Refusing to Bow

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”     Daniel 3:16–18

When Jehoiakim, the second of Josiah’s foolish sons to sit on his throne, rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king besieged Jerusalem, plundered it, and took captives (Daniel 1:1–4). The men he brought back were “gifted in all wisdom” (v 4). These would likely have been young men who would be able to learn quickly the wisdom of the Chaldeans and serve for many years. Taken as slaves, these young men were castrated (v 3), stripped of their Hebrew names (v 7), and forced to learn their captors’ language. In spite of the terrible situation in which they found themselves (for no fault of their own), four of God’s children refused to violate His commandments. No doubt at the risk of their very lives, these young Hebrews demanded vegetables to eat in place of the king’s allotment of meat and wine (v 12). While others gave in (perhaps even eagerly), Daniel and his three companions were determined that they would not surrender their loyalty to God. This devotion was challenged again when the king erected a statue of gold and demanded his subjects to worship it. When the ever-faithful three refused to bow, Nebuchadnezzar threatened them with death, but the young captives showed the king that they were subject to no one but the God of their fathers (vv 14–18). God rewarded their loyalty (Daniel 1:17–21), and God will reward us if we will stand for the truth and refuse to bow to men.

The Bible is filled with inspiring examples of men and women who would not bow down to men, even under extreme pressure. Sold into slavery by his brothers, Joseph maintained his integrity in captivity and even in prison after he refused to give in to Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39–40). Although the people threatened to stone them, Joshua and Caleb insisted that they should take the land God had given them (Numbers 14). When his closest friends encouraged him to kill Saul when he had two chances, David refused to slay the Lord’s anointed (1 Samuel 24:6; 26:11). When Nehemiah’s secret enemies requested that he hide himself in the temple to save his life, he refused to violate God’s law (Nehemiah 6:10–11). Even when the people accused Jeremiah of treason and he was locked in prison (Jeremiah 37:13–16), the weeping prophet continued to speak the truth, even to the wicked king Zedekiah (vv 17–21). Although the mighty Herod feared the people to the extent that he refrained from executing John (Mark 6:20), John was not afraid to tell the tetrarch that he was living in adultery with his brother’s wife (v 18). Although a fearful Peter had denied Jesus on the night of the crucifixion, he boldly told the Sanhedrin only days later, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

As the religious landscape changes all around us, we must never bow down to men. We cannot bow on the issue of homosexuality, which Paul labels as “vile passion” (Romans 1:26). It is still sinful to destroy your body with drugs and alcohol (1 Corinthians 6:19–20), to dress immodestly (1 Timothy 2:9), and to live in adultery (Matthew 19:9). We cannot bow by making concessions in matters of religion. Most denominations allow women to serve as preachers and elders, although the Scriptures prohibit both (1 Timothy 2:11–3:2; 1 Corinthians 14:34).

We need to have the courage to stand when everyone else is bowing down, because like it or not, we will all stand before God someday to answer for what we have done (Revelation 20:12). Even when you find yourself standing all alone, remember that the Lord is still with you, and He always will be (2 Timothy 4:16–17).

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