Daniel's Three Friends Tried by Fire

Rev. Douglas Kuiper Daniel 3 Edgerton PRC, 2/21/16 P.M.
 The chapter speaks of God’s preserving work in the hearts of true believers.
 Three other passages of Scripture relate directly or indirectly to this.
 One writing which is of no value in understanding our text is the apocryphal Song of Three Children in the Furnace.
Daniel: God’s Antithetical, Indestructible, Triumphant Kingdom (5)
Daniel’s Three Friends Tried by Fire

1. Serving Jehovah Alone.
   a) The occasion for the trial by fire was the refusal of these men to worship the image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
   b) The antithetical character of God’s kingdom is underscored: God’s saints do not worship images which men set up, even under great pressure to do so.
2. Enduring the Fires of Affliction.
   a) Significantly, the punishment which Nebuchadnezzar meted out took the form of throwing them into a burning fiery furnace.
   b) They endured this trial, by grace; God’s kingdom is indestructible!
3. Coming Forth as Gold.
   a) Fire can destroy; but it can also purify and manifest precious metals to be genuine.
   b) God’s kingdom triumphs when, after our faith is tried, we come forth as gold!