Daniel 3:8, 9, 12 (ESV)
[8] Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. [9] They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever!
[12] There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not set out to make a name for
themselves. They did not even disobey the King’s orders as a means of rebellion
and protest. When I was a child I would envision the scene taking place on a
large plain. Everyone was standing as a group around the image. When the music
played and everyone bowed down, there in the middle of the group stood these
three men. The King saw it at once and was enraged. But that is not how it
happened. The King seems oblivious to their disobedience until “certain
Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews” (Dan 3:8).
Sometimes we are thrust into the forefront of a controversy, but we
should never go looking for one. The three friends were not trying to start a
revolt. They were not defiantly standing for all to see. The real conflict came
because of the malicious accusation of some Chaldeans who were likely jealous
of their promotion in the previous chapter. How does one respond to malicious
accusations? They did not respond in kind. They do not appear to be angry, or
defiant. They simply spoke the truth no matter what the consequences. The King
asked them three questions. Is it true that you do not bow before my image? Are
you ready to bow before the image? What god can possibly deliver you? Their
response was simple, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us . . . he will
deliver us . . . But if not, . . . we will not serve your gods” (Dan 3:17-18).
They did not try to explain themselves or defend themselves. They simply spoke
the truth in a non-anxious manner and accepted the consequences.
So often we are quick to defend our rights. We get angry when our
rights are violated. We post angry messages. We react rather than respond. We demand
to be treated equitably. But as Christians we are called to die to our will,
not demand our rights. We are called to love others, not defend ourselves. We
are called to peace, not anger.
False or malicious accusations make me angry. I feel that I have the
right to have people speak the truth about me. I have the right to quietly
practice my faith. When people challenge that, accuse me of things I did not
say or do, twist my words to make them mean something other than I intended, or
attack my faith and practice, my first response is anger. I imagine that
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were no different, yet their faith in God allowed
them to respond without fear or anxiety.
As Christians, we say that we believe in the one, true God. Do our
actions betray us? How do we respond to false accusations? How do we respond
when people twist our words into something we did not intend, or take them out
of context? How do we respond when we are maliciously accused and attacked? How
do we respond when unreasonable demands are made?
When Nehemiah was questioned about his demeanor by the king in Nehemiah 2,
it says that he was “very much afraid” (Neh 2:2), but he “prayed to the God of heaven”
(Neh 2:4), and spoke to the king. When anxiety arises, when fear or anger
begins to well up within us, may we learn to pray to the God of heaven and then
respond in faith and peace. We can trust God even in the midst of malicious
attacks. It is in that non-anxious response that people see Jesus in us. May we
learn to practice these words of Jesus in Matthew 16:24-26,
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his
cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever
loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he
gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return
for his soul?”
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