Daniel (Greek) 3:19-23: a reflection

19Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the form of his appearance was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He spoke, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 20He commanded certain mighty men who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21Then these men were bound in their pants, their tunics, their mantles, and their other clothes, and were cast into the middle of the burning fiery furnace. 22Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23These three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the middle of the burning fiery furnace.

When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to worship the golden image, the furious king orders the furnace heated seven times hotter and has them bound and cast into the flames. They had already made their choice: they would not betray their God, whatever it cost, even if it cost their lives. Now that choice is put to its ultimate test, and they hold to it; bound, they are thrown into the burning furnace rather than bow to the image. They did not know, as they were cast in, whether God would deliver them; they had said they would be faithful whether he did or not. Their faithfulness was not conditional on being spared; they stood firm even unto the furnace, refusing to betray their God at any cost. To be faithful even when faithfulness may cost everything is the resolve they showed.

Notice the resolve of the three: faithful even to the furnace, whatever the cost. They did not compromise when the threat became deadly; they did not bow to the image to save their lives. They had determined to be faithful to God whatever it cost, and they held to that determination even as they were bound and cast into the flames. Their faithfulness was not conditional on deliverance; they would be faithful whether God saved them or not. This is faithfulness at its costliest: to hold firm even when holding firm may cost everything, refusing to betray God to save oneself. The three stood, unwavering, at the very brink of death, rather than compromise their loyalty to God. Faithfulness that will not bend even at the furnace, that counts loyalty to God worth more than life itself, is what they showed.

That is worth taking to heart, for we are called to be faithful to God even when faithfulness may cost us everything. We can be tempted to compromise our loyalty to God when the cost of faithfulness grows high, to bend when standing firm becomes dangerous; but the three held firm even to the furnace, refusing to betray God to save their lives. Faithfulness that will not compromise even at great cost, that counts loyalty to God worth more than safety, is what we are called to. Do not compromise your loyalty to God when faithfulness grows costly; stand firm, as the three stood even to the furnace. Stand firm in faithfulness to God even when it may cost you everything, refusing to compromise your loyalty to save yourself, as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were cast bound into the furnace rather than bow to the image; for faithfulness at its truest holds firm even when holding firm is costly, counting loyalty to God worth more than life itself, and they would be faithful whether God delivered them or not.

Lord, when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to worship the golden image, the furious king orders the furnace heated seven times hotter and has them bound and cast into the flames. They had already made their choice: they would not betray their God, whatever it cost, even if it cost their lives. Now that choice is put to its ultimate test, and they hold to it; bound, they are thrown into the burning furnace rather than bow to the image. They did not know, as they were cast in, whether you would deliver them; they had said they would be faithful whether you did or not. Their faithfulness was not conditional on being spared. Show me the resolve of the three: faithful even to the furnace, whatever the cost. They did not compromise when the threat became deadly; they did not bow to the image to save their lives. They had determined to be faithful to you whatever it cost, and they held to that determination even as they were bound and cast into the flames. Their faithfulness was not conditional on deliverance; they would be faithful whether you saved them or not. This is faithfulness at its costliest. Take that to my heart, for I am called to be faithful to you even when faithfulness may cost me everything. I can be tempted to compromise my loyalty to you when the cost of faithfulness grows high, to bend when standing firm becomes dangerous; but the three held firm even to the furnace. Faithfulness that will not compromise even at great cost is what I am called to. Keep me from compromising my loyalty to you when faithfulness grows costly; help me stand firm, Lord, as the three stood even to the furnace, counting loyalty to you worth more than life itself.