Our society today pushes a lot of ideas on us that they want us to accept and affirm. They want us to accept and affirm that all religions and belief systems are equally true and that every person should “live their truth.” They want us to accept and affirm that gender is fluid and that same-sex-attracted people should be able be together and get married. They want us to accept and affirm that fetuses are merely clumps of cells and that a woman should have the choice to get rid of those pesky cells (it is her body, right?).

All of these ideas clearly go against the truth we find in God’s Word, so we, as Christians, should not and cannot accept or affirm them. As Paul said, we are not to “be conformed to this world” (Romans 12:2, ESV). But this is easier said than done. When we refuse to affirm these worldly ideas, we’re labeled as hateful bigots, and it’s possible we may receive malicious messages, physical attacks, or even death threats. But this is not a new problem.

In fact, religious persecution for the people of God has been an issue for thousands of years. There is one story of persecution in particular that you may be familiar with if you grew up going to Sunday School. In Daniel 3, we find that the people of Judah were in exile in Babylon under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar. This king created an image of gold (possibly similar to the image he saw in his dream in Daniel 2) and had a dedication ceremony for it, inviting all the governors, counselors, magistrates, and other government officials to come see it. At the ceremony, it was declared that everyone was to bow down to this image and worship it when the music began to play. Those who refused to bow and worship would be thrown into a fiery furnace. So, when the music played, everyone bowed and worshiped the image.

Everyone, that is, except three Jews named Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These three Jews (who were originally named Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah) had been taken to Babylon when they were young men and were taught Babylonian language and literature in the king’s palace. They (along with their friend Daniel) were far wiser than anyone else in the kingdom, and they were given authority over the province’s affairs. King Nebuchadnezzar was enraged over their blatant disobedience and ordered the three Jews to be brought before him. He questioned them about their actions and gave them a second chance to worship the image. If they would not worship, they would be cast into the fiery furnace immediately.

Still, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship the idol. Their God was Yahweh, the only true God, and they would not worship anyone or anything else because Yahweh is worthy of all worship, praise, and glory. They told Nebuchadnezzar – 

“If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” Daniel 3:17-18, ESV

This infuriated the king even more, and he ordered for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be thrown into the furnace. He demanded the furnace to be heated as hot as possible, so hot that it killed the men who threw the Jews into it. After they had been thrown in, King Nebuchadnezzar peered into the furnace and saw something strange. There were four men in the fire instead of three. All four were walking around, completely unharmed. And the fourth man had an appearance “like a son of the gods.”

The king commanded the Jews to come out of the furnace, and they did, their skin free of burns, their hair and clothes unsinged. They didn’t even smell like fire or smoke. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew who their God was. He was Yahweh, the God of heaven and earth. He alone is worthy of worship. He is omnipotent (all-powerful) and sovereign (in control). They were righteous men, and they could not disobey or dishonor God by bowing to an idol. So, they trusted God and knew that, even if God would not save them from death, He was still a good God. Through their trial by fire, God was with them and protected them. The fourth man in the furnace is believed by Bible scholars to either be an angel or the preincarnate Christ. The obedience and faithfulness of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego revealed to Nebuchadnezzar and all of Babylon that Yahweh is God, the only true God.

There are two things we can learn from this well-known story. First, our God is the one true God. He is omnipotent and sovereign. He is worthy of all praise and worship. There is no God besides Him. So, we must obey Him, and honor Him, and serve Him no matter the cost.

Second, as believers, we will face persecution (John 15:18-20). God may protect us from it and deliver us, or He may not. But we must remember that He will always be with us through it. Scotty Smith wrote-

“No matter the temptation, trial, or trauma—Jesus is with us and for us. This side of the new heaven and new earth, life won’t be crisis free, but it’ll never be Christ absent.”^[1]

Whatever persecution you may be facing, do not bow to the world. Remain steadfast and faithful to God. He is in control. He is able to deliver you. He is always with you. Bow only to Him.

“In the day of my trouble I call upon You, for You answer me. There is none like You among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like Yours. All the nations You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name. For You are great and do wondrous things; You alone are God.” Psalm 86:7-10

^[1] Scotty Smith, “Fire or No Fire,” last modified February 28, 2020, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/scotty-smith/fire-or-no-fire/.