By Pastor William Y. K. Brown Ph.D
(Resident Pastor)
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Osu-Bethel.
Tel: 0244165628/0243310773.
wykbrown@gmail.com
THURSDAY
THEME: DEFENDERS OF FAITH: A WITNESS TO A NATION AND GENERATIONS
SCRIPTURE: Daniel 3:28-29
“[28]Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! [29]Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.”
REFLECTIONS:
One of the kings in Bible history who enjoyed God’s favor tremendously was King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. At a point, he was God’s instrument in punishing His disobedient people and Egypt – Jeremiah 43:10 – “and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will send and bring Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will set his throne above these stones that I have hidden. And he will spread his royal pavilion over them.” Nebuchadnezzar, a servant of God? This means the king came into the arena of God’s salvation and, if he chose, could have been saved by God.
King Nebuchadnezzar was privileged to witness the excellence of God as revealed in Daniel and his three Hebrew friends and testified that these men were exemplary (Daniel 1). This same king received a dream from God (Daniel 2) about the future of nations until Jesus Christ took over the sovereignty of the world. Convinced about God’s omniscience and power, he heard Daniel telling him in Daniel 2:45 – “Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.” In verse 47, “The king answered Daniel, and said, “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.”
At the height of his pride and arrogance, this same king questioned Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, saying: “Who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?” The blatant refusal of these men to worship his god wounded his pride. But thank God, the king had to recant those words on the same day. The account indicates that when these three men refused to worship his image, he did not spare them. Daniel 3:23 reports, “[23]And these three men, . . . fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.” But God intervened as verses 25,26 state: [25]“Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” [26]Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here. ” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire.”
These three men are fantastic defenders of faith. Their fortitude, loyalty, faithfulness, and trust in God were matchless – their deeds followed even after their death. In the hour of temptation, trial, and test of faith, they stood for God. Therefore, God honored them and rescued them from the perfectly heated furnace. The three Hebrew boys affirmed God’s promises, to be honest and trustworthy. Isaiah 41:10 assures, “[10]Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’” Isaiah 43:2 adds, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.” Hebrews 13:5-6 – “[5]Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” [6]So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” The power of God is still at work for those who trust Him. Today is your turn to stand for Him and witness the power of His grace.
MY SONG OF COMMITMENT
SDAH 506 – “A Mighty Fortress”
LET US PRAY
– Praise and thank God for His unfailing promises; thank Him for what He has done for you this week; pray to be faithful and loyal to Him;
– Pray for those who face trials for their faith; pray for Christians to be bold and courageous in sharing the word of God; pray for ongoing evangelistic campaigns and Bible lectures;
– Pray for people with special needs, carers of the chronically ill, families with autistic children, and out-of-school youth; pray for the sick;
– Pray for the peace and prosperity of the nation, security personnel, and people in the informal sector, as well as for patriotism, unity, and fear of God.
