No Other God Can Deliver

Let's open our Bibles together this morning to the book of Daniel. Daniel chapter three. Daniel three. Now here in this passage of scripture, Daniel had set up, or not Daniel, but King Nebuchadnezzar had set up a golden image. And it was three score cubits tall.

That's 90 feet. An idol 90 feet tall. And for reference, if you took two 72 passenger yellow school buses, and you stack them end to end and put a basketball goal on top of that, you'd have close to 90 feet. This was a huge. He set this up for everybody to see. And it was covered in gold.

An idol. no matter how big, no matter how shiny, it cannot save. It cannot deliver. Idols are, scripture says, silver and gold. They're the works of men's hands. That's all they are. Scripture says they have mouths, but they speak not. Eyes, but they can't see. They have ears, but they cannot hear. Noses, but they cannot smell. They have hands that can't handle anything. They have feet that cannot walk. They're absolutely nothing. And they that make them. are just like him.

An idol cannot save, an idol cannot deliver. Isaiah wrote this, he said, an idol can profit nothing. But Nebuchadnezzar the king, he set up this idol and he made a command. Look at verse five and six of Daniel three. He says, at what time of year, when you hear this, when you hear the sound of the cornet, the flute, the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery, the dulcimer, and all kinds of music, isn't that common to religion today? Just a whole lot of music just to get people all worked up. But he said, when you hear the sound of these things, he said, you fall down and you worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up and whoever doesn't fall down and worship will be cast the same hour into the fiery furnace, the burning fiery furnace. If you don't worship the idol, it's clear, if you don't worship the idol, you'll be cast into this furnace.

And if in verse 12, we read of three men, there were three men, who refused to bow down. Three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And word scattered that they would not bow down. And when the king heard this, he was furious. He went into a rage. And in his rage and fury, he has these three men brought before him. Look beginning with verse 14. Nebuchadnezzar, he spake, and he said to these three men, he said, is this true? Is what I'm hearing, is this true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Do not you serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I've set up? Is that true?

And apparently, it felt like he was giving him a second chance. He said, if you be ready, at what time of year? He said, when you hear the sound of the cornet, the flute, the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery, the dulcimer, and all kinds of music, you fall down and worship the image I've made, well, it will be well for you.

We can just forget all about this. We'll just put this behind us. If you worship not, if you don't worship this idol, you'll be cast the same hour into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. And then he says, and who is this God? Who is this God that will deliver you out of my hands? He reminds him of his decree. He reminds him of his law. And they're guilty, they're guilty before these charges. They're brought to answer for these charges. And he says, if you repent, if you turn and you worship this golden image, everything, everything will be okay. Isn't that the religion of this world today? There's no fear of God. Everybody's okay according to the religion of this world.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they answered and they said unto the king, they said, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. We're not afraid to answer you. We're not careful to answer you. We're not gonna try to water down or sugarcoat this answer. We're not careful to answer. We don't have to think about it.

We know the answer to this question. They knew it, didn't they? They were prepared to answer. They knew the answer. You know, we're instructed, God's word instructs us to be ready. To be ready always. To give an answer of the hope that lies within us. the reason of the hope that lies within us, and to do so with meekness and with fear. To be ready, to be ready to give an answer.

Listen, when a person asks you, how is it, how is it that you believe that your sins are pardoned? How is that? Why do you believe that your name is written in heaven? How is it that you believe that you're not under the condemnation of the law, but hope to live eternally with Christ?

We're to be ready to give an answer for that. The Lord Jesus Christ is my righteousness before the law. I'm righteous in him. The Lord Jesus Christ has justified me by his blood. He's the mediator. Our mediator before God's throne. And to answer in a, listen, not in a I know everything kind of response, but to do so, listen, in a humble fashion. God's people above all people should be humble. What are we? What are any of us apart from the grace of God in Christ? To give that answer in the fear of the Lord. To be careful how we answer. To answer in such a way that God gets all the glory, to give it that answer courteously and respectfully.

You know, there were men back there in the time of our Lord, they would ask him questions. They weren't seeking him. They were attempting to make false allegation against him or to accuse him. We shouldn't assume that everybody that asks us a question, and that's hard to do sometimes, but we shouldn't assume that everybody asks a question is doing that. It could be that they are truly seeking the Lord, seeking his mercy, seeking to know more of him.

Well, he said, if you don't, the king said, if you don't, I'm gonna cast you into the fiery furnace. And he asked them this question. Nebuchadnezzar asked this question. He said, who is that God? Who is that God? Can he deliver you? Can he? Can he deliver you out of my hand?

Pharaoh asked a similar question back in the book of Exodus, back in Exodus 5 too. Moses had went to Pharaoh and he spoke to Pharaoh and he said to Pharaoh, thus saith the Lord God of Israel, let my people go. Let them go that they may hold a feast for me in the wilderness. Do you remember Pharaoh's reply?

He said, who is the Lord? Who is he? Who is the Lord that I should obey? I'm the king. Who is the Lord that I should obey? His voice. And let Israel go. He said, I know not the Lord. I don't know him and neither will I let Israel go. Who is the Lord?

I tell you, in time, Pharaoh found out who he is, didn't he? And Nebuchadnezzar here is about to find out who he is. And someday, maybe soon, but someday this world is going to find out who he is, who God is. You know, back in Noah's day, there came a time when men found out who God was.

Noah was a preacher of righteousness, and the old writers say this, that while he was building that ark over 100 years, I think somebody said 120 years while he was building that ark, He preached. Don't you know people stop by and say, no, what are you building? Lord's going to return. Lord's going to return in wrath. Lord's going to destroy this world. There's going to be one place of safety.

No, it's never rained a day. It's never rained a day. You have no idea what you're talking about. Don't you know they mocked him? But one day. One day, God told Noah and his family, go in the ark. And for seven days, seven days, they sat there in that ark. And that door was wide open. Nobody come in. Men refused to enter into that ark. The door was wide open. And then one day, God shut that door. Noah didn't shut the door. God shut the door. And the day of mercy was over. And the rains began to fall. Don't you know at that point there was folks that really wanted to be in that ark? A day of wrath, a day of judgment. Men found out and men are going to find out that he is not such a one as ourselves.

He is God. Scripture says there is one God. There is but one God, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in you all. Who is that God that can deliver you out of my hand? Well, here's the second thing here. Look at the answer. Look at verse 16. Again, Daniel 3, verse 16.

Now they were ready here to give, they were ready to give an answer, weren't they? Be ready to give an answer. Paul writing to the Romans, he said this, he said, as much as is in me, I'm ready. I'm ready to give an answer. I'm ready to preach the gospel to you.

Listen to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego's answer. Verse 17, if it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the fiery furnace, and he will. He will deliver us out of thy hand, O King, if it be so. If it be so, he will deliver us. What are they saying here? He is able. He's able. What's the reason for their hope? He's able. He is able.

Who is that God that will deliver you out of my hand? King, we're not careful. We're not careful to answer you. If it be so, he will deliver us. Where's their confidence? It's not in themselves, is it? They didn't say, we're three strong men. No, they can't deliver themselves. No confidence in this flesh, no power to save myself or anyone else for that matter.

If it be so, he will deliver. He is able. Our God is able. We read that in scripture, Hebrews 7.25, it says, he is able also to save to the uttermost them that come to God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. In Romans 4, Romans 4 verse 21, we read this being fully persuaded, fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform. Abraham, Abraham was convinced of it, wasn't he? What God had promised, he's able to perform.

In the book of Philippians, Philippians 3.21, we read that he shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able to subdue all things unto himself. Paul said, I know whom I'm believed. And what is he? He is able. He's able. Able to keep us from falling. Able to do all these things. He, he's able.

Well, back to our text here, verse 18. But if not, if not, be it known unto thee, O king, we'll not serve thy gods. We won't worship thy golden image which thou hast set up. Listen, if he doesn't, if he doesn't, it does not change who he is. He's still God. No one else can deliver. No one else can deliver, but He can. He is able. Isn't that, that's unwavering faith, isn't it? Oh Lord, give me, give me that faith to trust, to trust Him.

No other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Even, even in the, even in the face of the enemy, Now quickly look with me beginning with verse 19. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And therefore he spake and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.

Seven times more. There's a lot of numbers in the Bible, and I know there's an explanation of what those different numbers mean. I don't know any of those, but I know this. I know that number seven represents perfection. That's clear in God's word, isn't it? Perfection, seven times.

And he commanded, listen, the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the fiery furnace, And these men, they were bound. They went inbound. That's important. They went inbound. They were in their coats and their hosin and their hats and other garments, and they were cast into the midst of a burning, fiery furnace.

And therefore, because the king's command was urgent and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they fell bound into the midst of the burning, fiery furnace.

Now listen, let not the wise man glory in his riches. There was the wise man glory in his wisdom, the rich man glory in his riches. Let not the strong man glory in his strength, but let him the glory of glory in this, that he knows the Lord. These were Nebuchadnezzar's strongest men.

What happened to them? They were slain, weren't they? His strongest men slain. The king and his raids, these men had declared God's sovereignty. They had declared his ability to save. And King Nebuchadnezzar was no different than the men that walked during our Lord's walk on this earth, no different than the men that walked during our time on this earth.

They hate God's sovereignty. When he heard about it, what did he do? He went into a rage. That's a natural response to the gospel. And he placed them bound in the furnace. In verse 24, King Nebuchadnezzar, he was astonished and he rose up in haste and he spoke to his counselors He said this, he said, didn't we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? And they answered, that's true, okay. And he said, lo, I see four men.

And they're no longer bound. And they're walking in the midst of the fire, and the fire has no hurt. and the form of the fourth. Who is it? Is like the Son of God. It's the third point here. This is a picture of God's grace. These men, these men were delivered by the Lord Jesus Christ. Didn't I cast in three bound? And now, what's going on here? I see four. I see four. They're loose, walking, and the fourth is like the Son of God. I see four.

How did King Nebuchadnezzar know that that fourth one, that that fourth one was the Son of God? There's only one way, only God can reveal his son. And Nebuchadnezzar was given eyes to see him. How does God deliver his people? He delivers them by his son. He delivers them in Christ. That hasn't changed. That has not changed. Almighty God does not change. And listen, this fact doesn't change either. He will never leave and he'll never forsake his people.

The Lord Jesus Christ consumed that fire. And his people are kept safe. He took our judgment. He took our judgment for us. He said this, for the transgression of my people. Were they stricken? No, He was stricken. For the transgression of my people was I stricken.

We read this, once in the end of the world, He hath appeared to put away sin. How? By the sacrifice of Himself. These scriptures are throughout the Word of God. God made Him. God made the Lord Jesus Christ, His Son, Him who knew no sin. He made Him to be sin for us. That we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

He consumed the fire. And as a result, that fire is gone. It had no effect on these men. He said this, he said, their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. He consumed it, therefore it's gone. There's therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ. The fire had no power over these men. It did over Nebuchadnezzar's servants, didn't it? It consumed them. But not Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. How is that? Because of Christ. Sin shall no more have dominion over you. Who can lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. Look at verse 26.

Nebuchadnezzar, he came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and he spake. And he said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High God, come forth, come hither. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they came forth. They came forth of the midst of the fire.

And the princes, and the governors, and the captains, and the king's counselors, being gathered together, saw these men upon whose bodies the fire had no power. nor was a hair of their head singed." You ever stand too close to a fire and you come away with no eyebrows? The fire is strong.

Listen, it didn't singe them. Their coats weren't changed. They didn't even have the smell of smoke passed upon him. That brings me to the fourth point here. Listen, this is complete deliverance. Sin, that fire had no power over them. Sin doesn't have dominion over God's people.

Their coats weren't changed. The fire had no power. Not a hair of sins, not a smell of smoke. Listen, there was no, had they not seen him in that fire, There would have been absolutely no evidence that they'd even been in a fiery furnace. What about God's people? Sin, what's left of it? Our sins have been taken away. They've been cast into the depths of the sea, never to be seen again. That's complete deliverance, isn't it?

Let me just read a few verses of scripture to you. 1 John 1 7. Just turn there with me. 1 John. What's left? What's left of that sin? What that smoke is going? Look at verse seven. It says, 1 John 1 verse seven, if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanses us from all sin. All sin. Hebrews 10, 14 says this, by one offering, by one offering, he hath perfected forever, forever. The sin of his people has been put away. And then fifth, he's no longer angry. God is no longer angry. This king here, he's no longer angry, is he? God's anger has been turned. Go back to Daniel 3, look at verse 28. Daniel 3, 28. Therefore, I make a decree. Let's just read the verse 28. Nebuchadnezzar spake.

He said, blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and has delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any God except their own God. Therefore, I make a decree that every people, nation, language, which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill, because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

King came a long ways, didn't he? He said, who is that God that can deliver you out of my hand? And in just a short amount of time, he learned something, didn't he? The Lord taught him something. The Lord was pleased to teach him that no other God, no other God can deliver after this sword. All right. May the Lord bless his word. Isaac, come lead us in a closing hymn.

No Other God Can Deliver

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No Other God Can Deliver

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