Daniel 3:16-18 - "Standing Against False Worship"

Daniel 3:16-18

"Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, 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."

This Scripture sets before us the reality of false worship and the Grace that God gives His people to stand against it. False worship filled Israel in the days of the prophets, filled Babylon in the days of Daniel, and fills the world still today. Here, Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, overlaid with gold, standing on the plain of Dura. In rebellion, he made the whole image gold, refusing the word that God had declared to him in the dream. Such is the rebellion of men’s hearts.

To stand against false worship is to refuse to bow to the will and dictates of men who worship falsely. Nebuchadnezzar gathered princes, governors, captains, judges, and all the rulers of the provinces. If such a command came today—gathering the prominent to bow—the pressure would be great. Throughout history, God’s people have faced the same command: to bow to the gods of the age or perish.

The herald cried that when the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music was heard, the people must fall on their faces and worship the golden image, and that “whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace” (Daniel 3:6). Music was used to move the flesh, just as modern false worship uses impressive tones and orchestras while addressing not the God of the Bible, not the God Who is Sovereign and Just in saving whom He will, but a god of their own making. It is fleshly, drawing crowds, but without the Word of the LORD.

When all the people heard the sound, they fell on their faces—except three. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood alone, three out of a whole mass. Others turned them in. They were accused: they had not regarded the king, they served not his gods, nor worshipped the golden image. What a testimony—that all the influence and power around them never swayed their worship of the true and living God. This is the difference between preference and persuasion. Preference gives way; persuasion—God-given Faith—stands.

The apostle Peter spoke of this fiery trial. God prepares His people for it. “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7). And again: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you… but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings” (1 Peter 4:12–13). Anything we endure for Christ’s sake cannot be compared to what Christ bore under the justice and wrath of His Father for the sins of His people.

When Nebuchadnezzar summoned the three, he asked directly whether they served his gods. He offered them another chance. But theirs was not preference—it was persuasion. Like Peter and John, who said, “Be it known unto you all… that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead… doth this man stand here before you whole” (Acts 4:10), these men declared their God openly.

Here, the focus of the chapter sharpens. Daniel 3:16-18 gives us the very heart of God-given Faith. They said, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter" (v.16). Their assurance was settled. Their confidence rested not in circumstances, not in deliverance, not even in escape from the king’s wrath, but in the God alone Who could deliver them—whether by sparing their lives or by taking them through death. “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us” (v.17). And yet, the great confession follows: “But if not…”(v.18). Even if He chose not to deliver them outwardly, they would not bow to this earthly ruler, but to the Will of their King. This is the line that Grace draws. This is persuasion—the persuasion the Spirit gives, the persuasion by Christ’s finished work alone, the persuasion that no fiery furnace can move.

In the steadfast courage of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we behold the essence of true Faith—a God-given faith that trusts His power, submits to His will, and refuses any compromise that would dishonor His Name. They did not bargain with God, nor shape their obedience around the outcome they desired. Instead, they stood firm because they knew Who God is, having been taught by His Spirit. Their loyalty was not conditioned on deliverance but anchored in conviction.

So their stand before Nebuchadnezzar becomes our call today: to worship the one true and living God in a world filled with subtler idols, and to hold fast to Him even when the fire grows hot. True faith looks beyond the furnace to the faithfulness of God. And whether He delivers us from the flames or walks with us through them, He alone is worthy of all the honor and glory.

What separates God’s people from the gods of this world is the Grace, Mercy, and Faith given for Christ’s sake—the faith of those for whom Christ has paid the debt. They stood firm when challenged before, and they stood firm now. Let it be known: God separates His own. And they trust God to be their Defense—for Christ’s sake.