Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. Daniel 3:26
We come to the conclusion of the burning fiery furnace test. Remember all this happened in one day, a test that came upon God’s children rapidly and probably unexpectedly. After standing for God Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael are faced with the king’s taunt “Who is
the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”
Now the king sees their God in action and the change in him is
dramatic. An angry, wrathful king becomes troubled and anxious
then astonished and amazed. Nebuchadnezzar worships many idols
but his true object of worship is his own power. He has just come face
to face with true omnipotence and he realizes this is nothing like he has ever seen before.
Then After he sees the four men walking unharmed in the fire and
realizes that the fourth figure is the Son of God, the king acts.
Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace He moves to the door (mouth) of the furnace. Either enough
time has passed for the fire to cool down or the king gets as close as he can without being killed by the flames. Do you see the submissiveness of Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael? The king ordered that they be thrown into the burning fiery furnace. It was an unjustified act but it was an order of the king nevertheless. Therefore the three Jewish leaders stay in the furnace until the king rescinds his command. (Besides, that is where the Lord is!)
He declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego At the mouth of the furnace the king calls to the three men to come out. (Nebuchadnezzar is named 12 times in this chapter and the names of the three Jewish men are used 13 times. The story contrasts those who have faith in God versus those who have faith in themselves
Nebuchadnezzar does not call for the Son of God to come out. First, it is not given to men to command God to perform at their will. Second
Nebuchadnezzar is not yet a believer in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. His interest is not in Christ but in His followers. (That shows the great responsibility believers have to be witnesses!)
Servants of the Most High God The king recognizes that these men are different and that their God is different. Perhaps he remembers his
encounter with Daniel. There he told Daniel his God is the “God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries”. Here he learns more about the God of Israel – He is the great protector. (Awareness he would never have received if the three men had not gone through this trial.)
Come out, and come here! The king calls the men to leave the furnace immediately. A lawful order is given and the men respond.
Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego dame out from the fire Don’t lose the significance of this statement. Perhaps the Holy Spirit
used this story to prompt Peter to write “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal
glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you”. The three men surely show an example of Paul’s admonition “be patient in tribulation”. The Lord has seen them through the trial and now they come forth as Job said, “as gold”.
We see the instant obedience of the men to the king’s command. There is no question that they will obey the authority of those placed over them unless those commands are contrary to the word of the living and true God. This must begin to dawn on the king. His pride and his anger cost him the lives of some of the bravest soldiers he had but that furnace of fire could not touch these followers of the Most High God. Praise God! He is ALWAYS in control.
What can we learn? We thrill at the end of the story and how God delivers His servants. Don’t forget the men’s faith in God as they were bound and carried to the fire. Faith before sight.