Faithful Accounts in Daniel: A Testament of Unwavering Belief

Daniel 3 A Dying Faith A Faith Willing To Die For

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 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. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. (Hebrews 11:30 40 NKJV)

Faithfulness In Daniel Nebuchadnezzar Erects an Image of Gold (3:1-3) 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)

Faithfulness In Daniel All are Commanded to Worship the Image (3:4-11) Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate. And they began to accuse Him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King. (Luke 23:1 2 NKJV) Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king Jesus. (Acts 17:7 NKJV)

Ex. 20:4aYou shall not make for yourself 1an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. Lev. 26:1 You shall not make for yourselves 1aidols, nor shall you set up for yourselves ban image or ca sacred pillar, nor shall you place a dfigured stone in your land to bow down 2to it; for I am the LORD your God. Deut. 4:16 so that you do not aact corruptly and bmake a graven image for yourselves in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, Deut. 4:23 So watch yourselves, athat you do not forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you, and bmake for yourselves a graven image in the form of anything against which the LORD your God has commanded you.

Faithfulness In Daniel The Faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego (3:16-17) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. (Daniel 3:16 NKJV) So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. (Acts 4:18 21 NKJV)

saying, Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man s blood on us! But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him. (Acts 5:28 32 NKJV) And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. When he had come to us, he took Paul s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus says the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done. (Acts 21:10 14 NKJV)

Faithfulness In Daniel God s Faithfulness (3:19-25) Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him. The king answered Daniel, and said, Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret. Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon. Also Daniel petitioned the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel sat in the gate of the king. (Daniel 2:46 49 NKJV)

Then 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)

Faithfulness In Daniel Lessons From Chapter Three Why is this account recorded in Scripture? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego s faith came before they were in Babylon, perhaps through the preaching of Jeremiah Their Faith exemplified True Trust in God s Will & Purpose Nebuchadnezzar is an example of what happens when people act on emotions or a particular emotional event