It is sad that some think man superior in commitment and loyalty than Christ our King. Forced to consider the preaching heard in many places, one has to think this to be true. Determination to duty is always a prerequisite of greatness and when this devotion to covenant is mocked one would think Christ not too great a Son! It was Christ that God the Father sent to Earth, it was Christ who covenanted before time or man to die for the redemption of His bride, the Church of Christ, it was Christ who possessed a different species than human who before His dealings with mankind NEVER was questioned about truth, faithfulness, or commitment to duty who now is questioned by they who claim to be devoted to Him. To show the ridiculousness of such a thought let us study about three men held in high esteem that were not considered among the greatest men of faith, yet confirmed in face of certain death what some of the “friends of our Lord”(?) deny of Him.
In Daniel 2 we have the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These were Jewish princes taken from Jerusalem during its overthrow by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. Whether you use their Judaic names Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah or their Babylonian names, these men by their commitment to faith and resolve make all men seem to come short of this worthy standard—but not the Son of God!! It is true that these young men were apart of the counsel of Daniel, Daniel 2:17, but their story of faith mocks they who claim Christ not the same resolve as mortal men who claim He whimpered and wanted to back of dieing at Calvary!!
In Daniel 3 the story quickens in pace when in verse 12 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were named as men who would not bow down and worship the image of the 78′ tall by 9′ wide gold statue of Nebuchadnezzar when the cornet, flute, harp, sack but, psaltery, and all kind of music played. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were brought before the King. Most men would have broken before this type of pressure. They had a commitment to Jehovah God, one that they did not have to re-commit to every morning, one that was good only in good times, or one that caused them to be popular. What these three men did and said makes what our preachers say about Christ very atheistic!! “O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” Daniel 3: 16-18
I never hear preachers tell their audiences about the “human side” of these young Jews caused them to stutter or make prayer to God to let them by pass this ordeal. They never mention the “sweat that was as great drops of blood” nor the angel that visited in time of greatest fear, or quote His “great plea, let this cup, pass from Me” with the comma where they want it wanting to get out of His covenant with the Father to BUY His bride by His blood. Acts 20:28 WONDER WHY? Did Christ as One with the nature called God create a species that could be more in any sense than He?? Was Christ not the nobleman who came prepared to “give all He had” to buy the pearl of great price? Or is there a cowardice about Deity some of us just cannot see others can?? Was Shadrachh, Meshach, and Abednego greater than Christ??
Maybe there is something to not deciding before the trial is on you. Maybe the boys were a cut above Deity in fearlessness, or maybe they could keep their commitments and He, the Son of God could not!! The best time to decide a course of action is before the incident occurs. Did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego love God more than Christ?? Or was it that Christ could have taken a few lessons from them and kept His dignity under pressure?? He did know of their example did He not? Where did this atheism come from that has crept into some of the preaching heard, today??
Later in the book of Daniel, Daniel himself faced the same temptation (they claim it was temptation that finally got to Christ. He had never before been tempted like this.) Do we not know the “watcher” (angel) and “the holy one”? Daniel 4:17, 23 Belteshazzar revealed to Nebuchadnezzar what Obama has yet to learn: “the Most High rules in the kingdoms of men, and gives it to whomsoever He will.” Daniel 4:25 Could Christ not do on Earth what He could do from Heaven?
