Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them.
When I received the pathology of my brain tumor, it indicated that it was a grade IV. At that time, I was told that the tumor had started at a lower grade and had increased to grade IV. Of course, the chances of survival decreased significantly for each grade level, from 90-95% 5-year survivability (grade I) down to 5-10% survivability (grade IV). My mother especially was perplexed and disappointed that God would wait until the tumor had grown to the higher grade for it to be discovered. After praying and questioning God, she came to believe that it was because God wanted to do a greater miracle.
Indeed, this is consistent with how God sometimes chooses to operate. Answers to prayers and healing sometimes occur immediately, and sometimes God delays His response. Two instances in the Bible demonstrate this truth: the account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego told in the Old Testament book of Daniel and that of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead as told in the New Testament book of John.
In the account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were three young Jewish men who worshiped God alone, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon commissioned a large golden statue and commanded every citizen in his kingdom to worship it or be executed by being thrown into a “fiery furnace.” The three young men refused to worship the statue and were thrown into a furnace so hot that it killed some of the soldiers who were throwing the men into the furnace. And that is when God showed up.
God had ample opportunity to intervene before the men were forced into the furnace. I have identified five points at which our Lord could have worked before the moment when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were bound and placed in the furnace:
1. God could have prevented the statue from being built. Supplies and craftsmen could have been unavailable. God could have simply destroyed the statue after it was completed, perhaps by sending an earthquake.
2. God could have prevented the gathering of the people. Any number of events could have stopped the gathering—severe weather, war, a natural disaster, etc.
3. Scripture tells us that King Nebuchadnezzar was told by astrologers that the three Jewish men refused to bow down to the statue. Presumably, the crowd that gathered was so large that Nebuchadnezzar could not identify who was not bowing and had to be informed. God could have prevented the astrologers from informing the king of the men’s defiance, either by working on the hearts of the astrologers or by blocking access to the king.
4. God could have prevented the furnace from being lit.
5. God could have worked on the heart of the king to compel him to reverse his command. Ultimately, King Nebuchadnezzar’s heart did change dramatically, but not until the last minute.
After the King was told of the young men’s refusal to worship the statue, he was enraged and ordered that the furnace be heated 7 time hotter than usual. The men were then thrown into a furnace so hot that it killed some of the soldiers who were near the fire. This is when God showed up-quite literally. The King was shocked when he saw 4 men in the furnace instead of 3, and proclaims that the fourth man, “looks like a son of the gods.” When the King called the men out of the furnace, not a single hair on their head was singed. God used this miracle to so dramatically change the heart of Nebuchadnezzar so profoundly that his command changed from worshiping the golden statute to a command that his people worship the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego! Read to the King’s own words:
“Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”
From their own words, we know that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had a strong faith that God could rescue them, and a strong sense of obedience that they would not disobey God no matter what. When questioned by Nebuchadnezzar before the gathering to worship the statue, they told him:
“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
With such a strong statement of faith and obedience to God, why did God wait until the last moment to answer the prayers of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? Could it be that God wanted to perform a greater miracle? Certainly, God could have intervened at any point before the men were actually in the furnace? But, had that happened, would Nebuchadnezzar have turned so profoundly? I don’t believe so. People could have chalked it up coincidence. But, when the miracle occurs so publicly and in such a dramatic fashion, no one, not even the King, could deny that the miracle came from God, becoming a witness to his mighty power and sovereignty.
In the next few devotionals, we will continue to explore the concept of delayed miracles and also miracles that never come.
For Additional Study & Discussion
1. Think of a time God delayed an answer to prayer or a miracle in your life? Why do you think there was a delay?
2. What aspect of the account of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego tell us about God’s character?
3. How does the account help or not help you patiently wait for God to perform a miracle in your life?