The Fiery Furnace In Our Day 6/15/41
Scripture: Daniel 3.
Text: Daniel 3: 18; “... be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”
(Drawn from Georgia Harkness in Xn, Cent. Pul. 6/41)
There are probably very few people, who know anything about the Bible at all, who have not heard at least once the story of Daniel in the lion’s den and the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace. Those who do not know their Bible may remember the names of these gentlemen from hearing a popular song of two or three years ago.
Here is an ancient story, the story of three men and the fiery furnace, in the book of Daniel, which, like so much of the rest of the Bible, is a very modern book. Of course we would not find the incident incorporated in a modern text book on science. What we know about science makes it seem impossible that human beings could be, even for a moment, in the midst of such a fire as that described here without getting even hair or coat sleeve singed. However, the story is not to be read as a scientific bit, nor as a bit of magic either.
When this story is correctly read, as a picture of the flames of persecution and tyranny, it is a startlingly modern story. Here in the account are the tyrant, proud and despotic; the golden image of nationalism before which all are required to bow; violent anti-Jewish feeling; clash of cultures and religions; and in the midst of all of this, those who put their trust in God who is above all. Where could a more accurately modern story be found?
Consider, for a moment, how the story of Daniel came to be written. Scholars believe that it was written between 168 and 165 B.C. during persecution of the Jews by Antiochus Epiphanes. His was a “new order” of the Syrian part of Alexander’s empire. Plundering and devastating Jerusalem, he sought ruthlessly, at the point of the sword, to Hellenize the Jews. He forbade them to perform ancient Jewish rites, to keep their Sabbath, or even to read their Holy Scriptures. He took over their temple at Jerusalem and on the site of the altar to Jehovah he had erected an altar to Zeus. There the Jews were required to offer a sacrifice of swine’s flesh. They might have submitted to almost anything else; but not this affront to their faith. This was what precipitated the Maccabean revolt.
This is what caused some Jewish writer, whose name we do not know, to write this story around the name of a traditional Jewish hero named Daniel. To throw off his trail the secret police of that day, he cleverly put the setting of the story four centuries earlier, in the reign of Nebuchadnezzar during the Babylonian captivity. And so, in a day when it was impossible to speak in defense of one’s faith without being dragged off to prison and punishment, this unknown Jewish author found a way to speak courage to his fellow Jewish sufferers.
Here was the word: they might be in the lion’s den, or in the midst of the fire; the heat might be seven times as hot as normal; still in the midst of it there would be One whose form is like the Son of God.
As one reads the book of Daniel with this understanding he can appreciate the fact that much of the symbolic language, that is otherwise meaningless, is full of meaning to those for whom it was written. Through symbols, the author was able to recount the aggression and imperialism that had taken from them their liberty. He could assure his fellows that the despot would eventually fall. “Though you may be surrounded by flames, put your trust in God and fear no evil.”
In days of confusion and strain people ask the question, “Why doesn’t God do something about this mess?” Perhaps this ancient story with modern meaning offers some of the answer to this question.
Of course we must be clear as to what God is not doing. For one thing, he is not keeping good people from suffering. At this point, the story is too optimistic for us. It ends with the rescue and promotions of the heroes, who thereafter had the favor of the king.
Life is not always like that. Good men do secure favor and promotions. But good men sometimes lose their jobs and their lives. Good people walk through the fires of affliction, sometimes to be delivered, sometimes to be consumed. Misfortune, disease and circumstance are no respecter of persons. Rain falls upon the just and the unjust, and drought comes upon them alike.
It is so with whole nations of people. Nations that are good as nations go, civilized and spiritually constructive, have gone down in defeat a number of times in history. It may seem as unjust, that nations bearing high spiritual values, as for good men, to be crushed by evil ones. But there is no great mystery about it.
In a contest of force, the greater force usually wins. I think we have seen enough of the present world conflicts to be safe in saying that, in a resort to war, it is not right, but might, that wins. Does God determine the outcome of a battle? If we say “yes,” we must assume that God wills all of the destruction, all of the waste, all of the horror and suffering and hatred and cruelty; the destruction not only of armies but of civilian populations as well. Such an assumption does not seem to me to be good religion. God may permit the catastrophe. How else is a stubborn and unrepentant mankind to learn that the wages of sin, the neglect of God’s ways, is death? But to say that God wills it does not seem possible or likely unless we have altogether misunderstood God.
It may seem a disturbing thought that God does not always make the right side win. But this seems to be the truth of history.
If we are looking for meaning for our day in the story of these Hebrew young men in the fire of persecution, we must find it elsewhere than in confidence of military victory. It cost the life of Jesus to teach his disciples that the function of the Messiah was not to lead the Hebrews in a military defeat of their oppressors.
Though the thought may be disturbing, it is nevertheless deeply reassuring. I share, with you, the fervent hope that those nations now fighting for the democratic form of community life may survive. It would be a major catastrophe to civilization if they did not.
But no matter what the outcome, God still would not be dead. His purposes are not to be defeated by temporal victories or defeats. Here is the inspiring truth of the story of the three young Hebrews. We can say with them that we believe that “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us, and he will deliver us. But if not, be it known unto thee that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”
God does deliver us, undeserving though we may be. This is the heart of our faith. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” [Psalm 46: 1]. There is no greater assurance in the world, than that if we are faithful to him, God will sustain us.
Let us look, then, for His ways. His ways are not the victories of might, those of military victories. Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, air raid for air raid, sinking for blockage and vice versa , fire for fire - these may come under the heading of military necessity, but let us not call them the ways of God.
God is not unmoved or indifferent to the moral issues in the conflicts now raging. God does act, throughout history, that his righteousness may triumph. But he acts by righteous means - by respect and by love and by understanding. God wins His victories by truth and the spirit of good will.
Today we inherit the victories of God through the years. Time after time, He has raised up the prophets to preserve the soul of Israel through bondage. When Rome fell before barbarians, He raised up the Christian church to preserve the light of civilization. Time after time in age after age, He has given to some good men the spirit that will not bow before false gods.
He is at work today. In spite of the fact that war is again upon the world (largely because we did not sincerely seize the chance, when we had it, to build a just and righteous peace) God has inspired the souls of Christians as never before with the deep conviction that a way to peace, a constructive and fair peace, must be found! Even when the light flickers low, God still strives for the peace that can be built on His way of justice and good will.
God is winning victories through the Christian fellowship right now. British and German Christians are praying for each other. Japanese and Chinese Christians are praying for each other. One of the best known of them spent a month in prison not long ago for doing just that. Their fellowship about the fires of hatred and death is the most notable and hopeful thing on the whole scene.
We in America live in uncertainty, and in the awful apprehension that our own nation may be carried into the hellish maelstrom. I believe in a strong America. In fact I am certain that the only way in which democracy can be saved is for it to become strong.
But I fear that the development, and possible use, of military might alone may prove just so much loss in the sight of God. The only question that is ever settled by blow for blow is the question of who is stronger. The question of who is right is never settled that way. I long for my country to be strong first of all in the right.
Do you remember Bishop G. Ashton Oldham’s lines used first in 1924? Listen to them again:
America
First
Not merely in matters material, but in things of the spirit.
Not merely in science, inventions, motors and skyscrapers, but
also in ideals, principles, character.
Not merely in the calm assertion of rights, but in the glad
assumption of duties. [There is a major testing ground
of our democracy right now!]
Not flaunting her strength as a giant, but bending in helpfulness
over a sick and wounded world like a Good Samaritan.
Not in splendid isolation, but in courageous cooperation.
Not is pride, arrogance and disdain of other races and peoples,
but in sympathy, love and understanding.
Not in treading again the old, worn, bloody pathway which ends
inevitably in chaos and disaster, but in blazing a new trail,
along which, please God, other nations will follow, into the
new Jerusalem where wars shall be no more.
Some day some nation must take that path - unless we are to lapse once more into utter barbarism - and that honor I covet for my beloved America.
And so, in that spirit and with these hopes, I say with all my heart and soul, “America First.”
This is the spirit, and only this, in which I believe in “America First.” Along this road, God can and will deliver us from destruction.
I fear that we do not see the road clearly enough. We move more and more dangerously close to the flames of war participation. What if we are thrown into the furnace?
As I warned in the beginning, we need not expect to escape pain. We may surely expect the disasters which accompany and follow war - economic upheavals, unemployment and hunger, shell-shocked men, mangled souls and aching hearts. As we continue to walk in the shadow of uncertain days, let us remember that God has never given assurance of delivery from pain.
But He has given us the hope of delivery from evil, and that is quite another matter. It is possible to be delivered from hate, from fear, from revenge, from despair, from the shame of obeisance before false gods - from such evil God will surely deliver any man or any nation who will trust Him and stand faithful to Him.
God delivers us on His own conditions. Our most grievous sin is that we are not willing to meet the conditions. When we see people walking through the fire unscathed, it is because they have put their trust in God only, have served Him only, have followed His way with absolute devotion. The victories of God are not cheap! They cost an enormous price and they are worth it.
Men have glimpsed the fact that such fidelity to God is good. Some have seen enough of the nature of God to place in Him their confidence in the midst of persecution and disaster. And no mortal man has gone through the fiery furnace unscathed. The fire sears and the scars must be borne.
But there was One who was immortal, who defied the worst that the most powerful and tyrannical government of that day could do to him, and died a criminal’s death on a torturous cross. In so doing he changed the end of the story for us and put it in line with bitter, triumphant truth. Not a promotion but a cross to carry is the reward of utter faithfulness. Out of this heritage we hear him say clearer than ever before:
“Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.....” [John 14: 1].
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you;
not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your
heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” [John 14: 27].
“In the world ye have tribulation; but be of good cheer,
I have overcome the world.” [John 16: 33].
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Dates and places delivered:
Wisconsin Rapids, June 15, 1941
W.F.H.R., Wisconsin Rapids, June 28, 1941