Fear God, Not Man
Daniel 3:1-18
Michael Coughran
Our text tells us what we should do the face of a tyrant government.
All authority belongs to God. Mal 14 says He is a great king. A king rules by his law. The law we see in our text is the second commandment. Thou shalt serve no other gods before me.
Israel was taken captive by Nebukanezar because Israel had been worshipping false gods. God kept His word and punished them for it.
God has ordained civil authority for good and evil. A tyrannical civil authority rewards evil and punishes good.
1. There are things they did not think, say or do.
a. They did not say, "We can not win so we must submit." It's a no win situation!
b. They did not say, "We are bound to obey law of the land!"
c. "Let's bow our knees in public but in our hearts we will stand for God."
d. "What is one sin we can confess and ask for forgiveness later." Do your sin and then confess it. 1 John 1:9 it.
e. "Behold everyone else is yielding to this. We should too."
f. "We have already lost so much!"
g. "We can do far more good for our fellow countrymen if we remain alive."
They feared God and not man! Two components of fear: Dread or terror is one component. The major component is the one that applies to the redeemed. It's honor, respect, it's reverential awe. This is a fear developed from a renewed heart. It's the fear that makes you want to please and honor God. You hate God when you do not keep His commandments. This fear because of your love for your Father makes you want to draw near and be pleasing in His sight.
These young men said they were not worried about answering the king. They did not have the dread or terror of him. The fear of man brings a snare. We are not to have that terror and fear of men.
They had faith in the almighty God to save them. They believe in the living God, the true God. There are no fiery furnaces that He can't put out or withhold the effects of the fire. There is nothing impossible with God.
They were sure they would be delivered. They said God would deliver them out of the kings hand. God can deliver them from the fiery furnace or He would deliver them to the eternal kingdom. Steven was delivered from his persecutors. He was delivered into His heavenly home.
They feared God and honored the king. 1 Peter. They gave the king respect when they addressed him. Their loyalty to God was not based on any earthly deliverance. They believed in the sovereignty of God. "...but if not..."
They were steeled that they would obey God whatever the cost. They also believed in human responsibility. They believed in the sovereignty of God and human responsibility. How do they both go together. We can't bring them both together in our mind but the Bible teaches it so we believe it.
Hebrews 11....chose affliction instead of the pleasures of sin. He endured. It means a resolve to remain under the load by the power of the Holy Spirit.
They walked with the Son of God in the midst of the fire. The men who threw them in the fire were killed in the process. God judged them immediately. "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." Christ will walk with us in our deepest trials. All they lost in the fire was their bonds. All who fear God and not man will have a close walk with the Lord and their bonds will be loosed.
They were reward by God in time and eternity. Some are only rewarded in eternity. It is all God's choice.
God says to the faithful servant, "Well done" not "Well thought"
He will cast the wicked into eternal fire.
Fear God not man.
🌹🌺🌻Marsha🌻🌺🌹
He is the Α and Ω and everything in between. Îστιν ÏŒ Α Ω. (Revelation 22:13)
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