Knees That Would Not Bow

Based on Daniel ch 3

Daniel and his three friends must have been in their early teens when they were taken as captives to Babylon. There they were put through formal training for three years, after which they served in the courts of King Nebuchadnezzar.

At the end of Daniel ch. 2 (Daniel 2:49) , we see that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were appointed as ministers in different capacities over the province of Babylon.

What inspiration/lessons can we draw from Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego?

We live in a world today where many "golden images" are presented to us, and there is the sometimes obvious and sometimes subtle (not so obvious) pressure to bow our knees to these "golden images". Sometimes the consequence of not bowing to these golden images can be very threatening, like the fiery furnace.

The real test is whether we will stand by our allegiance to our Lord and to the Word He has given to us, or will we yield to the pressure, "bow our knees" and live a life of compromise.

The golden image of money and success

There is nothing wrong with working, pursuing a successful professional career, etc, as long as we keep our Lord first in our lives and do His will.

However, in the process of doing so, do we compromise our faith, our walk with God, our call to serve Him, for the sake of money and success?

Matthew 6:24  "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

The golden image of pleasure and worldliness

There is nothing wrong in enjoying good things that God has made available to us.

However, do we put pleasure above purity? Do we put pleasure above God's purposes?

Sin always seems pleasurable.

Hebrews 11:24-26
24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,
26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

Do we flirt with the world and still want to call ourselves Christians?

James 4:4  Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

The golden image of acceptance and compromise

Sometimes we fear being laughed at, ridiculed or mocked at for taking a stand for our faith, purity and integrity.

We feel the pressure to bow our knees to the golden image of wanting to be accepted by people, to fit-in with the crowd, to compromise so that we don't  "stand out" or are not "left out".

Mark 8:38  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

please feel free to add illustrations/points to consider here.

It takes courage to be like Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego. The writer of Hebrews refers to their faith conquest :

Hebrews 11:33,34
33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34  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.

These three Hebrew young men, demonstrated allegiance to God, even if it men harm and danger to their own lives. Is our commitment to our Lord absolute, so that nothing will cause us to bow our knees to anything or anyone else?

They believed that God would deliver them, but even if deliverance did not come, that would not cause them to change their allegiance to God. Is our commitment to our Lord absolute, and not conditional - only if He will do 'such and such' for us?

God showed up in a supernatural way to deliver them and glorify His own name : When we live uncompromising lives - God will be honored and glorified. In fact, that is the only way He can be glorified through us.

Remember, that when you find yourself in the fire, there is always the "Fourth Man" with you in it. He is the Lord Himself!