sake. suffering for his sake. These
men were all bound as we saw there
in in verse 23 bound up all in all their clothes and bound by
the strongest men in the army of Nebuchadnezzar he wanted to
make sure that they could never lose those bonds but when he
sees them with this fourth man lo I see four men loose They're released now from all
their bounds. Oh, if the Son therefore shall
make you free, you shall be free indeed. This is the power of
the Lord Jesus Christ. He's able to deliver His people.
Deliver His people from all their enemies, from Satan, from the
world, even from themselves. Oh, there's a sanctifying effect,
you see, on afflictions when the Lord Jesus Christ works graciously
by His Spirit in the hearts of His people. He has a gracious
end in view. Afflictions make us see what
else would escape our sights, says the hymn writer. How very
foul and dim are we in God, how pure and bright. All the more
the Lord takes us into the trials. What is the purpose? He will
show us more and more of Himself, discover more of Himself. That's
the wonder of the ways of God. And this was the favor that was
bestowed upon these young men. Or they discovered something
more of Him who is the only Savior of sinners. Those who were saved
in the Old Testament were all saved by the Lord Jesus Christ. They looked for the appearing,
the coming of Him who was promised the Messiah of God. We have these
various appearances. Does he not sometimes appear
as the angel of the Lord? And here in verse 28, Nebuchadnezzar
says concerning these men who were concerning God and his dealing
with them, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted
in him. the angel of the Lord, it's the
Lord Jesus Christ and he is the only one that can save sinners
and all that the Lord might be pleased yet to reveal more and
more of himself even to us that we might know more that amazing grace that God has
displayed in the gift of his only begotten Son full of grace
and truth Well, the Lord bless his word to us. Before we pray,
let us turn to our second hymn number 300. The tune is 220. Hymn number 300. How simple are thy children,
Lord, unskilled in what they pray, for love they lift a hearty
word, yet know not what they say. Number 300, tune 220.