Formed for Faithfulness
June 21 | Donavon Hintz
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Daniel 3:1-30
Nebuchadnezzar's Golden Image
1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” 7 Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
The Fiery Furnace
8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. 9 They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 10 You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. 11 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22 Because the king's order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
One of the most common ways this story is taught is as a story about courage. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stand when everyone else bows, refusing to compromise and trust God in the face of death. Yet, if we stop there, we miss something important. Instead of asking the question, "How did they find courage in that moment?" We should be asking the question, "How did they become the kind of people who could stand in that moment?"
Nobody suddenly becomes faithful when the pressure hits. Faithfulness is usually the result of formation long before the crisis comes. When the moment of testing arrives, we reveal who we have been becoming all along. So, Daniel 3 is a story about worship, formation and competing kingdoms.
Liturgies Form Us
At first glance this moment can appear political, but if we look more closely we see this is liturgical. It is a worship service. They aren’t gathered to debate theology. They are simply gathered to participate. They were asked to show up, join in and follow the ritual.
For many of us, the big shiny statue seems pretty clear as an idol. Unfortunately, our modern idols and liturgies have become more sophisticated. Consumerism, success, entertainment, politics, self-expression, and the list goes on and on. Each of these systems asks the same question Babylon asked, "What do you love most?" Because whatever captures our loves eventually captures our lives.
Now here's the encouraging part. God understands formation. He created it. This is why the church gathers week after week. Not simply to transfer information, but to form people. The question is not whether you are being formed. The question is who is doing the forming?
Faithfulness Is Formed
This helps us understand the courage of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The big deal isn’t simply that they stood; it is that they were able to stand. They already knew their response because they had already been formed. Their lives and their loves had already been shaped long before the crowd gathered, the music started playing and the furnace was heating up. When the moment came, they revealed their formation to be faithful.
Be Formed by Jesus
Most of us will never have to face the decision whether we will bow to a golden statue.
The real questions we must face are, “What is shaping our loves? What stories are forming our imagination? What kingdom is discipling our heart?”
Every day rival liturgies are calling for our attention and we are being invited to bow. And yes, every Sunday we practice our own liturgy, but that liturgy is just an example of how we should be practicing daily in our own lives. If we are only practicing this liturgy together on Sundays and a different liturgy during the week, then this isn’t the one forming us.
Every prayer we pray, every bowing of our knee to His will, every moment in God's Word is training us to remember who we are - citizens of another Kingdom and servants of the King. So when we are tested, may we be able to say with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego: "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us. And even if He does not, we will serve Him and Him alone.”
Discussion Questions
What are some modern liturgies (practices, habits or cultural messages) that compete for our hearts and loyalties today? What does it look like to resist those in your own life?
How might your priorities, decisions or anxieties change if you more fully believed that God's Kingdom is the only kingdom that will ultimately last?
What is one practice or rhythm you can do this week to strengthen your faithfulness to Christ in the midst of the pressures and influences around you?