But If Not…

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
Daniel 3:16-18

 

I am stirred by bold declarations of faith in God. My most favorite Bible vignette is when David comes to the battle lines to see the army of Israel hiding in fear from the giant, Goliath. Filled with righteous indignation, he declares, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he dares to defy the armies of the living God?”. His jealousy for God’s glory intersected with his faith in God’s power and resulted in a great victory for the nation and the beginning of his ascent to the kingship.

Similarly, my hero is Elijah the prophet. I would love to have been there when he challenged the prophets of Baal to a showdown. The premise was simple, if improbable: whichever god answers his servants by sending fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice is truly God. This man of God had great faith; it had already not rained for 3 years at his word, and now he was challenging the reigning religion to a “God-off”. As the story unfolds, Baal is predictably absent but the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob reveals himself in spectacular power. It gives me goose bumps!

Just slightly behind David in brazen declaration is the story of the three Hebrew children, taken into captivity. Hauled away from their home as teens or young men, Daniel and his friends Hannaniah, Mishael, and Azariah (their Hebrew names) resolved to hold firmly to their faith in God. They did not assimilate into the Babylonian culture, but maintained their ritual and dietary purity in obedience, faith, and worship of the God of their ancestors.

Later, Daniel and his friends are promoted to positions of high influence in the empire. Yet, there comes a time of testing. The king set up a massive golden idol and sent out a decree that whenever the music played everyone was required to fall down and worship the idol. The penalty for failure to comply was to be immediately thrown into a furnace. The story of Shadrach, Mesahach, and Abednego (their Babylonian names) in the Fiery Furnace is well known to most Sunday School children. Yet there is a depth to this story, leading up to their profound declaration of faith that is not often exposited.

Babylon was a fundamentally multicultural society. As the armies conquered a people, the native people would be deported and the land eventually settled with other people. In the case of Israel, the best and the brightest were brought to the capitol to join the cultural elite. Sociologically, it was a brilliant strategy, simultaneously crushing the identity of a conquered people and integrating their intellectual capital into the society.

This multiculturalism necessarily fostered polytheism. Every society had its own religious practices and deities. As they were integrated into society, they brought their beliefs and customs with them. Such polytheistic societies are actually inherently atheistic. Intrinsically, we know that all beliefs are not all true. In fact, multiple conflicting beliefs cannot all be true. Yet the willingness to accept them is based on an implicit understanding that none of them are really true. But “just in case”…

The people of Israel threw a wrench into the monkeyworks. Although deported and dispersed multiple times since Joshua first took possession of the promised land, they retained their identity as God’s chosen people and (with varying degrees of devotion) maintained their belief and worship of Jehovah. So it was with these young men. They maintained an unswerving devotion to the God of their ancestors. That devotion absolutely proscribed worshiping idols.

Malicious men whispered in the king’s ear that these Israelites refused to obey his command. The king, of course, was outraged. These weren’t random strangers but trusted officials. If the men in his cabinet could not be counted on to obey his words, how would the people react? He called them in for a reckoning, and gave them one last chance, including this ultimatum:

“But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” (Daniel 3:15b)

This is the context in which they make their famous declaration. Now, understand that preceding this encounter, they had already made up their minds that they were not going to bow before the idol. They knew the penalty was death, and they were prepared to pay the price. This was the depth of their faith, that they would rather die than disobey God. And as they well called in to the king, they were surely thinking, “this is it” but steeling their resolve not to turn away from their faith.

But when the king rages at them and says, “who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands”, I believe the Spirit of God came upon them and stirred them up even more. The king was basically saying, “I’m the most powerful person on earth. You will obey me or suffer the consequences and no one can stop me.” Their response to this arrogance is to the point. Our God is able to deliver us from you. You may be the most powerful man on the planet, but our God made the planet and allows you to reign. He is greater than you and can stop your plans if he wants.

This is David-level stuff! When faced with an insurmountable (humanly speaking) obstacle that stands in defiance of God’s holiness and glory, the man (or woman) of God is justified in drawing themselves up to the full height of their faith and staring down the obstacle. Giants? No problem. All-powerful king? Inconsequential. Fiery Furnace? Walk in the park. Literally.

But the most powerful declaration of faith is the one they walked in with. Yes, I know God is able to deliver me from whatever situation seems hopeless in my eyes. But even if he doesn’t… I will still trust in him. Selah

You see, the lesson in this story is not that God will never let you burn. Rather it is two-fold. First, that there is no circumstance that is too hopeless for God to overcome. He’s just that big. Facing a mountain? God is bigger. Lost in an ocean? God runs deeper. Surrounded by enemies? God is more powerful. Nothing is too great for God.

Second (and more important) is that our faith should not be conditional. The object of our faith is the one true God, creator, sustainer, and redeemer of the universe. In the end, his glory will be magnified. Our confidence is in his power, yes, but more so in his character. As servants of the true King, we are willing to be spent for his purposes. If that means suffering persecutions, we will rejoice and be glad. If it means facing shame and disgrace for his sake, we look forward to a heavenly reward.

Got your own story of brazen faith? Share it with me. This is what gets me going!

Broken Together

Music is the narration of my life. I can think of an applicable lyric fragment to nearly any situation, and certain songs still have a visceral effect on me, as they evoke strong feelings from past events.

Music has a way of touching us deeply like no other expression. Music imprints itself upon our consciousness. How many of us used a song to memorize otherwise useless information, like the periodic table (no, I never did actually memorize that)? Really though, chances are much higher that you remember the lyrics to some song than a book you read or movie you saw. Soaring strings can lift your spirits and dissonance can make you feel uncomfortable.

Many years ago, I made the decision to listen primarily to Christian music. This wasn’t based on theology or conviction, but a simple observation. As I drove daily through Houston, I found myself much more tense when listening to the Top 40 station than when I listened to the Christian station. I really don’t care if it’s music or teaching, I just feel more peaceful when hearing the things of God.

However, my critical nature is difficult to keep in check. Some songs are on very shaky theological ground. Others are, as Twila Paris put it, “bubble-gum pop” with nothing of substance. Others are simply “7/11s”, with the same seven words repeated 11 times.

Since I am so hard on so many artists (and for the most part, this is an inner conversation that I don’t subject others to, except on occasion my wife), I thought it would be worthwhile to celebrate some of the truly excellent music that has touched me in recent years. From time to time I will write a blog like this where I highlight a song that is excellent in its composition, arrangement, performance, and theology.

First on my list is “Broken Together” by Casting Crowns. This song is rich in so many dimensions. The first time I heard it my heart was gripped by the gut-wrenching honesty and vulnerability of a man admitting his failure and renewed dedication to his wife.

Musically, the persistent, insistent, repeated note in the left hand of the piano creates a tension which is reflected in the lyrics. As the emotion is poured out, the tension builds until finally resolving in the chorus when the words change gradually from pain to hope. This is a marvelous example of music that is perfectly suited to the lyrics.

Also, the simplicity of the arrangement places the emphasis squarely where it belongs, with the lyrics. The piano provides sufficient foundation with support from a lone cello at times, and understated strings in the chorus. As a side note, if the violin is the voice of the orchestra, the cello is the soul. The prominence of the cello in this piece is appropriate to its soulful subject matter. I love everything about this orchestration, as the different instruments blend flawlessly to carry us along on this difficult emotional ride.

Mark Hall’s performance is honest and unassuming. It doesn’t feel like he is performing, but rather that he is pouring out the hurt, fear, and hope in his heart. This vulnerability adds to the discomfort of being included in a conversation where we don’t belong, which in turn allows us to connect to our own failings.

There is no deep theology here, just common human experience. Too many people come into marriage with an idealized notion that their spouse will fulfill all their needs. Too many marriages devolve into separate lives lived under the same roof as that reality sinks in, and fulfillment is sought in other avenues (work, children, recreation).

The theological truth is this: I’m not perfect and neither are you. But if we come together to the God who is, he can give us the strength to bear with one another and be more together than we are separately. That is, when I stop trying to “fix” you and accept all of your strengths and weaknesses, and especially accept that God is working in your life to conform you to the image of Christ, just as he is in mine, and when I humbly confess to you my failings and imperfections and stop pretending like I am perfect and can do no wrong, THEN perhaps I can love you the way you need to be loved, and you can do the same for me. But none of this is possible apart from the power of God working in our lives.