An Underground Choice
When I was a young teenager, Jesus was not at the center of my life. I wasn’t born again. However, I believe He still tried to guide me and, at times, I listened. One day, some of my friends and I played outside. We found an underground network of rooms and tunnels, by a small lake, to help with water retention. Underground, in one of these rooms, we chatted about things that teenagers talk about. The members of our group encircled the room while we faced each other.
A strange odor filled the air as a pop can rigged as a pipe to smoke marijuana was passed around the room. I grew nervous. I had never smoked marijuana. My parents always told me to stay away from drugs so when they passed it to me, I chose not to try it. My heart pounded. I was afraid of what my peers would say, but thankfully they didn’t seem to care. I am grateful that at this time, I did not bow.
The Three Hebrew Teenagers
In Biblical times, there were three Hebrew teenagers who also faced a choice. These young men were exiles from Israel chosen to serve the Babylonian king. Their names were, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. There was another Jewish exile, who came with them to Babylon. His name was Daniel.
King Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had a large gold statue built and he commanded all to bow down to it. It measured 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide. The king ordered the musicians to play, and he commanded that when the music rang out everyone should worship to the image. Anyone who would not worship the statue would be thrown into a fiery furnace and burned alive.
This image may have been a representation of what was in King Nebuchadnezzar’s prophetic dream in chapter 2 of Daniel. Here he dreams of a giant statue with a gold head. Daniel tells him that the head of gold represents the king. So, Nebuchadnezzar’s intention may very well have been to erect a statue for Babylon to worship himself.
They Refused to Bow
But something goes awry with his plan. Three Hebrews, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow before the image. (It is believed that Daniel was out of the country at this time). Word got around that these three rebelled against the king’s command. The king had them brought before him.
The king’s eyebrows rose, he pointed and with a loud voice he said, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” Daniel 3:15 ESV
They replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 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 3:16b-18 ESV
The king’s temper boiled and he had men bind up the three and throw them into the fire heated seven more times as normal. The heat instantly killed the men who threw them in but the three Jewish believers escaped the power of the flames. And a fourth man accompanied them – the preincarnate Jesus. Unharmed, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did not even have the smell of smoke on them. King Nebuchadnezzar believed the fourth man to be a son of the gods. The three men did not bow.
The King’s Heart Changes
King Nebuchadnezzar said, ““Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore, I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. Daniel 3:28b-30 ESV
The king’s fury toward the men turned to favor.
In life, we sometimes face choices that define us. Had the three Jewish exiles bowed down before the image, their compromise would have polluted their hearts. They would no longer been pure in their adoration and service to God.
Had I given in to peer pressure and smoked marijuana, it could have led me to do other things that could hurt me and possibly hurt others. Many consider marijuana to be a gateway drug that leads individuals to try other drugs.
Once we have come into the Savior’s kingdom we begin the process of sanctification. Our Lord is continually perfecting that which He started in us. He helps us make wise choices. Before we come to Jesus, there may be a specific sin that the Lord wants us to give up before we can call Him Lord.
Jesus Must Be Our Lord
Luke 18:25 NIV says, “Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Many rich people see their wealth as their god. Unless a person, who trusts in riches, places Jesus on the throne of their heart they cannot enter the kingdom of God. Whatever we bow down to, that becomes our god. We should only bow to Jesus. And in order for us to come to Christ, we must put our full trust in Jesus and make him our Lord. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone but we also must confess Him as our Lord and this confession must come from our hearts. (Romans 10:9-10)
Let’s be careful of who or what we bow to. Jesus is the only one worthy of our worship. And our worship of Him must be to the exclusion of all others.
Forgiveness is Given
But what happens if we miss it? What happens if we bow down before an idol of some fashion? If we genuinely ask God to forgive us, He will. Peter renounced Christ, but he repented and Jesus welcomed him home. Jesus restored him to the faith.
I believe God our Father sees the best in us. With His help, we won’t bow down. Instead, let’s bow to Jesus the Lover of our Souls.
