Today’s Devotion
Topic: The Men Who Would Not Bow! (Self Assessment 160)
Part 4
Background: For the past few weeks we have been discussing King Nebuchadnezzar, the sixty cubits high golden image he made, and the decree that all his subjects worship this image or face a death penalty by burning. We also studied about the three Hebrew men who would neither bow to the image nor worship it till they were arraigned before Nebuchadnezzar himself. They still wouldn’t bow, however, so the king had to sentence them to death by burning.
We also learned that upon seeing a fourth ‘man’ with the three men in the furnace, the king ordered them to be brought out; and to his amazement, the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.
Let us delve deep into our weekly Bible study now to see what happened when the three men were brought out of the furnace.
Text: Daniel 3: 28 – 30
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! 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.
29 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.”
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon. Amen
Questions:
i) Kindly read verse 28 again;
a. According to king Nebuchadnezzar, how did the God of the three Hebrew men save them from the fire?
b. What was the main reason why their God saved them?
c. What were the men willing to do rather than serve or worship any god except their own God? Why do you think they were willing to do so?
d. In your opinion, why did the king open his statement by saying, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego…”?
ii) In verse 29, we are told that the king decreed that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would be cut into pieces. What was the essence of this decree? Is it that he thought he could fight for a God who had just delivered three men from a very hot furnace, or what?
iii) The king concluded his statement by saying, “for no other god can save in this way.” Do you agree with him? What does that statement even mean, and why did he say so?
iv) According to verse 30, what did the king do to the three Hebrew men after all this? What does this reveal about the rewards which await any of us who will choose to stand for the Lord our God, even in very difficult times?
v) What have you learnt from today’s discussion? In what ways have you decided to stand for your God?
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