Kingdom of God – 5

Kingdom of God – 5

Daniel 3:30 “Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.”

                In the above verse we see the gracious hand of the Lord was with Shadrach Meshach and Abednego.  The Lord made a gentile king to promote them in the province of Babylon.  Ever since these three stepped into Babylon, they grew up watching elevation of Daniel. They knew how Daniel found favor in the sight of the King and how he was lifted up in the land. This increased their faith to an extent where they determined to live for the Lord.  Even in our lives, when we remain faithful to the kingdom of God, the Lord will take care of everything that pertains to us. Today let us meditate on how the Kingdom of God dealt with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

Path

Daniel 2:48-49 “Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.”

                We see Daniel was lifted up by the King in this chapter. Interestingly, all four of them (Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) were together but the King acknowledged Daniel and lifted him alone. It must have been a tough situation for Daniel’s brothers as they were not taken into consideration. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego might have felt bad in that situation yet they remained faithful. They stayed true to the path that God led them and learned many things from it. The Lord shapes them when they submit themselves together.  The Lord took Daniel in the path where he faced the lion’s den and the Lord takes Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the path where they faced a fiery furnace. In the end they all experienced miraculous deliverances as they remained truthful in their path.

When Daniel was exalted, he did not forget his brothers. He requested the King to set them in high positions. Daniel sets an example where he acts a driving force to bring in the blessings to his brothers. Even in our lives, we must be instrumental in bringing in the blessings to the people around us. We should submit ourselves to the path that the Lord God is taking us and must remain truthful to the kingdom of the Lord.

Help

Daniel 3:17-18 “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”

                In the above passage, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are about to face a fatal situation. We see they had a complete trust on the Lord. They had immense trust on the Lord which made them confess their deliverance in front of the King himself. They proclaimed that ‘even if God does not deliver us, we will trust in him’. We read in Daniel 3:12 ‘There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.’ Just as how the people conspired against Daniel, the same crowd accuses Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. It is common that worldly people are always against the people of God. The accusations made the king so furious on them. This we read in Daniel 3:19 ‘Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.’

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were helpless as they gained the fury of the King and also the oppositions of the people around them. We see the Lord God pitched in at the right time and helped them from the fiery furnace. As recorded in Psalm 91:15 ‘He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.’ Even in our lives, when we call upon the Lord during our trouble times, the Lord is able to help and deliver us.

Promotion

Daniel 3:30 “Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.”

                Finally in this chapter we see Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were promoted. When we turn back to analyze the path that they travelled, we can understand it is not a cake walk. They had to go through certain things to achieve the glory. The trial of fire brought a great miracle to their lives. The miracle exalted them.  In Daniel 3:25 ‘He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.’  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew that the fiery furnace will devour them yet they faced the furnace.  The Lord honored their faith and the Kingdom of God changed their suffering into a supernatural experience. They experienced the love of the lover in the furnace.

                In Daniel 3:28 ‘Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.’ The same Nebuchadnezzar who became very furious and outraged on Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, testified and praised the Lord God. The Kingdom of God changes and transforms the King. It made the King testified in behalf of three men. 

While they were put in the furnace, they did not attempt to come out of the same. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego might have been enjoying the presence of the Lord inside the furnace.  In Daniel 3:26 ‘Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.’ The same king who was once furious now welcomed them from the furnace. When we the children of God remain truthful to his name, he will make the worldly people testify and will give him all glory. Amen.