THE FOURTH MAN. (4)

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.*

*THE FOURTH MAN, (4)*

*Scripture Treasure.*

Daniel 3:10-30

v10 *Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:*

v11 *And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.*

v12 *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.*

v13 *Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.*

v14 *Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?*

v15 *Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?*

v16 *Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.*

v17 *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.*

v18 *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.*

v19 *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.*

v20 *And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.*

v21  *Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.*

v22 *Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.*

v23 *And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.*

v24 *Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.*

v25 *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.*

v26 *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.*

v27 *And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.*

v28 *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.*

v29 *Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.*

v30 *Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.*

*Insight and Highlight.*

The presence of God is not the absence of trouble.

*Scripture Commentaries.*

The three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and their ordeal in the hands of king Nebuchadnezzar would have made many to ask why God did not stop the the king from issuing his decree or prevent his command that his men *".....should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.*

Dan 3: 19.

Many would think that being children of God they should not experience the terror which, but for God, almost consumed their lives.

They had perfect relationships (ref Dan 1:4) with but we must know that the presence of God in our lives is not the absence of troubles, challenges, etc.

Though their faith summed up their preparedness for any eventualities (Dan 3:16-18), it is important for us to know the following.

First, trusting God does not mean your problems will instantly vanish, but it provides the peace and strength to navigate through them.

Second is that while presence of fourth man seen in the midst of the fire was a clear indication of God's presence, it also highlights His protection, not only in the midst of the believer's trouble but also His protection during their intense trials or "fiery" situations (Dan 3:25).

Both moments of *".....walking in the midst of the fire...."* and *"......they have no hurt......"* are indicative of two of many great promises and assurances to the believer that God will not forget, forsake or cast away His believers in their difficult moments.

He walks through these difficult times with them to walk them through these times. He would let them know He is touched by the feelings of their infirmities, Heb 4:15.

He will not only walk through the difficult times with them, He will not only walk them through these difficult times, He will come through for them by bringing them out and safe.

Psalm 34:6 says *This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.*

Psalm 34: 17 says *The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.*

Ps 34:19 says *Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all*

Knowing and trusting Jesus is, often not the removal of our weakness but the power of God revealed in our weakness, challenges, trial etc, 2 Cor 12.

If Jesus had stopped the king's edict or stopped the burning fiery furnace from igniting there would be no proof that Jesus would be with the Hebrew men in the fire as He said He would, (ref Is 43:2).

If Lazarus was not allowed to die to stink for four days there would be no evident proof that Jesus had power over death, John 11.

While Jesus does not have to prove Himself as God, everything He did and still does proves Him as the first and the last in all things, Rev 22:13.

The One who is the first and the last is the fourth man in the fire!

*Remorse corner.*

Are you in trouble? If you are faithfully calling Him, you can be assured He will not leave you until He has come through for you.

*Call to Word action.*

Heb 13:5 *"......for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.*

*The Christian clarion duty.*

A present help in time of trouble, Ps 46:1.

*God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.*

*Prayer.*

Lord, though Your presence does not mean the absence of trouble but Your presence will still be enough for me.

Let Your presence abide with me, always, in Jesus name.

Good morning all and have a blessed day.

God bless you.

Shalom.