Daniel chapter 3. This morning we have a story
that most every one of us has heard as a child. It's the story
of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. But friends,
it's much, much more than just a children's Bible story. The
title of my message, as I referred to earlier, is, Who is that God? Who is that God? In our scripture
reading, we looked at the first 15 verses, but let me quickly
refresh your memories concerning what we read. King Nebuchadnezzar
built the gold statue. According to the dimensions mentioned
in the passage, it was 90 feet high. He set it up on the plain
of Dura in the province of Babylon. Now picture this. This statue
was nine stories tall. Nine stories tall. I remember
living in a small town in Kentucky. The biggest city that was closest
to us was across the Ohio River, only about 10 minutes away. But
in 1969, there was a bank there that built a building 16 stories
tall. Now I know in major cities like
Houston, Chicago, New York, that's a small building. But in 1969,
in a little area in the Midwest, that was a big building. We'd
never seen anything like it. I was 13 years old. And I remember
as you were coming in to the Indiana side, across the Ohio
River, you could look up and you could see that building from
afar off, several miles away. It was only a little bit taller
than this statue that Nebuchadnezzar built. and what a sight it must
have been to all those that resided in Babylon. So after building
this massive gold statue, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered all the
important leaders and everyone who was anybody or somebody to
the dedication ceremony of the statue. And they all came for
the dedication, all the important folks. And they took their places
before the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had erected. And as I said earlier,
I read earlier, Harold, an announcer, proclaimed in a loud voice, attention! Everyone, every race, color,
creed, and language, listen. When you hear the band strike
up, now I'm paraphrasing, but I got tired of mentioning all
those instruments. But when you hear the band strike
up, fall to your knees and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar
has set up. Now let me add that more than
likely, no one knows for sure, but it's my guess, that doesn't
mean anything, but that this large mass of a gold statue was
probably more than likely made in the likeness of the king himself,
though we're not told. The announcer, though, goes on
to say that anyone who does not kneel and worship shall be thrown
immediately into a roaring, fiery furnace. And in verse 7 it tells
us that the band started to play, a huge band equipped with all
the musical instruments of Babylon. And everyone of every race, creed,
and color fell to their knees and worshiped the gold statue
that King Nebuchadnezzar had built. Then some of the Babylonian
fortune tellers called the Chaldeans, and that's what they were, they
were just fortune tellers, fakes, servants of Satan, however you
want to put it, stepped up and accused the Jews, and they said
pretentiously with self-serving motives to King Nebuchadnezzar,
long live the king. I can just see them, can't you?
Long live the king. Oh, how natural men and women
will honor mere men and not honor the God that created them. May
we be reminded of the words of our Lord in Matthew 10.28, and
fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill
the soul, but rather fear Him. Fear Him which is able to destroy
both soul and body in hell. In Luke 12, our Lord said in
verses 4 and 5, I say unto you, my friends, be not afraid of
them that kill the body, and after that have no more that
they can do. But I will forewarn you whom
you shall fear. Fear him which after he hath
killed hath power to cast into hell. Yea, I say unto you, fear
him. But men don't seem to have a
fear of God today. And the biggest reason is that
men aren't telling people the truth about God. They're not.
They're making God out to be some beggarly old man upstairs
and he couldn't be further from that. So these Chaldeans went
on to remind the king, they said, now you gave strict orders. You
said that when the music began to play, everyone had to fall
down on their knees and worship this gold statue. And whosoever
did not bow their knees in worship had to be thrown in a roaring,
fiery furnace. And friends, this was brought
about because of their fierce jealousy. And they went on to
say in verse 12, they said, There are some Jews, Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego, whom you have placed in high positions in the province
of Babylon. These men are ignoring you, O
king. They're flat ignoring you. They
don't respect your gods. And they won't worship the gold
statue you've set up. And Nebuchadnezzar was furious. And he ordered Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego to be brought in. Oh, the pride and arrogance of
man that will most ever time. Now listen, man's pride and arrogance
will most every time lead to anger and fury, especially when
that arrogance is mixed with self-righteousness. Nebuchadnezzar
is living proof that natural men, especially those in power,
think themselves to be God. When these three men of God were
brought in in verse 14, look at it with me. Verse 14, Daniel
3, Nebuchadnezzar spake and he said unto them, Is it true? Tell
me, is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve
my gods, nor worship the golden image that I have set up? Now
listen, the true children of God worship one God. They don't worship gods, plural.
They worship one God. And these three faithful men
knew the Word of God, and they knew the God of the Word. They
were very familiar with the commandments that God had gave to Moses on
the tablets of stone. In Exodus chapter 20, the first
commandments that God gave Moses was, First thou shalt not have
no other gods before me. The very first one. no other
gods before me." And in the very next verse it says, "...thou
shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness
of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth
beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not
bow thyself to them, nor serve them. For I, the Lord thy God,
am a jealous God." And Nebuchadnezzar had offended all three. And he
required threatened all in the land. If you don't bow down to
this God of mine, little G-God, a graven image that I've formed,
that I've made. It broke two of the commandments
there. And bow down, that's the third.
Oh, I'm reminded of the verse in Isaiah 42 verse 8, it says,
I am the Lord, that is my name, and my glory will I not give
to another. He will not, friends, give his
glory to another, neither my praise to graven images. Now
look at verse 15. Now if ye be ready, that at what
time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sagbut,
psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye shall fall
down and worship the image which I have made. Well, but if ye
worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst
of a burning, fiery furnace. And who is that God? Who is that
God? that shall deliver you out of
my hands." Now let me tell you what Nebuchadnezzar is saying
here. What he's saying is, I'm going to give you a second chance.
I'm going to give you a second chance because basically I like
you. You know, I did at the request
of Daniel in the very chapter, previous chapter before this,
made them somebody in the province of Babylon. But he's also saying,
don't ignore me anymore. Don't ignore me again. For if
you do the very same hour that you disobey me, the great Nebuchadnezzar,
I'll have you cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is that God that shall
deliver you out of my hands? turn back, maybe you don't have
to turn back, but in Daniel chapter 2, look at verse 47. And the
king answered unto Daniel and said, Of a truth it is that your
God is a God of gods. and a lord of kings and a revealer
of secrets, seeing thou couldst reveal this secret. How soon
this arrogant king had forgotten. I've known many friends, and
I say this with a sad and broken heart, some even of this number,
who have made professions of faith, but it seems they too
have forgotten. They once confessed faith in
a sovereign God who works all things after the counsel of His
own will. They once bowed to Christ and
pledged their faithful allegiance to Him alone. They once claimed
love and devotion to their Savior for their redemption, their justification,
and their preservation. But where are they now? Some
are worshiping and bowing a God that man has made and created. And some worship none other than
themselves, for they need no other. The Deuteronomy 8.11 says,
Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, beware, and not
keeping His commandments and His judgments and His statutes,
which I command thee this day. Yes, how soon many forget. And the truth of the matter is
that if God took his hand off me right now, so would I. Oh
my, his restraining grace. How beautiful it is. And I would
ask these that have seemed to have forgotten, who is that God? Who is that God to you that you've
forgotten and forsaken? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
knew that God was, and we see their great faith in Him in the
following verses. Look at verse 16. Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar,
we're not careful to answer thee in this matter. I can assure
you that most of the people, when they stood before the king,
they were careful in how they answered. But they told him right
up front, we're not careful to answer thee in this matter. Verse
17, if it be so, our God, 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. Now let me tell you something,
they're saving faith. That's saving faith. That's faith
in a God who's able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that
we could think or ask. Oh beloved, the God whom you
serve this day is able. He's able. He's able to deliver
you no matter what you face. It doesn't matter what you face
in the way of trials, whether it's affliction of body or soul,
whether it's hurt or need. Your God is able to deliver you. Those of you without Christ,
this God whom I declare to you this morning, He is able to save
you to the uttermost. He's able. For the which cause
I also suffer these things, nevertheless I'm not ashamed, for I know whom
I have believed, Paul said. I know Him, and I'm persuaded,
convinced, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that He is able to keep
that which I've committed. unto him against that day. Hebrews
2.18 says, For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted,
he is able to succor, comfort them that are tempted. He's able. Hebrews 7.25, wherefore he is
able to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him, seeing
that he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Now that's the God
of the Bible. Now look at verse 18 in chapter
3. They go on with their confession or profession of faith, and they
say, but if not, we're confident that our Lord will deliver us.
We know that he is able, but if not, be it known unto thee,
O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden
image that thou hast set up. Oh, what great faith these men
had. They said, but even if God doesn't
deliver us, it wouldn't make a bit of difference. And that's
the attitude of a true child of God. We still wouldn't serve
your gods. We still wouldn't worship that
gold statue that you have setting out in the plain for all to see.
And if our God does not think it fit to exert His power and
deliver us, in whom we are well assured He's able to do, if it's
not His will..." Did you hear that? If it's not His will. What
did our Lord pray? Not my will, but thine be done.
And God put Him on a tree. crucified. It was by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God, even though it was the means
was the wicked hands of men. If it's not His will, we're content.
Whether we're delivered or not, come life, come death, we are
ready, for we had rather die than sin against our God. I'm
telling you something about a child of God, and those of you that
know Christ and believe the gospel know this to be so. You won't
listen to a false gospel. You won't listen to it. It will absolutely drive you
mad. When I hear men talking about
whom they proclaim to be God and doesn't no more resemble
the God of this Bible than a little gnat, it just makes me sick at
my stomach. I'm not going to listen to it.
Not going to listen to it. And God's people won't. These
three Hebrew men, young men, I'm sure at this time, they said
whether we're delivered or not, whether we live, whether we die,
we're ready. We're ready because we'd rather
die than sin against our God. Now look at verse 19. This didn't
go over well. And verse 19, "...then was Nebuchadnezzar
full of fury, full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed
against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Therefore he spake,
and he commanded that they should heat the furnace, seven times
more than it was want to be heeded. King Nebuchadnezzar was furious
before. Now it says he's full of fury. You see, he realizes that his
threats on them had made no difference. They were resolved and determined
not to obey his will. And the king's face that once
smiled upon them as his favorites now turns red with fury. Oh,
I can just see. Have you ever seen people that
just get furious? Their face on most turns purple.
Man, I'm telling you, it just shows all over. Oh, his visage
changed. I'm sure the forehead was wrinkled.
He was just, oh, he was madder than a hornet. And immediately
he orders the furnace fire to be turned up seven times hotter
than usual. That's a common reaction when
you denounce men's imaginary little ten gods. People get mad. They don't like it. Okay, verse
20. And he commanded the most mighty
men that were in his army, this is Nebuchadnezzar speaking of,
to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them in
the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in
their coats and their hosen, which I looked up, I didn't know
what it was, it's basically a robe, and their hats, probably turbans,
and their other garments, and were cast in the midst of the
burning, fiery furnace. And with the furnace being seven
times hotter, and being bound hand and foot and fully clothed
by these strong and mighty men of Nebuchadnezzar's army, it
was all done with the purpose of Nebuchadnezzar to make the
torment greater, but providentially. Now listen to me. It was so that
the miracle of God and His deliverance would also be greater. Do you
remember that blind man? We looked at him not long ago
that was blind since birth. The first thing the apostles
wanted to know was, is he born blind because he did some awful
sin or his parents did some awful sin? And the Lord Jesus said,
no, he was born blind that you might see them. And I tell you,
that furnace was turned up seven times hotter and they were bound
hand and foot and thrown in there with their clothes on to show
they got it. would be their deliverer. Greater
the trial, greater the deliverance. Oh, the greater your trial and
affliction, the greater is God's glory when He delivers you from
it. Alright, to prove this even further, look at verse 22. Therefore,
because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding
hot, The flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego. It was so hot that when they
went to throw them in the fiery furnace, the men that had bound
them and put them there were killed. That's how hot it was. What proof this is of the fervent
heat and the sure death that awaited these men? But nothing,
now listen to me, nothing, and I mean nothing, is too hard for
God Almighty. I was thinking as I was studying
this, He who created the fire can surely control it. Can he
not? And verse 23, And these three
men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst
of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king
was astonished and arose up in haste, and spake and said unto
his counselors, Did we not cast three men bound in the midst
of the fire? And they answered and said unto
the king, True, O king. And he answered and said, Lo,
I see four men. I see four men, and they're loose,
and they're walking in the midst of the fire, the fire that had
killed those who just got close to the opening of the fire. They're
walking around loose, and they have no hurt. They're not screaming. They're not in anguish. They're
not in pain. They're walking around conversing
with one another. And there's an extra one in there.
And Nebuchadnezzar says, "...and the form of the fourth is like
the Son of God." Oh, don't miss the gospel here. Don't miss the
gospel here. These three chosen men of God
who were bound were now loose. Those who were tied hand and
foot are now walking freely. Those who were destined for a
burning, fiery death now have no hurt or suffer no pain. They who were three were now
four. And the form of the fourth is
like the Son of God. elect sinners who deserved to
be bound and thrown into hell. To die an eternal death are now
loosed with no harm, no hurt. Why? Because God's beloved Son
took our place and he delivered us by becoming what we were,
taking our just punishment by dying in our stead. That's substitution
and that's the gospel. Now in my reading there are many
that think the fourth man in the fire was an angel. I'm not
going to argue with that, but I'm going to tell you I believe
with all my heart that it was Christ. For it is He only that
can deliver from the fire of affliction. the fire of hell
because of our sin. In Isaiah 43, it says, When thou
passest through the waters, I will be with thee. Not some angel,
I'll be with thee. And through the rivers, they
shall not overflow thee. And when thou walkest through
the fire, thou shall not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle
upon thee. Isaiah 48 10 11 behold I have
refined thee but not with silver I've chosen thee in the furnace
of affliction who has I have says the Lord Jesus Christ For
my own sake even for my own sake will I do it I'll do it. For how should my name be polluted? And I will not give my glory
unto another." That's the Lord Jesus Christ. That's no angel. That's no angel. Okay, verse
26, I'll try to finish this up. Then Nebuchadnezzar came nearer
to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the Most High
God, Come forth and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors,
and 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. Neither were their coats changed,
nor the smell of fire had passed on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar
spoke, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, who has sent his angel, and 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. God. Now look at verse 29. This
is remarkable. Therefore I make a decree. I'm
going to make another decree. That every people, nation, and
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. Now notice these last words.
Because there is no other God. There is no other God that can
deliver after this sort." Did you catch those words? There
is no other God that can deliver after this sort. But he who had
earlier said, in verse 15, he said, if you worship not this
gold statue that I call God, you shall be cast the same iron
into the midst of a burning furnace, and who is that God that shall
deliver you out of my hands? Now what does he say? There is
no other God that can deliver after this sort. Who is that
God? Who is that God? Well, all the
chosen of God proclaim the same thing as Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego. They said, 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. And He did. And He did. And He still does. He still does. Romans chapter
3 assures us of this. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies it. Who
can? Who is He that condemned it?
It's Christ that died. Who can? Who can? Yea, rather
than His risen again, who is even at the right hand of God,
who also maketh intercession for us, who shall separate us
from the love of Christ? Nothing. No one. Nothing or no one, dear child
of God. Nothing or no one. As we consider
this marvelous chapter, an amazing story, we see a beautiful, clear,
instructive picture of God's great salvation. The salvation
of poor sinners by the sin-atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ. What a picture we have before
us. And listen, I say with Nebuchadnezzar, this time, Not the first time,
but this time, there is no other God that can deliver after this
sword. You can write it down and take
it to the bank, as they say. He who is God, our Savior, saves
His people in exactly the same way He saved Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego from the burning fiery furnace. He became one
of us. He suffered all the fury and
fire of God's wrath with His people and for His people. The
Lord Jesus Christ so thoroughly, now listen, so thoroughly saves
His people from their sins that not even the smell of hell is
upon them. This is how our God saved. He
so thoroughly saves His elect that they suffer no loss for
their crimes but only gain. I hope you enclosed your Bible,
but look at verse 30. Then the king promoted The king promoted Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego in the province of Babylon. Oh, God saves His
elect. They don't suffer loss, only
gain. Only gain. May the Lord be pleased
to bless to your hearts the preaching of His word.