Be Faithful to God

“But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. (Daniel 3:18, NASB).

In the minds of many Christians, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to live according to their faith in America. Many Christians believe that the United States of America was founded on Christian principles and values recorded in the Bible. They believe that America was founded as a Christian nation. At the same time the United States is becoming a more diverse nation. America is becoming more diverse in peoples from many areas of the globe that come with their own religious beliefs and values. As people of diverse cultures and religions interact with each other the Bible is losing its authority among many people. Christianity is seen by many people as just one religion among many, and it is of no greater value than other religions in the United States today. Thus, laws and public policies often conflict with traditional Christianity.

Kim Davis, the county court clerk in Rowan County, Kentucky refusal to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples serves as an example. When asked, by what authority are you refusing, she replied “my conscience,” and “the authority of God.” Davis’ actions violates a United States Supreme Court ruling that says that same sex couples have the same legal rights as heterosexual couples. Since Davis is an elected official the controversial question is what should Davis do under the circumstances? Should she resign? Is she a true civil disobedient who hopes to change the ruling of the Supreme Court? Does Davis have a personal agenda? After spending six days in jail, Davis returns to work voicing that she is struggling with the conflict between obeying her conscience and the law of God or to obey the law of the people she was elected to serve.

Christians today should be aware that Kim Davis is not the only person who has had to make a decision on how they can remain faithful to God while doing a job with duties that violate their beliefs and conscience. The story of three Hebrew slaves in Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego found in Daniel 3 suggest to us that we can remain faithful to God while working for a government and society that places little or no value on the religion of God’s people.

In Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon has a troubling dream which Daniel tells the king the interpretation. Nebuchadnezzar is king of kings because God has given him a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory (2:37). But the king will not rule forever. After him there will come three other kingdoms to rule the world. The king worships Daniel and acknowledges Daniel’s God as a God of gods. He makes Daniel a great man and at Daniel’s request promotes Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Daniel is given a seat in the gate of the king. The “gate” means that Daniel is given a position of advisement to the kings so that he can make sound decisions.

However, the king does not acknowledge Jehovah as the only God. He is only one god of many who demonstrates that he has some abilities that the other gods do not have. Apparently, the king upon reflection of the dream feels insecure about his kingdom. He becomes suspicious of his governing officials throughout the kingdom. He wonders if one of them will rise up and overtake his kingdom. So, Nebuchadnezzar builds an image of gold that signifies his power that cannot be overthrown. He orders that the governing officials come to the dedication of the image. When they hear the music playing they are to bow down to the image as an act of submission to the king. This order presents a challenge to the Hebrew boys. How can they obey the king’s order and remain faithful to the God of heaven whom they serve? The reality is they (we) cannot be faithful to God and bow to other gods at the same time.

The king does not order the people not worship their own gods. Only, they are to acknowledge that their allegiance to the king takes precedence over any other authority. This is the dilemma that Kim Davis and many other Christians find themselves in today. Those who favor same sex marriage do not want to infringe upon her beliefs. At the same time, they do not want her to force her beliefs upon them. She is a public official elected to serve all citizens according to the law. Her beliefs and conscience does not have authority over the law of the land.

The day of dedication comes. Some of the Chaldeans, likely jealous of the Hebrews, report to the king that certain Jews who are high ranking officials in Babylon refuse to bow to the golden image. The king becomes outraged. He has given these Hebrews positions higher than his own people. He has trusted them and now they are being subversive. They do not appreciate his favor to them or recognize his authority. Maybe he has received a false report. Maybe if they are given another chance they will reconsider their decision and bow down to the image. The king certainly does not want to lose these valuable young men.

The king offers Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego another chance, but, they refuse to compromise. If they bow to the image, they will violate the first commandment (Exod. 20:3-4). Yes, they will lose their positions. They will be cast into the fiery furnace. Their lives are at stake. Still, they refuse to compromise. God’s first commandment is, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exod. 20:3, NASB). The second commandment prohibits the making of an image or bowing down to an image as a god (v. 5). They are not to serve other gods. Other gods are no god at all. They have no life and no power. The worship of other gods also call for a moral and ethical way of life that is contrary to the way of life that God has designed for His people.

The king makes it clear to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that they should already be cast into the fiery furnace. However, he is giving them a second chance. If they refuse he will surely have them cast into the fiery furnace. The Hebrew boys respectfully refuse the king’s offer. They do not plead for mercy. They do not argue. They do not try to make a deal. They will not compromise their faith in God. They believe that the God of heaven is sovereign with power and wisdom to do all things. God demonstrates His power by revealing the dream to Daniel and giving Daniel the interpretation. We are to consider all the ways that God proves Himself to us. God makes Himself known to us in many ways. Among them are nature and our conscience (Romans 1:20; 2:14-15).

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego tell the king that they are confident that God can deliver them from the fiery furnace if He so chose. They do not predict the outcome, but they will trust their lives into the hands of God. Their stand testifies to what the writer of Hebrews says: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). The Hebrew boys hope to live. They are not seeking to be martyrs. They are not trying to make a name for themselves. They have nothing to prove. They simply choose to remain faithful to God. The God of heaven will have the final word. The God of heaven will determine the final outcome. Regardless of the outcome, they will be out of the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and in the hands of the God of heaven.

The three Hebrew boys are cast into the fiery furnace. The king regrets his decision. He looks into the fiery furnace and sees four persons. The King James Version translates verse twenty-five “Son of God” to indicate to the readers that the fourth person is God. Actually, in the Hebrew language Nebuchadnezzar sees the fourth person as “a son of a god.” He still does not acknowledge the God of Heaven as the only God.

God protects the Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace, and the king delivers them from the fiery furnace. The king blesses the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He makes a decree that anyone who says anything against their God will be punished. Then, the king promotes Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The Hebrew slaves remain faithful to God. They believe that God is sovereign and that they are to obey His commands regardless of any possible outcome. We are reminded that the Hebrew slaves serve a king who has defeated the God of Israel evidenced in his mind by the fact that He has destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. He has led away the best citizens into captivity and they serve him. The Hebrew slaves do their job, but they remain faithful to their God.

There are several reasons that persons are tempted to compromise their faith. Being faithful to God may seem to be a threat to our security, a threat to our relationships with people in the community, and a threat to our position in life. If we compromise we may have the opportunity to advance our status in life. The basic needs to be accepted by others and to fulfill personal goals may be the main reasons that a person compromises their faith. This is the reality that is difficult for us to accept. We may have to give up a job or something important to us in order to remain faithful to God according to our personal convictions. Each person must come to their own personal convictions. Each person must make his or her best decision based on their convictions. We must be aware of the moral, ethical, and legal position in every area of our lives. Often these three are not in harmony. The Hebrew slaves know where they stand on the issue. They know the consequences of their actions.

Finally Hebrew 11 gives us courage to remain faithful to God. The names of persons who accomplished great things by faith are listed. At the same time there are many who suffered great loss; even their lives because of their faith (vv. 35-40). In chapter twelve the writer continues to encourage us by telling us that these persons make up a great cloud of witnesses in the bandstands cheering us on to victory. Let us pray for one another and encourage one another in times of difficult decisions.