9/20/26
Rev. Clint Smith
Sermon Direct Link
People often act impulsively when they are angry. The Bible says, “A wrathful man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger allays contention.” Anger becomes sinful when it is motivated by pride and leads a person to harm others. Nebuchadnezzar’s anger was fueled by wounded pride and rebellion against God. Proverbs 15:18; James 1:20
King Nebuchadnezzar was insulted and filled with fury. In an attempt to satisfy his anger, he commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than normal.
He ordered some of his strongest soldiers to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them immediately into the burning fiery furnace. His enraged command was so extreme that the three men were thrown into the furnace fully clothed, still wearing their trousers, coats, turbans, and other garments.
Because the king demanded such an intense fire, the flames killed the mighty men who tossed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace.
But God intervened in a miraculous way. Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace and saw not three men bound in the flames, but four men walking around unharmed. The fourth appeared to him to be “like a son of the gods.” Christians have traditionally understood this fourth figure as a manifestation of Christ before His incarnation, our Divine Deliverer. Deuteronomy 31:7,8; Psalm 95:3: Matthew 28:18-20
Nebuchadnezzar came near the furnace and called Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego “servants of the Most High God.” When they came out of the fire, they were completely unharmed. Their clothes were not burned, their hair was not singed, and there was not even a smell of smoke on them.
God demonstrated that He was able to deliver His faithful servants from the most powerful king and the fiercest furnace. Nebuchadnezzar responded by blessing the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and declaring that no one should speak against their God or else be killed for doing so. Romans 8:31-39
Because of God’s divine deliverance, these three faithful servants were promoted to greater status and authority in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom.
God does not always deliver His people from the fire, but He is always willing and able to sustain His people through the fire. Our confidence is not that God will always keep us from suffering, but that He is sovereign over our suffering and faithful to His people.