Unprecedented Faith
The Babylonian 3: “Faith Under Fire”
Watch on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Es7dIxzB8Q4
Now, you might be curious about the name, “The Babylonian 3.” Well, these are Daniel’s three friends: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. And like Daniel, although their names are not listed in God’s Hall of Faith, or Hebrews chapter 11, what they did by faith, I think we can call unprecedented. It’s found at the beginning of verse 34.
“(They) quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.” (Hebrews 11:34 NKJV)
It was the faith they showed, and the kind of faith we need to show today, which is, “They displayed a faith that is committed to God regardless of the outcome.” This is the kind of faith we’ll examine at the end of our study, but it is also a title I almost used: “But if Not Faith.”
It is the kind of faith found in the English word “regardless.” That is, it is the kind of faith that says, “I’ll serve, follow, and live for God, regardless of what happens or the circumstances I face in life.”
It is a “But if not,” faith—that is, a faith that overcomes the fiery trials of life. And so, in the end, it is a strong, unprecedented faith that can say, “Regardless,” or “But if not.”
Now, to have this kind of faith, that is, “regardless” or “but if not,” faith, there are several lessons we can learn. What we see are the two faith challenges they faced, and the first thing I observe is our need to start building our faith.
They began their faith journey where all of us should begin: being well-versed in God’s word, so we can stand firm through fiery tests in order to see our faith grow.
Just recently, I was working on what Paul said in Romans 10:17: “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” And what I saw is that God’s word is faith food; it feeds our faith, and it is one of the ways our faith is built, and it is how our faith becomes unprecedented.
You see, faith is the muscle that helps us live life to the fullest. But for that muscle to work, we must nourish it, and faith’s nourishment is God’s word.
Now, upon their arrival in Babylon, their faith was immediately challenged.
This faith challenge was seen earlier in our study of Daniel, when they were given food that directly contradicted God’s word: the meat violated the Law of Moses both in its contents and in its preparation. What also made these foods unacceptable was that these animals were first sacrificed to the Babylonian gods.
And this was not something “iffy” in the law; even the Apostle Peter understood this when the Lord gave him a vision of a net being lowered from heaven filled with all kinds of animals, reptiles, and birds. The Lord told Peter to get up and eat. But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” (Acts 10:14 NKJV)
Now, in our story, this is how it came down.
“And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank.” (Daniel 1:5a NKJV)
The dietary laws that shaped these young men’s lives put them directly in danger. Will they follow God’s laws and risk possible death, or will they give in to the societal pressures that took them captive?
These dietary laws are mainly found in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. These chapters outline which animals are considered clean and unclean for consumption. The law classifies animals into those that can be eaten and those that must be avoided, including not only land animals but also sea creatures, birds, reptiles, and rodents.
These dietary laws served not only to promote physical health and hygiene but also as a spiritual discipline, reminding the Israelites of their covenant relationship with God.
Growing up in Jerusalem under the guidance of the Rabbis, Daniel and these three young men, like all the other young men who were taken, knew these laws. They knew not to break them. Not only that, but they also understood how the food was supposed to be processed and prepared, which was just as strictly regulated.
But then the test came. They faced one of the toughest choices we could imagine: disobey God and live or obey God and die. And these four, Daniel and these three young men, passed it with flying colors.
Instead of eating the meat and all the delicacies from the king’s table, Daniel and his friends vegged out.
Daniel and the three said to the chief eunuch, “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.” (Daniel 1:12-13 NKJV)
This was wisdom personified. At the end of the trial period, it states, “God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.” (Daniel 1:17 NKJV)
But even more than that, it says that when the king examined them three years later, he found them ten times better than all the wise men in the land (Daniel 1:20).
What our study on unprecedented faith reveals is that “Faith cannot be ‘turned on’ in an emergency unless there is a reservoir of faith to draw from.”
And that’s what Daniel and these three had—a reservoir of faith built through time spent in God’s word from an early age and into their late teens.
This idea of growing our faith appears many times in the Bible, and the disciples recognized they needed it, especially for what lay ahead. So they asked Jesus, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5)
But what does that mean? Now, as I have said, our faith is built upon the foundation of God’s word. But our faith grows in the trials of life when it is put to the test. This is how our faith grows.
One of my seminary professors asked, “How does our faith increase?” Now, the class offered all kinds of answers. I was just sitting off to the side in my usual seat, smirking and chuckling to myself. The professor noticed and said, “Okay, Lee, tell us how faith increases.”
Now, I responded with something based on my experience, which saw my faith grow: while it had always been in the top ten of my gifting, it was only after I lost everything that my faith increased to the point that it became my number one gift.
So I said something like this: “God takes us into the fire, and all hell breaks loose in our lives.” And I explained that our faith grows in the trials. And the professor said, “That’s the answer.”
This is what I learned: our faith doesn’t grow by God opening our heads and pouring faith in, but it grows in the fires of life’s trials, where God’s word and our faith in God are put to the test. And that is how their reservoir of faith grew.
Now, these dietary requirements were not iffy when it comes to God’s law; even the Apostle Peter knew this. To Peter, the Lord gave a vision and set straight the dietary law and what was and was not permissible under His New Covenant.
What happened is that Peter “saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’” And Peter replied, “Surely not, Lord. I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” And the Lord responded, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” (Acts 10:12-15 NIV)
Now, I cannot leave this without discussing what the Lord showed Peter and what it means to us today who live under God’s New Covenant of faith in Jesus Christ.
What did Jesus teach about eating food, or the food that can be eaten?
Jesus’s teaching showed how eating or refraining from certain foods couldn’t make someone holy. Because it didn’t address humanity’s deepest needs.
Jesus said, “(It’s) not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” (Matthew 15:11 NKJV)
The sinful heart produces all kinds of sin. By saying this, Jesus emphasized the need for the New Covenant. Following the Old Testament Law would not make them holy because sin’s roots run much deeper into our fallen nature. Under the New Covenant, however, where Jesus died for people’s sins, those who believe in Christ can receive complete forgiveness.
And the Apostle Paul, a Pharisee of Pharisees, said, “For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.” (1 Timothy 4:4-5 NKJV)
Now, the next thing we see in this story of the Babylon 3 is the culmination of their faith, and then of our faith as we live it out in front of the world. It is where we can now say that they had “Unprecedented Faith.”
Saying their faith was tested is an understatement, just as Daniel’s faith was tested many years later in the lion’s den. Now, while Daniel passed the test through his actions, knowing the outcome of praying openly as he had his entire life, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego passed their test not only through their actions but also by declaring it loudly and proudly.
The story is found in Daniel 3, and it began in the mind of Nebuchadnezzar after he had heard Daniel’s interpretation of his dream, which described the coming world empires, beginning with Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel went on to explain its meaning, saying, “You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all–you are this head of gold.” (Daniel 2:37-38 NKJV)
Taking that as his cue, Nebuchadnezzar built a massive golden statue of himself in the plains of Dura. It was 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide. He then ordered his officials to gather and honor it, even to the point of bowing down. Anyone who refused would be thrown into a fiery furnace.
So, the time arrived, the music played, and everyone fell to the ground to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s statue, except for three young men—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. And it didn’t go unnoticed.
But wishing to appear magnanimous, Nebuchadnezzar gave them another chance, and said, “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? 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?” (Daniel 3:14-15NKJV)
And what we observe is their faith being loudly and proudly proclaimed, and they didn’t compromise even a little.
“O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 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.” (Daniel 3:16-17 NKJV)
And now we get to the main verse in our study.
“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.” (Daniel 3:18 NKJV)
Well, it says that Nebuchadnezzar was furious and had them tied up and thrown into the fiery furnace, which he had heated 7 times hotter than normal. It was so hot that the men who threw them in died from the heat.
Now, let’s look at what happened next. It says, “King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, ‘Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?’ They answered and said to the king, ‘True, O king.’ ‘Look!’ he answered, ‘I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.’” (Daniel 3:24-25 NKJV)
Now, before I can move on, I’ve got to get all Theological on you, because we need to find out who King Nebuchadnezzar saw.
“I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” (Daniel 3:24-25)
Now, what Nebuchadnezzar said raises an interesting question. “Who is that fourth man in the fire?” And in my message on Gideon last month, I said I would discuss who is “The Angel of the Lord.”
The Angel of the Lord is an important figure in the Old Testament, often appearing during key moments of divine intervention and revelation. This personage different from other angels and is often identified with the Lord God Himself.
First, we need to examine the wording. We encounter “angels of the Lord” or “an angel of the Lord” in both the Old and New Testaments. However, here we see that the definite article “the” precedes the title, which makes Him unique among the others.
The Angel of the Lord appears first in Genesis 16, where He meets Hagar in the wilderness. The passage states, “Now the Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur.” (Genesis 16:7 NKJV).
Now consider what Hagar calls Him. “Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, ‘Have I also here seen Him who sees me?’” (Genesis 16:13 NKJV) Through this and by using God’s holy name “Yahweh,” or “Jehovah,” this Angel was none other than the Lord God.
In Genesis 22:12, the Angel of the Lord intervenes just as Abraham is about to sacrifice Isaac, saying, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
And then, in verse 16, the Angel of the Lord said, “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord.” And once again, we see the angel of the Lord identifying Himself as “Yahweh,” or “Jehovah.”
The Angel of the Lord also appears to Moses in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2-6). And catch what He tells Moses, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5 NKJV). No angel would ever say this.
In Judges 6, the Angel of the Lord appears to Gideon, commissioning him to deliver Israel from the Midianites. Gideon perceives the Angel as the Lord God, and he fears for his life, saying, “Alas, O Lord God! For I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face.” (Judges 6:22 NKJV)
Why is this significant? Because of what the Lord said to Moses on Mount Sinai. “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” (Exodus 33:20 NKJV) That is why so many who saw the Angel of the Lord feared for their lives.
The Angel of the Lord is seen as a theophany, a visible manifestation of God in physical form, appearing as a man. This is supported by the Angel’s ability to speak as God, accept worship, and perform divine acts. That’s why the fourth man in the fire is none other than the Angel of the Lord, who is a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ and the Second Person of the Trinity, or Godhead, due to the Angel’s divine attributes and functions.
Since Jesus was found in this way, it shouldn’t be a surprise; He even tells us so. Didn’t He say, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” (John 8:58 NKJV) The Jewish leaders tried to kill Him for that statement because He made Himself equal to the Lord God Himself.
And so, what happened there in the plains of Dura and in the sight of every Babylonian official is what I call, But If NotFaith.
Again, let me quote the key verse in today’s study.
“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.” (Daniel 3:18 NKJV)
And what we observe is that they took responsibility for what they knew and acted accordingly.
It was the faith that these three young Jewish men had as they faced potential death. Nebuchadnezzar made it clear that if they didn’t bow to the golden statue, they would be thrown into the fiery furnace.
But they had faith in God, not only that God would deliver them, but also, even if He didn’t, they still wouldn’t compromise.
And it was with this faith that Jesus met them and walked with them in the fiery furnace.
We see this same faith in Job. He said, “Though He (God) slay me, yet will I trust Him.” (Job 13:15a)
We observe the same faith of Abraham when he told his son, Isaac, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” (Genesis 22:8) This was also confirmed by the writer of Hebrews, who described Abraham’s faith by saying that he believed that “God was able to raise him (Isaac) up, even from the dead.” (Hebrews 11:19)
When Jesus was in the Garden, He said, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless (But if not), not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39)
Satan will throw everything at us to make us renounce and compromise our faith. So, we need “But If Not” faith when our financial resources lessen, when our health declines, when a loved one is lost, or when our plans are thwarted.
What we need to determine up front is that if God doesn’t deliver, we will answer as did the Babylonian 3—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego —and say, “But if not, and regardless of what happens, we will still believe in the Lord.”
That is “Faith Under Fire,” or “But if Not” Faith.
