Daniel Chapter 3: Persecution

Introduction: Today, Bible-Believing Christians are under fire for believing the truth. Pastors who actually believe what the Bible teaches regarding subjects such as homosexuality are under persecution. The world does not hate us because we have an opinion so-called. The world hates us Bible-Believing Christians because of the Word of God.

Verse 1-7 reads, “Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.”

-So King Nebuchadnezzar makes an image. And he makes a decree that says whenever you hear the music, you are to bow down and worship the image. 

-This goes with what America is doing today. They want you to bow down and worship their image of homosexuality. Their image of Hollywood. Their images of singers, actors, and athletes. America only tolerates one opinion. America doesn’t want the truth. Therefore, so many Americans are slaves to the media’s opinion. Slaves to the government’s story. If you have an opinion in America contrary to the government, you are “hateful”. King Nebuchadnezzar wanted his whole Kingdom to be united under one god. That god isn’t the true God. He, being lifted up with pride thought that he could just create a god, and command all people, nations, and languages to worship that image. He pictures the Antichrist superbly.

-But there is always a remnant that will not follow the world’s wisdom and its gods. That remnant is Bible-Believing Christians; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Verse 8-15 reads, “Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews. They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever. 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:  And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 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. Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king. 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? 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?”

-Notice that it wasn’t until someone accused the Jews for not worshipping the King’s false god, that there any persecution.

-Sounds a lot like how the sodomites accused Pastor Steven Anderson, and shut down his donations through PayPal. Sounds a lot like how the reprobates accused Pastor Roger Jimenez and shut down his YouTube Channel. These accusers were around from the beginning of time. Jesus was accused of blasphemy when he said that he was God. Paul was accused and persecuted because he preached against circumcision. Stephen was accused and martyred, because he preached the Word of God. These accusers have a Father. The devil.

-Just as the Pharisees claimed that they were so righteous when they presumptuously broke the ninth commandment “thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” for the sake of shutting up the truth. Even so also are these filthy reprobates claiming to be so “gay” when they are more likely to have STD’s. Have 50 years shaved off of their life just for being queer. And have been with over 500 partners on average. This doesn’t sound “gay” to me. Also given the fact that they are predators that molest children. These people are not “gay’, they are filthy disgusting animals. They break all the commandments just as the Pharisees in the days of Christ; just as the Catholic Priests in the Inquisition; for the sake of killing and persecuting the children of God. And their father, the devil, rejoices all the more as he sees his children abiding in his will.

Verse 16-23 reads, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.”

-Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not effeminate men who compromised the truth. They didn’t even take a second thought at their answer. They didn’t have to think of what they were going to say, they already knew it. They were not “careful to answer” the King. They knew that they were going to stand for the truth without any shadow of doubt.

-Because these men chose to stand for the truth, the King was full of fury! He hated them not because they had an opinion, but because they would not submit to his authority, to his government, to his god.

-Christians today are not persecuted because they have their own point of view. We are persecuted because we have God’s point of view. And God said “thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

-That’s why we are being cast into the fire. That’s why we are being hunted down by the media, the government, the world. IT’S BECAUSE WE STAND FOR THE PERFECT LAW OF GOD!!!! AND THAT LAW SAYS KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS!!!!!

-Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego obeyed God, so they were thrown into the pit.

Verse 24-28 reads, “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.  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. 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.  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. 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.”

-You see, whenever Christians are going through persecution. Whether it be having your store shut down. Having your house burned down. And even being thrown into a pit of fire, God is always there. You see the world wants to put us in a pit of fire. The world wants to put us in hell. God won’t allow that. All they can do is give us hell on earth, and it’s ok because it’s worth an eternity with Jesus Christ.  I don’t fear death. I fear losing. I fear not being bold enough. I FEAR NOT STANDING UP FOR THE TRUTH BECAUSE I FEAR GOD!!!! And I Know that the labourer is worthy of his reward.

-Notice again that this is what it took for Nebuchadnezzar to turn his anger. It took him throwing men in a pit of hell until he actually saw the work of God. You see that’s what it takes for the world. The world isn’t going to listen to the gospel. The world hates the gospel. The world, like King Nebuchadnezzar seeks after a sign. Jesus said “a wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign”. You know how the World is going to realize that they have done wrong. It’s when the flood comes as in the days of Noah. As soon as he entered into the ark, sudden destruction came upon the world. As soon as we get to heaven, and the World beholds the Son of Man just as Nebuchadnezzar, then will they say to themselves “what have we done?” This world is going to hate Christians until the end.

Verse 29-30 says, “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. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.”

-God always wins. And he will forever win. Even though the media wants you to think that we’ve lost, we will never back down. I will hate the sin and iniquity of this world until the day I die. I will not back down from the truth. The question still lies. Will you back down? Will you submit? Will bow your knee to Baal.

                                                  -I chose persecution