In Daniel 3, King Nebuchadnezzar erected a huge, golden image 90 feet tall and summoned every leader from his far-flung empire to a dedication ceremony. Once they arrived, however, Nebuchadnezzar commanded that they all bow in worship before the image. If they defied the order, they would be killed.
Three of Daniel’s friends—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—refused to bow. These men, along with Daniel, had been taken captive from Jerusalem. It was not unusual in those days to punish violators of the king’s decrees by casting them into a giant, burning oven (see Jeremiah 29:22).
When the guards brought the three Hebrew men before the king, he bellowed at them, “If you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?” (Daniel 3:14-15, NKJV).
These God-fearing young men boldly answered in faith, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18).
The three Hebrews were finally cast into the furnace, but the king was puzzled. There had been no sudden flash of burning clothes and hair, no stench of roasting flesh. “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).
Jesus came into these men’s crisis for one reason, for their sake alone. He came to comfort and rescue them because he loved them. The Lord of glory committed himself to them in their hour of crisis because they were totally committed to him!