THE FOURTH MAN IN THE FIRE | Amos Simeon

 

THE FOURTH MAN IN THE FIRE

Amos Simeon.

Department of Philosophy and Religious Study.

Dominican University Ibadan. Email. ezespiritus1@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION

A proof for God’s existence is never meant to replace the living faith of a believer. There is an implicit prejudice in our secular age that somehow the so called “Proofs” for God’s existence are meant to establish faith in the non-believers. For example, Aquinas’s famous five arguments for God’s existence are often taken out of context by contemporary philosophers of religion. Thus, this proof of the true God by the Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego was not meant to replace the living faith of believers but i cannot disclaim this idea completely without adding that a proof of the true God in Babylon at this period was meant to portray God’s supreme power over the existing idols in Babylon. Analysis of the Bible implies not only about God’s dealings but touches all aspect of human existence. At the time when Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon, Babylon was already full of idols. Thus the story of the fourth man in the fire as seen in Daniel 3:14-20, would be seen as a refusal to worship Babylonian idols by the three Hebrew men, the text would be analyze and meditated upon, the background and the theological message would be communicated. This piece of art work is not only intended to enlighten our rational faculty but its emphasis is to open the minds of believers and non-believers, to acknowledge the supremacy and the saving power of God in our lives and to strengthen our faith in God.

THE BOOK OF DANIEL

The name Daniel is rooted from the Hebrew word which means my judge is God or God has judge. The analytic structure of the book of Daniel is belief to contain two genre namely: the haggadic genre and the apocalyptic genre. The representative word of haggadic genre means a setting forth, tales, a narrative or a literal form often used in the sense of storytelling for inculcating moral lesson. The haggadic genre is found in chapter 1-6, of the book of Daniel. While Apocalyptic genre covers the rest chapters of the book. The book is a collection of a prophecy of history with an Eschatology (end time) both cosmic in scope and political in focus, and its message is just portraying God to save all Israel in their present oppression. The book was first written in Aramaic and later translated to Hebrew. The author/editor was likely a highly respected member of his own society, a well-educated Jew who was proficient in Greek. It is conceivable that Daniel's reputation as a sage seer in Hebrew tradition led to the choice of his name for the book's protagonist. The book was dated back the reign of king Antiochus IV Epiphanes of Syria, who was an oppressor of the Jews in the 167BC. Daniel is regarded as the author of the book, he was a receiver of visions from on high that are interpreted to him by heavenly intermediaries, the wise and righteous intermediaries who are able to understand dreams and thus communicate the will of God to humans. Jews and Christians both cited Daniel as prophesying the end of the world in the first century AD. Thus, the apocalyptic nature of the book, speaks of distress that will come upon the earth. By this structure of the book, it opens the minds of modern thinkers to determine whether the text should be interpreted historically or eschatologically.

THEOLOGY OF THE BOOK OF DANIEL FOR RESEARCH PURPOSE

The book was written for the purpose of encouraging the Jews to remain faithful to the true religion at the period when the people were allured to the worship and practice of the culture of Hellenism/Hellenistic paganism and over the wisdom of the Chaldeans. The book also aims at demonstrating God’s power over merely human wisdom of the pagans, with such demonstration of God’s power, his faithful ones were rescue from the hands of their persecutor. The book also depict how God establish His universal resign over all people (as seen in the story of the fourth man in fire).

The story of the fourth men in fire is offend conceptualized by scholars as a dangerous illusion if it led people to believe that their faith gave them immunity of the burning fire. Thus this story was a metaphorical character which serves as a symbolic representation of the hope of resurrection. The whole of this even and its meaning shows that the Aramaic text, the manner by which God delivers his people is depicted as a mysterious kind.

REFLECTIVE THEMES (FROM DANIEL 3: 14-20):

The veracity of faith:

From the story we heard how the faith of the three men were being tested in a blazing furnace fire. Such instances can be found our Christian living whereby our faith in Jesus, the son of the living God, would be question. It is this veracity of faith God that we should look into in order to verify our faith in Christ. Dear believers in Christ, there are times, when men would rise to say, let me see if his/her God would save you” this expression has raise or touched a lot of concerns as it regards how we worship God. How rooted are we in faith with God? When trials and temptation comes our way, how resilient are we? When such moment comes, can we be brave enough to say, even if our God does not come down to save us, I would not give up my faith in him? Or do waves of lives penury disconnect us or separate us from the love of God?

The setting of pagan status:

The theology for us is to question ourselves on the status that we have hung/set in our homes and in our heart that are Un-Godly. The bible tells us that the only status that we should hang or set in our homes, public place and in our heart is the crucifix, the present of God, and the purity of heart and mind. However, we need to evaluate our society to know the golden statue that people have set before us to worship. What are those pagan practices in our society that we need to stand against?

The interview of the 3 Hebrew men by Nebuchadnezzar:

From the scripture we were told how the King interviewed the 3 Hebrew men and how he gave them his final warning, and he pledge to them his penalty for refusing to obey the sounds of the horns and instruments, that they would be thrown into a fiery furnace. The same is applied to us as Christian, what are the different interviews that you have encountered in your Christian journey? The interview we heard is not an interview for job vacancy, it is an interview to test your faith in God. It is an interview to see how resistant you would be with temptations. It is an interview of all kinds of life frustrations. In this interview the pass mark is on how esteem you hold your

Christian values, morals and conducts. Do people experience a positive change of thought when they encounter you?

A challenging question and a corresponding answer; The scripture told us that when the news reached the king that the three Hebrew men has refused to bow down to worship the status as commanded, he summoned them and put this challenging question before them”Is it true O Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego that you do not serve my gods and you do not worship the golden statue that I have set up? There are moment in our lives when the journey seems rough and tough, and people began to question our faith. Such moment also include when our youths are undetermined in their moral and Christian Virtue and turn to vices. Would you be brave enough to give a corresponding answer like the three men did by saying, even if our God does not come to save us, we would not bow down to worship any idols.

Are you scared of your furnace?

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had their day of overcoming authorities. Daniel had his day. Stephen had his day. Peter and Paul had their days. This is your day. Your final moment is going to come. I don’t know what furnace you are facing; I don’t know what this means for you. I just know who will meet you there. He says, “Fear not, though you pass through the flames they will not burn you, they will not destroy you.” He says, “I’ll meet you in the furnace. Pick up your cross, your challenges, your fears, your worries and follow me.

Because of your faith in God, He is assuring you today from this scripture that in the midst of the fire, you can work, (Courage is the alarm) in the midst of the fire, you will Find God's protective power from being harm or hurt by its flames.

CONCLUSION

There is need to return to the true God. Do we promote God’s universal reign with our strong faith in him? What are the alters of different status/craving images that we have bowed down to? Do we recognized the ever present and saving power of God in our lives or we have place emphasis on the pagan altars, which have blocked or become a barrier from being aware of God’s presence in our lives? There is need dear friends in Christ, to fasten up belt of strong faith in God, who alone can save us from our persecutors of this world of all kinds. In this season holy week of lent, God is calling us to be holy from all form of sins, holy from erecting idolatries in our homes and

communities. Like soldiers of Christ let us run into the battle field and preach the gospel by our good lives and announcing and creating awareness of God’s saving power in our lives.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Daniel Harrington. S. J. Interpreting the old testament.

John J. Collins. 1981. Daniel first Maccabees, second Maccabees with an excursus on the apocalyptic genre. Wilmington, Delaware: Michael Glazier inc.

Martin McNammara MSC. Intertestament literature. Raymond brown. New Jerome biblical commentary Revised Standard Version Bible.

Robert C. Walton. Basic introduction to the old testament.