We won’t bow
“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 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. 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.’” -Daniel 3:16-18 (ESV)
King Nebuchadnezzar ordered a giant statue of himself, commanding the people in his kingdom to bow down before the monstrous idol at the prompt of music. Anyone unwilling to comply would be immediately burned alive in a fiery furnace. The young Hebrew men had a decision to make. As the first notes rang out, everyone hit the ground to pay homage to the king’s statue—everyone except Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. When the King heard of their insolence, he gave them a chance to bow down. Their response was riveting. They believed God could deliver them from the furnace, but if He chose not to, they still would not bow down to the image.
Whether they lived or died, the Hebrews decided to remain faithful to the Lord, which infuriated the king to ignite the furnace seven times hotter! However, only the ropes that bound the men burned. When the appearance of the Son of God showed up in the fire among the men, the King called for their release from the furnace. Miraculously, the men didn’t even smell like smoke!
The music of this world plays loudly, and the culture bends to the pressure of tolerance , a definition devised by social norms . Are we willing to stand for God no matter the cost? Even if this equals losing a job, or friends abandon us for refusing to compromise our faith? We must tune our ear to another melody, the melody of heaven. We cannot fear man; we must fear God.
I believe a day is coming, even in this country, when we will have to make a stand for what we believe, and we will face consequences. In other countries, our brothers and sisters are making these choices every day. May God help us reach the place to boldly say, “But, if not,” we still choose not to serve the gods of this world.
Your pastor,
John Randall