Conviction.
Daniel 3:14-27 NLT (emphasis mine)
Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? I will give you one more chance. If you bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments, all will be well. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. What god will be able to rescue you from my power then?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, Your Majesty can be sure that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully clothed. And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames leaped out and killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in! So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell down into the roaring flames. But suddenly, as he was watching, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?” “Yes,” they said, “we did indeed, Your Majesty.” “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire. They aren’t even hurt by the flames! And the fourth looks like a divine being!” Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. Then the princes, prefects, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!
There is some really wicked theology (and amazing happenings) in this little passage, but I want to point out a few things.
First, the conviction of S,M, and A. They would not break God’s law for anything. Even in the face of (a rather painful) death at the hands of a (very powerul) king, they would not break God’s command.
Easy, you say, they knew God was fully capable of saving them from the fire. But, you see, the three of them had no idea how the story would turn out! They had no idea whether God would pull them out of the fire or not. “BUT EVEN IF HE DOESN’T you can be sure we won’t worship ANYTHING besides God”. The consequence of death was not even a consideration in their little “dilema”.
Second, they got to see an amazing thing happen! A fire so hot, that the guards who threw them in, died, and the three of them didn’t even smell like smoke when they walked out! That and they got to chill with an angel in the furnace (hehe… chill… in the furnace…).
But (third) you know where this all started? The real power of this story starts way back in chapter one verse eight:
But Daniel made up his mind not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king.
Daniel, and S,M and A, refused to eat the food the king gave them because it didn’t meet God’s food law requirements of the time. A stupid, little, insignificant, mundane, no-one-would-have-noticed-or-cared decision! But these were men of conviction.
Luke 16:10
“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much”
In a sense they did know, by faith, how it would all end — in unity with the Lord — whether they were destroyed by the flames or not.
Dan - good point :)