Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king’s command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”
Daniel 3:19-25 NKJV
The other day I read this passage for the umpteenth time, and I noticed something I never saw before: The bindings.
Bound at the orders of the king these 3 faithful men of God were thrown into the furnace.
Bound at the orders of the king these 3 faithful men of God were thrown into the furnace.
Not only were they protected by God from the heat and smoke, no bruises from falling down, but the bindings that they had been tied up with were disintegrated! Their oppressors watched in amazement as they walked freely with a fourth being whose appearance was so glorious that Nebuchadnezzar himself referred to him as "the Son of God". In the flames, the only things burnt off were the ropes that they had been bound with!
"Therefore if the Son sets you free, you shall be free Indeed."
John 8:36
Often times we must go through refiner's fires in order to have the various ties that have bound us burnt off. Sometimes these shackles are the doings of the devil and others, but more often than not it is us- we have stretched out our own arms, legs, necks and bound ourselves. You know what some of them are: addictions to drugs, alcohol, sex, being double minded, and struggling with unbelief to name a few....
Although we may have stepped forward for deliverance, been prayed over, etc. many times, until we are thrown into that superheated "furnace" nothing changes, and we already knew that it wouldn't ... We want to blame the devil for everything, but every time those ties are loosened we ourselves cinch them tight again.
Only when we realize that it takes the glorious revelation of Jesus our deliver being right there with us, walking with us that we can truly become set free and unbound.
"Therefore if the Son sets you free, you shall be free Indeed."
John 8:36
Often times we must go through refiner's fires in order to have the various ties that have bound us burnt off. Sometimes these shackles are the doings of the devil and others, but more often than not it is us- we have stretched out our own arms, legs, necks and bound ourselves. You know what some of them are: addictions to drugs, alcohol, sex, being double minded, and struggling with unbelief to name a few....
Although we may have stepped forward for deliverance, been prayed over, etc. many times, until we are thrown into that superheated "furnace" nothing changes, and we already knew that it wouldn't ... We want to blame the devil for everything, but every time those ties are loosened we ourselves cinch them tight again.
Only when we realize that it takes the glorious revelation of Jesus our deliver being right there with us, walking with us that we can truly become set free and unbound.
No comments:
Post a Comment