Our scripture reading for this evening, brothers and sisters, once again is indeed found in the prophecy of Daniel. In the Old Testament, after the books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, you'll soon come to Ezekiel, Daniel, Daniel chapter 3. If you were with us last Lord's Day evening, you may recall that we studied together the first 18 verses of Daniel chapter 3, looking at this image of gold which Nebuchadnezzar had erected in the plains of Dura, demanding that all people of all tribes and places bow down and worship it. We pick up our scripture text this evening. We're gonna begin reading from the beginning of the chapter to set the context once again. But we pick up our text where we left off last Lord's Day evening, namely in verse 19. And we will study then especially verses 19 through verse 30, the end of the chapter. So Daniel chapter three, beginning in verse one, let us hear the word of the Lord. King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold 90 feet high and 9 feet wide and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. The satraps, prefects, governors, advisors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it. Then the herald loudly proclaimed, This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations, and men of every language. As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace. Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations, and men of every language fell down and worshipped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, O King, live forever. You have issued a decree, O king, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, and that whoever does not fall down in worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up. Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king. And Nebuchadnezzar said to them, Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what God will be able to rescue you from My hand. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. These men wearing their robes, trousers, turbans, and other clothes were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisors, weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire? They replied, certainly, O king. He said, look, I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods. Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, come here. So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors, and royal advisors crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their head singed, their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. Nebuchadnezzar said, Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be cut into pieces, and their houses be turned into piles of rubble. For no other God can save in this way. And the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. Thus far, the reading of God's Holy Word. And as always, brothers and sisters, I ask and urge you to keep your Bibles open and handy as we look to God's Word together this evening. Dear congregation of Jesus Christ, Several days ago, a friend very kindly shared with me a portion of a classic devotional by Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Perhaps you use it in your own devotional life. It's called Morning and Evening. Well, in this particular section of Morning Evening, there is a devotional based by Charles Spurgeon on Isaiah 48, verse 10. Isaiah 48, verse 10. And the text is listed here at the top of the devotional. It's in the King James Version, but it reads as follows. I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. Now, friends, think about that. Interestingly enough, this particular devotional goes on in part to read as follows. Listen carefully please. Does not the word come like a soft shower, assuaging the fury of the flame? Yes, is it not an asbestos armor against which the heat hath no power? Let affliction come. God has chosen me. It continues. Sickness thou mayest intrude, but I have a balsam ready. God has chosen me. Whatever befalls me in this veil of tears, I know that He has chosen me. If, believer, thou requirest still greater comfort, remember that you have the Son of Man with you in the furnace. And then finally this, in all thy fiery trials, His presence is both thy comfort and safety. He will never leave one whom he has chosen for his own. Friends, think about that. In all thy fiery trials, his presence is both thy comfort and safety. He will never leave one whom he has chosen for his own. End of quote. And isn't that true? Indeed, it is gloriously true. And friends, because that is true, that is why as we turn to the words of our text for this evening, as recorded for us in Daniel 3 verses 19 and following, we find that just as was true for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego some 2,600 years ago, so too for each and every true believer today in the Lord our God and in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Namely, no matter what trial, no matter what trouble, no matter what tribulation may come your way or my way, the Bible says that the God we serve is surely able to deliver us from it. should he so desire. But even if not, think of this, but even if not, that same God promises to be with us in and to see us through such trials. Even brothers and sisters, if you and I are thrown metaphorically speaking, metaphorically speaking, into the fiery furnace, into the fiery furnace. Think about that. Now then, as we begin to work our way through the words of our text, Daniel 3, verses 19 and following, let us consider, first of all, Nebuchadnezzar's punishment. We're gonna consider, first of all, Nebuchadnezzar's punishment. Again, we're picking up where we left off last time, so look at verse 19 with me, if you would please. Here we read, then, that is after what? Well, after Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, boys and girls, young people have been called into the presence of this most mighty monarch on the face of the earth at that time. They were told to either bow or burn, to bow or burn. They refused to bow. And as we just read a moment ago, they said in verses 16 and 17 and 18, O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it. And He will rescue us from your hand, O King. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O King, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. The great Bible commentator Matthew Henry has written, and I quote, he became like a wild bull in a net. He became like a wild bull in a net. He thought he was being gracious. He thought he was being merciful. He was ready to have what I call that pagan praise band play another number so that they would bow before the image. But now his confidence changed, his image changed, his attitude toward them changed. He became, as I said, Matthew Henry says, like a wild bull in a net. And he ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual. One commentator has said, I think it's kind of humorous, one commentator has said he had it heated seven times hotter as if he was dealing with an asbestos figure rather than with flesh and blood men. Now friends, I've got a footnote here in my Bible that talk about that seven times hotter of the fire. And it says this, very interesting insight, listen carefully please. It says the temperature was controlled by the number of bellows forcing air into the fire chamber. Boys and girls, young people, apparently this huge furnace had a top and a bottom, and we'll comment on that again in just a moment, but it had bellows at the bottom. The temperature was controlled by the number of bellows forcing air into the fire chamber. Therefore, sevenfold intensification was achieved by seven bellows pumping at the same time. But the expression, seven times hotter than usual, may have also been figurative for, quote, as hot as possible, end quote, with seven signifying completeness. But I think we all get the idea. The countenance of Nebuchadnezzar changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual, and he commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army. He was going to indicate that he was not messing around. He was going to take no chances about the punishment that he felt those three Hebrew young men deserved. And so he finds three of his strongest soldiers. He commands them, look with me, to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans, and other clothes, were bound. So picture them, they are completely tied up, unable to move, and they are thrown into the blazing furnace. The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men firmly tied, stay with me, fell, the Hebrew conveys a sense, and I think the King James includes this, fell down into, they were thrown down into the blazing furnace. Completely tied up, clothes and all, thrown into a furnace that had been fired up seven times hotter. Friends, think about this. Put yourself in their place. Look at your own life. I'll ask you a question, respectfully, lovingly. Have you ever felt, metaphorically speaking, as if you were being thrown into a fiery furnace? I've felt that way many times in my life. Sometimes we feel that way physically. Sometimes we feel that way emotionally. Sometimes we feel that way materially, financially. Sometimes we feel that way spiritually. My friend, if you can say here tonight, no, I've never felt that way before, I say again to you with love and respect, well rest assured that one day you will feel that way. One day you will feel that way. Even young people, you will one day feel that way. Author Mark Twain once said, life is just one darn thing after another. Life is just one darn thing after another. The scriptures say it more specifically. Psalm 34, 19, many are the afflictions of the righteous. Many are the afflictions of the righteous. Psalm 34, 19, Acts 14, 22. We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God. Have you ever found yourself facing an affliction? Have you ever found yourself going through a hardship? Have you ever felt like you were in the midst of a fiery furnace? Friends, again, I have, and I would say probably so have you. But praise be to God that what was happening here to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, experiencing that punishment of Nebuchadnezzar, praise be to God that what you and I experienced, metaphorically speaking, in the very same vein, is not the end of the story. It is not the end of the story. In fact, as our text continues, we are going to look further at God's word and consider, secondly, not simply Nebuchadnezzar's punishment, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's protection. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's protection. Look at verse 24 with me, if you would, please. Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisors, weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire? It's like he thinks he's losing his mind. He thinks he can't believe what he's seeing. And he's all worked up emotionally and he calls all his advisors in and he says, wait a second, weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire? And they replied, certainly, O king. He said, look, I see four men walking around. Remember, they were tied up, but they're walking around. Look, I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods. Think about this. Now friends, if you've got a King James Bible, I love the King James, especially the Psalms. The King James here says at the end of that verse, I believe, in verse 25, the fourth is the son of God. With all respect for King James, not a good translation. It is a plural in the Hebrew. I think every other English translation translates it, a son of the gods, as it should read. Just a little clarification on that. But it begs the question, who is this? Who was this? In fact, it also, brothers and sisters, gives us a good insight into Nebuchadnezzar's theology. Look at that last phrase again very carefully in the NIV or some other English translation beside the King James. He said, look, I see four men walking around in the fire, unbounded, unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods, plural. That reminds us that Nebuchadnezzar is a polytheist. Polytheism, young people, boys and girls, means that he is a worshiper of many gods, not just one god. He's a worshiper of many gods. He said, this looks like the son of the gods. So he was a polytheist still. But who was this? Who was this fourth person in the fire? Well, people have a lot of suppositions. We can rest assured that it wasn't Daniel. You know, Daniel wasn't mentioned here in Daniel chapter three, but we know it's not Daniel. Some Bible scholars believe, and not without biblical warrant, that this may have been the angel of the Lord, who is referenced repeatedly, especially throughout the Old Testament. If you're taking notes, you may wish to jot down, for example, Genesis 16, verse seven, where God sends the angel of the Lord to minister to Hagar. Some of us may remember that account. That's in Genesis 16, seven. Also in Psalm 34, verse seven, it speaks of the angel of the Lord encamping around those who fear the Lord. That's Psalm 34, seven. He could have been the angel of the Lord in that regard. But friends, along with many Reformers and many other Bible scholars who are a whole lot smarter than I am, I am of the personal conviction, stay with me, that this was a Christophany. A Christophany. What is a Christophany? A Christophany is a physical, personal, visible manifestation of the pre-incarnate Christ. A Christophany, a personal, physical, visible manifestation of the pre-incarnate Christ. I believe that this was Jesus. I believe that this was Jesus. One of the reasons I believe that, if you would turn over with me please to Isaiah chapter 43, go back to the left several pages, Isaiah chapter 43, this is what the Lord says, Isaiah 43 verses one through three. But now this is what the Lord says, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel, fear not. For I have redeemed you. I have summoned you by name. You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, notice, I, the Lord God, will be with you. And when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, think of this, that's where they were. You will not be burned. The flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior, you see. Again, Matthew Henry writes this, and I quote, listen carefully please. He says, those who suffer for Christ have His gracious presence with them in their sufferings. Even in the fiery furnace. Even in the valley of the shadow of death. And therefore, even there, they need fear, no evil. It's true, it's true. I will be with you in the river. I will be with you in the fire. I believe that this was, you know, it's funny, it's really actually funny, and I mean this respectfully. The King James was actually right. I think this was the Son of God. Even though that's not what the text says, I think it was the Son of God. It was our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, a Christophany. Look further at the text with me, if you would, please. Pick it up in verse 26 again. So Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace, and he shouted, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, come here. Now friends, notice this, if you've got your own Bible, underscore, he said, servants of the Most High God. Had Nebuchadnezzar been converted here? No, if in fact, if you're with us, look back at Daniel chapter two, around verse, toward the end of that chapter, Daniel chapter two, around verse 47, the king said to Daniel, surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries. For you were able to reveal this mystery and he's giving God all this glory. And then what does he go on and do? He builds a 90 foot statue of gold and demands that everybody worship it. And so he's giving God some kind of credit here, if you will. He's giving God some kind of a claim. In fact, it's interesting, that phrase, the most high God, is the same phrase that the Greeks used in reference to Zeus, their most high God. And so we don't wanna, you know, you gotta watch Nebuchadnezzar. He's a little sneaky theologically. So you gotta be careful when he says something. But that's what he says, that's what he says. He says, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the most high God, come out, come here. So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire. And the satraps, prefects, governors, and royal advisors crowded around them. Can you imagine what was going through their minds at that particular point in time? They saw that, and notice, brothers and sisters, the fourfold testimony of their deliverance. This is glorious. They saw that, number one, the fire had not harmed their bodies. Number two, nor was a hair of their heads singed. Number three, their robes were not scorched. And number four, and there was no smell of fire on them. Think of that. It was as if they had never even been thrown into the fiery furnace in the first place. There was no evidence at all that they had gone through such a fiery ordeal. Praise be to God. The great reformer John Calvin puts it this way, and I quote, this example is set before us to show us how nothing can be safer than to make God the guardian and protector of our life. Think about that. I'm gonna say it again, quote by Calvin. This example is set before us to show us how nothing can be safer than to make God the guardian and protector of our life. And that's true, and that's true, end of quote. Boys and girls, many years ago when I was your age in Sunday school, we used to sing a lot of Sunday school songs. And most of them were out of the Let Youth Praise Him. Some of you may remember the old Let Youth Praise Him. And one of them was called Safe Am I. And I have to confess, as old as I am, sometime when I'm going to sleep at night, I sing to myself. My wife's probably glad that I'm not singing out loud, but I sing to myself some of these songs I learned in Sunday school. And I recite every so often the words to Safe Am I, and my young friends, it goes like this. Safe am I, safe am I, in the hollow of his hand. Sheltered o'er, sheltered o'er, with his love forevermore. No ill can harm me, no foe alarm me, for he keeps both day and night. Safe am I, safe am I in the hollow of his hands. It's true. It's true for everyone who believes in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they experienced Nebuchadnezzar's punishment, but then they also experienced God's protection. And friends, thirdly and finally, as our text concludes, we go on to learn that it also resulted in God's praise. It also resulted in God's praise. Look at verse 28 with me, if you would please. Then Nebuchadnezzar said, Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who had sent his angel. He didn't really know who it was. He just knew it was some kind of divine being. Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who has sent his angel and rescued his servants. They trusted in him. Notice how he commends their faith. He says they trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any God except their own God. He also commends their fortitude. He commends their faith and he commends their fortitude. Verse 29. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Now friends, notice what he said, and notice what he didn't say. I told you, he's sneaky theologically, Nebuchadnezzar, you gotta watch it, you gotta pin him down. What he said was, I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In other words, he's saying you cannot speak against that God. He's banning all blasphemy of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's God. What he doesn't say is that everybody must worship that God, or you need to bow down before that God, or he is the one true God, or he is the only God, or something along those lines, he doesn't say that. But he does say, therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and I came across a great quote by Matthew Henry, don't lose your place in the text, Matthew Henry says this, He said, it is a great mercy to the church when the enemies, though they do not have their hearts turned, yet have their mouths stopped and their tongues tied. So we praise God for at least this decree, but the decree's not done. He says, therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble for no other God can save in this way. Does that sound familiar to you? If you're with us earlier, in our earlier studies, and if you just turn back to Daniel 2, verse 5, when Nebuchadnezzar was decreeing that his wise men had to not only reveal the interpretation of his dream, but tell him the dream. And if they couldn't tell him the dream and interpret the dream, what did he say? He said, if you don't do this, you're going to be cut into pieces, and your houses are going to be turned into piles of rubble. It was like his primary motivating method. It was like his favorite thing, is what he would do. But he made that threat against anybody who would speak against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, for no other God can save in this way. And then, friends, look at verse 30 with me. Then the king promoted, the Hebrew word is tzalak. If you're taking notes, you could transliterate it as T-Z-A-L-A-C-H, tzalak. And tzalak means to advance or to cause to prosper. And it can be promotion, but it's not technically, literally what the word means. It means to advance or to cause to prosper, tzalak. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. Think about that. Think, put it all together. You know what struck me as I was prayerfully pondering that last text about their promotion, their advancement, their prospering? This. Think about this. We are not going to die until our work for the Lord on earth is through. It's true. We as believers are not going to die until our work for the Lord our God on earth is through. and their work wasn't through. And that's why God brought them through the fire, and that's why he caused them to be prospered, promoted by Nebuchadnezzar, because they ended up being, as it were, three ambassadors throughout that kingdom for the Most High God. Think about that. In fact, turn with me, if you would, just for a moment to John 17. John 17, New Testament, Gospel of John, 17th chapter, the account here of Jesus' great high priestly prayer. And speaking of having your work completed, John 17, one through four, notice what we read. After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed, Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son that your Son may glorify you. He's looking to the cross. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life. that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work, notice, you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. Nebuchadnezzar's punishment resulted in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's protection, which resulted in God's praise. You know, friends, it's interesting. As I've been immersing myself in the prophecy of Daniel, and especially now in the fiery furnace, something occurred to me. If you're in the New Testament with me or you would care to turn, turn with me just for a moment as we close to Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 11 has what we call the great heroes of the faith. It's like the faith hall of fame, if you will. And I think there's an implicit reference to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in this chapter. Hebrews 11 verses one and two begins by saying, now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. Then drop all the way down to verse 29 with me, please. Verse 29, Hebrews 11. By faith, the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land, but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell after the people had marched around them for seven days. By faith, the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised, who shut the mouths of lions, notice, quenched the fury of the flames. That's kind of two references there, I believe, to the book of Daniel. and escaped the edge of the sword, whose weakness was turned to strength, and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted, and mistreated. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us, so that only together with us would they be made perfect. And friends, finally this, if you'll flip a page or two. Because, remember what we just read in Hebrews 11, But let's pair that with what we read in Hebrews 13 verse 8, namely, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And because that is true, you and I as God's people can be incredibly comforted and encouraged, and even face life courageous. No matter when the Nebuchadnezzars of this world may throw all sorts of punishments our way, God has promised that we will be protected and that He will be glorified. Even when metaphorically speaking, you and I may find that we too have been thrown into the fiery furnace. Amen. Let's bow our heads and our hearts together in prayer. Oh, our ever faithful and most merciful Heavenly Father. As the great reformer John Calvin prayed nearly 500 years ago, so we too pray as your people today. Grant, Almighty God, since our life is only for a moment, indeed is only vanity and smoke, that we may learn to cast our care upon thee, and so to depend upon thee, is not to doubt thee as our deliverer from all urgent perils, whenever it shall be to our advantage. Grant us also to learn to neglect and despise our lives, especially for the testimony of thy glory. And may we be prepared to depart as soon as thou callest us from this world. May the hope of eternal life be so fixed in our hearts that we may willingly leave this world and aspire with all our mind towards that blessed eternity which Thou hast testified to be laid up for us in heaven through the gospel in which Thine only begotten Son has procured for us through His blood. Oh, hear us, our Lord, our God, we pray in Jesus' name, amen.