Every time I read it, I’m amazed. I’ve read it over and over, but each time, I have to pause and reflect. It causes me to think. To look deep inside myself. What is it? A simple phrase: “But even if He does not” (Dan 3:18)
This past week I read the third chapter of Daniel. Not for the first time or even the second. I’ve read it many times. In fact, I’ve even preached sermons using this passage as the primary example. It’s not that I’m unfamiliar with the phrase or the biblical story surrounding it. Yet, I just can’t pass it by without feeling some sense of conviction. No matter how many times I’ve read it. “But even if He does not”
It’s likely that you’ve heard or read the story before. If you grew up in the church, you might have liked the Sunday School story just because the names of the characters are pretty cool, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and, of course, King Nebuchadnezzar (we just don’t use that many syllables in our names any more).
In brief, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are Jewish young men who have been taken captive from Jerusalem to Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar. They received favor and were given places of authority throughout the land (see Daniel 1 & 2). But then comes the drama. The testing. The king erects an image of gold. He orders fanfares to be played, and when the people throughout the land hear the music, they are to bow down and worship the image. Otherwise, they will be thrown into a fiery furnace to die (see Daniel 3).
Of course, these young Jewish men know this is a big deal. After all, the first of the Ten Commandments is “You shall have no other Gods before me” (Exo 20:3). The second commandment emphasizes the issue even more, “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them” (Exo 20:4). There’s no getting around that they have a big decision staring them in the face.
Here’s the thing, isn’t it easy to compromise in difficult situations? Don’t we find ways to make excuses about what we know is right? I’m sure these young men felt the same way. “Is it really that big a deal?”, they might have asked. Or, “does God really want me to sacrifice my life over this? Won’t God understand?” Or maybe they could have justified themselves by thinking something like, “What about all I can do for God in my high position? Should we throw that away?” I could see myself finding all the excuses possible to justify not obeying God. But they didn’t.
What amazes me even more is that they knew that God was able to save them. “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 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’” (Exo 3:16-18) They understood God had the ability to save them, to do anything, in fact. They also knew that He might choose not to save them. And they said, “even if he does not.”
Most of us have been there before. No, I have never been threatened with death in a fiery furnace. But you know what I mean. We are in a difficult situation. Our loved one is sick or we have a devastating diagnosis. Our child is wandering. We’ve lost a job. You know, the really tough stuff in life. We pray. We know God can heal. We know He can change things. And yet, He doesn’t. That’s when our faith is tested. Do we really believe? Do we really trust Him? Or is God a god of convenience. We believe when things are good. When it’s convenient. Or do we say, “even if he does not.”
Mercy Me, in their song, “Even If” (1), says it this way:
“It's easy to sing
When there's nothing to bring me down
But what will I say
When I'm held to the flame
Like I am right now
I know You're able and I know You can
Save through the fire with Your mighty hand
But even if You don't
My hope is You alone”
Our God is the God of the universe. None are like Him. We recognize He can do all things but He doesn’t always do what we want or what we expect. He is still God. And, even when we go through difficulty, when we think the prayer is unanswered, there is hope. Because our hope is in God. Peter writes, “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Pet 1:8-9).
So, the challenge is: Will we remain faithful? Will we still praise Him? Will we still say, “glory to God?” Even when things don’t go our way. “Even if he does not.”
Really thought-provoking piece. I believe, help my unbelief.