We now see how to respond in this situation. First notice what they do not do. There is no bombastic declaration that God will deliver them and send Nebuchadnezzar to burn in hell. Instead there is a quiet declaration of faith in the Lord, and commitment to Him. This is what we need. Otherwise we are relying on our own enthusiasm and this will ultimately fail us.
Nebuchadnezzar reacted in fury. We need to note that even when we seek to act reasonable other people will not always be reasonable.
So the furnace was "turned up to eleven", and the soldiers were killed by the heat. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were protected and fourth figure appeared with them. There is little indication of who this fourth figure was, but it might have been a pre-incarnation appearance of Christ, or it could have been an angel of the Lord. The latter is perhaps the more likely.
When the three came out of the first they were totally unharmed (Isaiah 43:2).
So the king declared that the name of the Lord was not to be blasphemed, and the three were promoted.
God can bring about an amazing transformation. Quietness and trust can often be our greatest weapon (Isaiah 30:15).
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