Where He Leads I Will Follow: Even If It Kills Me

 

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.”  Daniel 3:28

 When I was a child, we sang a song in Sunday School about Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego. I looked it up and it was way more niche than I had imagined. Here’s a link if you’re curious. The thing is, those weren’t their real names. Hannaniah, Mishael, and Azariah were renamed upon their indoctrination into the Babylonian court. According to David Guzik’s commentary, their names were changed in this way:

• The name Hannaniah (meaning Beloved by the LORD) was changed to Shadrach (meaning Illumined by Sun-god).
• The name Mishael (meaning Who is as God) was changed to Meshach (which may mean Who is like Shach, which some believe was a Babylonian goddess corresponding to Ishtar or Venus).
• The name Azariah (meaning The LORD is my help) was changed to Abed-Nego (meaning Servant of Nego).

 This renaming was a part of their transition into the life and culture of Babylon. By changing what they were called every day, the court seemed to think that they could change who they were, what they valued, Whom they served. Turns out they were wrong!

 If you’re not familiar with the story of these three men and the stand they took for God by not being willing to bow to Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue, I highly recommend that you check it out in Daniel 3. I’m going to jump right into the parts that spoke to me this morning though. One of my big takeaways from their experience was that they did not assume to speak for God, or proclaim what He would do. They simply stated their belief in what God could do as well as their firm conviction that regardless of the outcome, they would NOT be bowing to the king’s statue. They told Nebuchadnezzar in verses 17-18 that they firmly believed that God was able to deliver them but that whether or not He chose to, they would be standing by their beliefs. This speaks to me so deeply because it says that they were not being brave and standing up to the king because they believed God would save them. That’s not the comfort they took or the emboldening power that sustained them. No. They stood up to the king because they believed they were not to bow to any other gods. Period.

 How did they come to such a strong faith? Remember, there were literally thousands of Jews brought into Babylon along with them, but it was only these three that we read about choosing not to bow. We can’t know for sure, but it seems like their faith was tested and proven earlier in this story when they sought to obey God in not defiling themselves at the king’s table when they first arrived in Babylon (Daniel 1). This was a big deal at the time, but no where near as major as the ordeal they faced now. But, by having this experience of God showing up and providing for them in a smaller but still quite serious matter before, their faith was tested and proven. It’s quite likely that there were many more instances like this in their lives that were not recorded in scripture that strengthened and emboldened them for this day. We can’t compromise in the little things along the way and expect to be able to make a big stand for God when the time comes. It is in these small things, these daily challenges, that God grows and stretches us to become the people we need to be when we face the fiery furnaces of life.

 These three men, Hannaniah, Mishael, and Azariah, demonstrate for us complete surrender to God, body and soul. This is what we are called to in Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” They did not conform to the patterns of the world in big or small things. They stood firm in what they believed, when it was inconvenient and when it was life-threatening. We are charged with the same calling. Will we “bow” to the world in the little things? Will we sing along with the song whose lyrics we know are wrong? Will we modify our language to fit in with our colleagues? Will we sit, silent in the background, while others blaspheme and speak ill of our God? Where is your line?

Here’s the Thing: This is not a big moment decision. This is a determination we make daily, hourly even. Will we be conformed to the pattern of this world or transformed by the renewing of our minds? It’s an ongoing process, not a one-time choice. How are you being prepared today for your future fiery furnace moment? Will you be ready?