Daily Devotionals

Mornings and Evenings with Jesus

Devotional: June 15th

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, 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. 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 3:16-18.

PART 1

WHAT a scene is before us! God had given all nations into the power of Nebuchadnezzar; even the Jews were not exempted: but he made a difference with regard to his own people. “I will correct thee,” says God, “in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.” He employed Nebuchadnezzar, not because he was pleased with him, but because he was a fit instrument wherewith to punish his people and to execute his wrath. “God guided him, though he knew it not.” He wished to please the gods whom he served, and who had delivered him, as he conceived, from the hands of his enemies. An image was set up in the plains of Dura. This image was large, so that it might be seen and adored by all; it was also made of gold, and was therefore a fit emblem of the covetousness of man, and conveyed an idea of the universal regard which is paid to that root of all evil, -money. It must also be consecrated; and in this service there was nothing omitted which could add to its splendour or render it of consequence.

The king attended the dedication, and all the officers of state followed in his train. “While all was calculated to please the eye, there was the melody of sound to please the ear. A herald proclaims the mandate of the sovereign, and all must obey on penalty of being cast into a burning fiery furnace. All fall down and worship, excepting three young men, Hebrew captives, who, meek as lambs and bold as lions, with courage that would do honour to a seraph, stand firm and unbending. They are immediately impeached, brought before the king, and asked, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Do ye not serve my gods, nor worship the golden image that I have set up?” Let us consider the trial of their obedience.

It must be allowed that things good in themselves are heightened in value by circumstances. Why was the liberality of the widow commended, while the rich cast into the treasury? We are told that they cast in of their abundance, but she of her penury cast in all that she had. The man who is not puffed up in the time of prosperity is the humble man; he who is not cast down when in danger, and when other men’s strength fails, this is the courageous man. It was in the midst of this danger, and when others yielded to the royal authority, that these young men proved firm and courageous.

First, They could plead authority. It was their sovereign who commanded them to fall down and worship the image, and good men must be loyal subjects; they must obey magistrates, and submit to those who have the rule over them. Yes; but here is a distinction to be made. We must distinguish between civil and religious concerns, and must obey God rather than man; and therefore if any person requires us to do any thing that would offend God, we are previously engaged.

Secondly, They could plead obligation. Nebuchadnezzar had taken these captives from among the Hebrews, and had raised them to offices of trust and emolument. Nothing pleads so powerfully as kindness; favours attach the heart, and good men are sensible of obligations. There is no greater trial than to be unable to oblige a friend. We are sometimes tried on the score of filial obedience. A child has parents who are kind and affectionate, but they are worldly, and they require her to give up her religion. They do not threaten; no, but they entreat with tears that she will comply. To break away from their embraces, feeling and acknowledging obligations, hearing a voice from heaven, saying, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,”-this is the trial.

Thirdly, They could plead the universality of example. All around them yielded, and why should they be singular? Singularity for its own sake always shows a vain mind, and singularity in little things discovers a weak mind. Decency requires that we should not stand out in little things, but in things important: where a soul is to be lost, and God dishonoured, there we must be “separate, and touch not the unclean thing.” Though ridiculed by the people and opposed by the crown, still, the Christian must stand firm and discharge his duty to his God. A dead fish will swim with the stream; it is a live one only that will swim against it. It is when a man can persevere amidst opposition in the right course, and say to his enemies, “If this be to be vile, I will be viler still,” that he displays true fortitude. It was thus that Enoch walked with God alone, and amidst opposition. Thus Noah was a preacher of righteousness in a sinful world, and Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. In this manner are Christians required to be singular. We should not wait the decision of others to influence us, but say, with Joshua, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord;” and with these young men, “We will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”

Fourthly, We may remark the dreadfulness of the penalty. Some complain that their trials are too much for their virtue. “Oh,” they say, “if we follow on in this particular course, we shall”-but let us hear their trials,-“we shall be exposed to the burning stake, cast into the lions’ den.” No, nothing like it. “Shall be deprived of liberty;” nothing like it. “Be reduced to want;” nothing like it. “No, but in order to attend the closet and family devotions,” we hear them say, “we must rise a little earlier. If we don’t conform to the world, we shall be scoffed at.”

Eternal God! these are the martyrs of thy religion in our day! Oh, these disgracers of the Christian cause, who shrink back from trial; what would they have done in the days of the apostles? “If they have run with the footmen and they have wearied them, then how will they contend with horses?”

PART II

HERE we have the principle of their obedience. A conduct so tried, and yet so triumphant, must have had principle to support it. A man under the influence of principle will not be under the control of circumstances, nor under the influence of momentary impulse: if a good man errs, he acts from principle. Look at these young men: they were tried by universal example, by regal authority, and by royal favour and indulgence; and yet they stood firm and unyielding; “they were armed with the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left.” But what armed them? Can we find a principle equal to the effect produced? The servants of God have done great things, and have suffered great trials; and the very thing which has enabled them to suffer is that which some are afraid of,-faith. In the faith of these young men there were three things to act upon.

First, The power of God. “Our God,” said they, “is able to deliver us.” He is the Maker of heaven and earth; he has suspended the laws of nature, made iron to swim, and raised the dead; and he is “able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think.” If he does not find a way to escape, he can make one. We do not look for miracles now, because he does not need them. All nature may change, but his word cannot fail; he can turn the shadow of death into the morning.

Secondly, It regardeth the disposition of God. “He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.” Perhaps they thought it probable that God would work a miracle in their favour; perhaps they had some inward presentiment of it in their minds. They had no doubt seen this passage in Isaiah:-“When thou passest through the waters they shall not overflow thee, and through the fire it shall not burn thee.” Here is another support and encouragement to the believer’s hope:-the faithfulness of God. He has engaged to deliver his people in the day of trouble, and he will deliver them,-here partially, and hereafter completely.

Thirdly, It regarded a future indemnification in another world. What! did they still persist in their determination, though a fearful death was to be the consequence? Yes, but they could not have regarded it as annihilation. If there had been no other world, it would not have become them to sacrifice their lives; martyrdom would in this case have been madness. The very case is supposed by the apostle, when he says, “If in this life only we have hope, we are of all men most miserable;” “Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.” They must, therefore, have believed in a state of future recompense. Realizing, as they did, this future inheritance, the conduct of these young men was noble, wise, and worthy of imitation. They knew that they should gain glory, honour, and immortality; and they well said, “We will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”

Unless we bring the prospect of a future and eternal life to bear upon our conduct, we shall yield to temptation; and it is for want of this that the world leads us astray. When we think of another world, how infinitely superior does it appear to the present life! It is like the sun, which shines forth in his glory, and conceals the stars, which only show their light during the darkness of the night. It was this view of eternity that made the apostle say, “Our light afflictions which are but for a moment work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” “For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” “What was Nebuchadnezzar, and what was the burning fiery furnace, compared with the recompense of reward which they had in prospect? “Why,” said they, “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

I would order my cause before him. - Job 23:4.

THIS shows us, First, That the worship of God is a “reasonable service.” This “order” does not so much regard words as things; everything should be “done decently and in order,” says the Apostle. A Christian in private devotion, before he bows before the Lord, should say to himself, What do I now most need? In what relation do I stand before God? What is my present condition? What is my office? What duties and dangers are lying before me in the course of the day, requiring his assistance?” Were we always to do this for a few moments, we should then be much less embarrassed than we often are in prayer, and be furnished with more materials.

Secondly, Another part of the order of which Job speaks, which Solomon mentions, and which we should never forget, is to remember that “God is in heaven and we upon earth, and therefore let our words be few.” We must never imagine that we are heard for “our much speaking,” and using “vain repetitions, as the heathens do.”

Thirdly, There is another part of this order in prayer which our Saviour teaches us when he says, “Seek ye, first, the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” Nature may speak in prayer, but grace must speak first. Our Lord teaches us this in his own blessed model prayer. He teaches us to say, “Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” before he allows us to ask for “our daily bread.”

And we must never pray for other things as we pray for Spiritual blessings. We cannot be too importunate with regard to the one, and we cannot be too calm and resigned, referring ourselves entirely to his wisdom and goodness, with regard to the other. Whenever we go to God, however numerous and heavy may be the burdens we feel, there are no burdens so heavy and distressing as the burden of our sins; and anxious as we may be in sickness for the recovery of our health, this is not to be compared with the earnestness with which we should inquire after the “balm in Gilead” and the “Physician there,” in regard to our soul’s health.