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.
Daniel 3:18 [KJV]
Daniel 3:18 [KJV]
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego gave the king a religious answer. Their answer, like the words of David who fought Goliath, was the answer that came from the faith that was usually prepared. They believed in God's omnipotence. They were sure that God could deliver them from the
fiery furnace and deliver them from the hand of the king. Not only that, but they replied that they would not bow down to the king's image, even if God did not deliver them, that is, even if God's will was to die. It was a confession of absolute faith that transcended death.
They knew that to bow down to the image was a great sin against the commandments of God. "But if not, be it known unto thee," is the expression of the three friends' confession of faith that they would rather die than survive by worshiping idols. It is the result of a personal
decision and at the same time shows the essence of true faith. They are determined to stick to their principles, whatever the outcome. "But if God deems it unfit to rescue us from the fiery furnace (though we know that he is capable of deliverance) and lets us fall into your
hands, and by your hands, we fall O king, we will Know that they will not serve gods or bow down to the image you have erected.' They are not ashamed or afraid of their confession of faith. If they had consulted flesh and blood, they would have heard many whispers to obey
the king. Especially at this time, when death, death, could not be avoided! They were not asked to give up God or give up the worship of God. No oral confession or oath was required to acknowledge it, but only a prostrate bow and they could have done this secretly with a secret
reverence for the God of Israel, like Naiman who bowed down in the house of Rimmon (2 Kings 5:18). ) could have bowed down, in their heart, loathing this idolatry. They would not fall down the path of idolatry. All that was required of them was one action. It was an action that
would take a single minute. Once the danger is past, they will Later, I was able to express my regret about this. The king who ordered this was the owner of absolute power. They were under that absolute power. They were the king's subjects and prisoners at the same time. Even
if they worshiped, it was purely forced and threatened. "The king was their nurturer and benefactor. He nurtured them and taught them to do good. Even if idolatry was an excessive concession, a concession of conscience, they did not intend to return his favor." They were exiled
to a foreign country, and for those who were exiled, the exile said, "Go and serve other gods" (1 Samuel 20:19). It's no different. By nature, it was taken for granted that they would serve other gods, and it became part of the judgment (Deuteronomy 4:28). Even if they were
swept by their trend, they were given extenuating circumstances because the current was too strong. Did not their kings, princes, ancestors, and even their priests set up idols in God's house and worship them there? Didn't they not only bow down to idols, but also set up altars,
burn incense, and offer sacrifices, even offering their children? Had not all ten tribes served the gods of the golden calf at Dan and Bethel for a long time? But will they keep their faith more strictly than their ancestors? Com munis error Facitjusjus - that is, what everyone
does must be right. If they followed the king's order, they would not only preserve their own lives and positions but would also provide a great deal of help to their compatriots in Babylon for a long time. Because they were young and a rising generation. But one word from God
is enough to answer these worldly persuasions and silence them. "You shall not bow down to any image or serve it." The three knew that they should obey God rather than man. I knew that I should suffer more than sin and that I should not do evil to get good. I decided that I
would rather die in their integrity than live in their injustice. While the remaining compatriots in their homeland were worshiping idols by choice, these three people in Babylon would not bow down to idols even if forced. They were ardent opponents of idolatry in the kingdom of
idols. Indeed, taking all this into account, their deliverance from this sinful idolatry was as great a miracle in the world of grace as it was in nature to deliver them from the fiery furnace. They bravely resolve not to defile themselves with the king's delicacies before. Note
that a firm adherence to God and duty in self-denial in the lesser instance prepares and qualifies to do the same in the greater. In this respect, too, we must be determined not to worship idols or talk about associations of idolaters under any pretext.
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