Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?" 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." Dan 3:14-18 (NKJV)
While it is true that teens are susceptible to the pressure of conformity, it is equally true, that if convinced that a cause is just, they are willing to put everything at risk in its defense. That was the case with Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego; when everyone else was bowing down and caving in to the intense pressure, they refused to capitulate. They were brought before the King, and he carefully explained what was expected of them and then further explained what would happen to them if they did not comply.
With the whole Babylonian crowd bowing down to Nebuchadnezzar's Golden Statue, the three Hebrew teens literally "stood out" from everyone else. The King could not let such nonconformity go unchallenged. This is similar to the culture that surrounds us today. Under the guise of Political Correctness there is pressure to accept concepts and practices that are considered evil by Biblical Standards. We have a choice to make. Either we bow down or we stand.
The real concern is this: "What will happen to us if we stand up for what we believe?" Will Pastors be charged with hate crimes for preaching the Bible? Will churches lose their tax exempt status? Will there be state-sanctioned hate crimes committed against Believers? Will the American Church face real persecution? All of these things are possibilities. The King's threat to the three Hebrew teens was real--but, it did not matter to them. They boldly met the Babylonian Political Correctness with the following statement: "We have no need to answer you in this matter...let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up!" This historic moment of nonconformity was pulled off by three teens who decided to put it all on the line.
Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, we live in a day and age where the threat of persecution looms large and is growing. Everything is at risk, including life itself. I am concerned for the well-being of my children and grandchildren...concerned that they only have two choices available; to bow down and sell their spiritual heritage for a pot of beans, or to stand for You and be the object of persecution. Please give us Your wisdom in this challenging time, and give us the courage to stand for You. Amen"
With the whole Babylonian crowd bowing down to Nebuchadnezzar's Golden Statue, the three Hebrew teens literally "stood out" from everyone else. The King could not let such nonconformity go unchallenged. This is similar to the culture that surrounds us today. Under the guise of Political Correctness there is pressure to accept concepts and practices that are considered evil by Biblical Standards. We have a choice to make. Either we bow down or we stand.
The real concern is this: "What will happen to us if we stand up for what we believe?" Will Pastors be charged with hate crimes for preaching the Bible? Will churches lose their tax exempt status? Will there be state-sanctioned hate crimes committed against Believers? Will the American Church face real persecution? All of these things are possibilities. The King's threat to the three Hebrew teens was real--but, it did not matter to them. They boldly met the Babylonian Political Correctness with the following statement: "We have no need to answer you in this matter...let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up!" This historic moment of nonconformity was pulled off by three teens who decided to put it all on the line.
Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, we live in a day and age where the threat of persecution looms large and is growing. Everything is at risk, including life itself. I am concerned for the well-being of my children and grandchildren...concerned that they only have two choices available; to bow down and sell their spiritual heritage for a pot of beans, or to stand for You and be the object of persecution. Please give us Your wisdom in this challenging time, and give us the courage to stand for You. Amen"
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