Fiery Furnace Friends

As many times as I have read, reenacted this myself,  had my students reenact this case of the Fiery Furnace Friends, it was always about loyalty and love for the almighty creator and awesome ruler. And of course it is still G-d!!!! But the other night this story came to me after a conversation with three friends about friendship.

One friend was debating cutting people off, the other was talking about how draining some friends were and how uplifting others, though few were, and the last one was debating me on keeping old deadbeat friends around to “play chess” (are we still in school playing!) I digress.

But I recounted this familiar story and what I had learned from the entire book it is in. The Book of Daniel first is an autobiographical story of a prophet’s life; and how his early life prepares him for his call later on.

The book starts out with these young men being chosen to serve and become scholars in a Babylonian King’s palace. They were being trained to rule parts of the empire.

Aren’t we all chosen to serve in this world?

Now we know Daniel, Mishael, Hananiah and Azariah (better known as Belteshazzar, Mishach, Shadrach and Abednego) were not the only Hebrews captured, nor were they the only ones being trained help govern in the Babylonian Empire. In all of this these friends, studied, worked, played and eventually 3 went in a fiery furnace together.

Let’s start with how these friends were first chosen by the king.

They had to be without blemish, well favored, skillful in wisdom, cunning in knowledge, and understand science.

Am I these things? Are my friends like this? (Birds of a feather flock together?)

            This made me wonder about the friends I have had… (Reason, season, lifetime)

Secondly, he/they set themselves apart. Even though they were given the best Babylonian life style, much of it was contrary to G-d’s standard of living.  The law of G-d dwelled so deep within them, he/they would not conform to worldly standards. And in the face of adversity, G-d granted them favor. 

What is my conformity level? How much do my friends conform?

            Do I have this level of friendship?

They continued to learn and grow together and during their friendship Daniel began understanding visions and dreams.

Do my friends help me grow? Are my relationships helping me to grow in knowledge and wisdom or in spiritual gifts?

Eventually the king(s) relied on them heavily for their spiritual abilities. So much so that Daniel ruled part of Babylon, with his friends. 

In business/work am I surrounded with G-dly, like-minded people?

People were jealous of Daniel and his friends and sought to kill them. Daniel was too close to the king, so getting to him was difficult. But getting to the other 3 friends was made easy by asking them to go against the almighty G-d.

Then I started thinking about the people surrounding the fiery furnace.

The king’s people

There was the King who knew he was wrong but was too full of pride to take back his decree; and finally being filled with anger put them to death. (still result of pride)

There were the other men vying for position therefore used trickery to get the 3 men placed in the furnace.

There were those asking for the fire to be made hotter. (like a fire isn’t hot to begin with)

The other servants

There were the other servants who bowed out of fear of the king and not G-d?

            In those there are probably those who cheered on the inside.

            Those saying who do they think they are standing up to the king?

            Others thinking they were foolish

And lastly the three friends

They stood on one accord in honor of G-dly living.

The supported each other in faith

They stood together in the midst of adversity even facing death

And in their great faith, honor and stand, G-d sent a 4^th person into the fiery furnace (Hallelujah)

Their clothes were not singed a bit; those that put them in were killed by the fire!!!!

And in the end the King decreed that all shall respect the G-d of Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego.

 What kind of friends do you have?

Will they go in the fire with you?