Honor in Impossible Circumstances

"Fiery Furnace" Painting
by Toros Roslin, 1266

During the rule of the maniac emperor Caesar Nero, Peter wrote and circulated a letter among Christians in which he instructed: “Honor the king.”

In my previous blog the example of Daniel was used to suggest proper attitudes and behaviors for one desiring to live out this instruction. Undoubtedly you will remember that Daniel was not the only young noble taken from Jerusalem. With him were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, better known by their Babylonian names, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Their example also provides instruction in honoring those in authority.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego had been trained so they could enter in to the king’s service. Along with Daniel, they were given important roles of authority in the service of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. It is not surprising that they were in attendance when the king had gathered all the nobles of his empire to a celebration in which he unveiled a 90-foot golden image. Everyone was instructed to bow and worship the image when they heard the sound of musical instruments. There were consequences for anyone who refused to bow. Offenders would immediately be thrown into a fiery furnace to be burned alive.

Do you remember the general circumstances? Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego were young Jewish nobles carried from Jerusalem to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. Their forefathers had turned away from God to serve idols. After sending many prophets, God warned that he would bring an enemy against them for their idolatry. That enemy was Nebuchadnezzar. So, the nation of Judah was captive in Babylon because of idolatry.

Unlike the brutal Assyrians who conquered nations and then intermixed the survivors, the Babylonians took other nations captive but kept them intact within Babylon. So, the Jews, for example, were able to preserve their national identity and maintain their religion and other customs.

So, Nebuchadnezzar called together all the “satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces” to view and worship his golden image. Many of these rulers would have been like Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, men from other nations under the power of king Nebuchadnezzar; men who had been brought to Babylon and trained in service to the king.

Perhaps it is now clearer why Nebuchadnezzar had the fiery furnace death trap on site. Not all of his kingdom’s rulers were happy to be there. This was an occasion on which the king would assert his strength and solidify their service to him, if not willingly, then by force!

But the three young Jewish men refused to bow and were discovered and brought before the king. Though furious, Nebuchadnezzar gave them a second chance to bow. However, they refused saying that there was no need to go any further because they were not going to bow.

On the surface, the three appear to have been rebellious, and to a degree, they were. However, within their refusal to bow was a display of honor. In short, they told the king that he did not have to offer a second chance (which would have publicly mocked him and mocked his image). Theirs was a guilty plea and acceptance of their consequences. So, they first honored God in their rebellion against the king. Yet, even in impossible circumstances, these men demonstrated self-restraint and courageous humility by not making a spectacle of the king. Their boldness should not be remembered as defiance, but allegiance to God and humble honor toward the king when faced with an impossible situation.

Mark Stinnett

February 22, 2026