Monday 20th April Daily Message

Dear Reader

I always chuckle at the little ditty, ‘shake the bed, make the bed and into bed we go’. It reminds me of the three friends from the book of Daniel,

Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego. (Try saying these names quickly). King Nebuchadnezzar threatened the three friends with their lives and told them that unless they bowed down and worshipped the golden statue at certain daily intervals, they would be thrown into the, hotter than usual, fiery furnace.

Faced with this threat to their lives, and after much consideration, Sharach, Meshach and Abednego decided defiantly that they would not bow down to the golden statue. They told the king that their God, if he wanted to, could rescue them from the flames, but even if he didn’t, they would still not pay homage to a false god.

This bible passage throws up some very interesting theological, practical and moral points and questions for us to consider today. It speaks to us about bravery in not giving in to threats, it speaks to us also about the mysterious intervention of God and his sense of timing and in many minds too, the very existence of God. Also questionable is the problem of evil and suffering.

Why all this suffering?

Many people today suffer from persecution because of their religious, political, racial or sexual orientation for example. However, most of us, in our normal daily lives get along with each other well and don’t suffer at all, or very little, relatively speaking. We do have differences of opinion on many things and our society is good. We can pick and choose our government, we have freedom of speech and movement and in the main life is pleasant. Our country is good and each day I am thankful for so much. Life isn’t, however, good or pleasant for everyone.

In Jewish literature these three guys were heroes. They stood up to a tyrant and they trusted in God. God did not save them from the flames, however. God saved them in the flames. It is ‘in the flames of life’ that we can know something of God’s deliverance as distinct ‘from the flames of life’.

I think honestly however, most of us would like to be saved ‘from’ rather than saved ‘in’. Do we not pray as much each time we say the Lord’s Prayer in the words, ‘do not bring us to the test but deliver us from evil?’. God’s ways are not our ways, however.

One final point today, in my opinion, is this, Just as the opposite of ‘knife’ is not ‘fork’, the opposite of ‘knife’ is ‘no knife’, so the opposite of ‘belief’ is not ‘doubt’ the opposite of ‘belief’ is ‘unbelief’. What do you think?

Today I ask you to think/meditate on these things.

God bless you!

Jim

JBoag@churchofscotland.org.uk

DANIEL 3: 8-25

At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”

They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”