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.
Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
Daniel 3:16 - 25
I love this story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. We know that the Lord was walking in the fire with them and that none of their clothing or hair was burned or singed. However, the part that always catches my attention in this story, is what DID burn.
If you remember, when they were thrown into the fire, they were bound, tied up. But when the king looked in, they were loosed. That leads me to believe that the ropes that had them ties were the only things that burned.
I’m sure the three men were apprehensive, even though they trusted God…it’s human nature. They probably thought that if they died in the heat, they would die a martyr for Him. However, just when they were the most scared and nervous, I think they looked up and saw the Lord, walking toward them through the flames. I like to picture the ropes on their hands and feet engulfed in flames, burning until they simply fell off. I don’t think they had to be untied or cut.
Isn’t that so like Jesus? We might be thrown into the fight of our lives where it seems that the heat is 7 times hotter than normal and right at the very moment we think we’re going to be done, we look up and see Him coming toward us through those flames. He shows up and when he does, the thing(s) that had us tied up and bound simply burn away. We might not be like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego…we may have a few battle scars, but if we trust His promises, He’ll show up!
