In Reply to: Re: Three Hebrew Children posted by Sister Juanita of Qumran Bet on October 10, 1997 at 09:27:06:
Sister Juanita, I have been meaning to answer this post from D Thomas, but you have done an admirable job in explaining it. I would like to add that the subject of the conversation between the 3 Hebrew children and the king was not whether they would be delivered or not, but whether they would be thrown into the furnace or not. They didn't doubt the Almigthy because they said, "He will deliver us." The king says "...do you not serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if you are ready that at what time you hear the sound of the" music "you fall down and worship the image which I have made; all is well: but if you worship not, you will be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that Mighty One that shall deliver you out of my hands?" Do you see the subject? If you bow down and worship my idol when you hear the music, all will be well, BUT IF NOT you will be thrown into the fire. The 3 Hebrews say "We have no need to answer you in this matter. If it be so, [if you throw us into the furnace] our Mighty One 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, [if you choose not to throw us into the furnace] be it know to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up." It would not have been logical for them to say, if He doesn't deliver us then we still won't bow down to your idol. After all, if He didn't deliver them, they would be dead and could not bown down.
You are correct, obedience is the issue here. Remember there were more then 3 Hebrews in that crowd, and how sad that only 3 were willing to stand in obedience to their Creator and His Law.
There is going to be another image set up, not literally like the idol in Babylon, but an image to the beast. We need to be preparing ourselves to be able to stand rather than submit to the "wine [false doctrines] of Babylon"?
In Yah's service,
Aharon
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: D. Thomas,
: I will give you my view on this question for what it is worth. I think the three Hebrews were simply saying that whether they died or not mattered nothing. What mattered was whether they were obedient to Yahweh for therein lay their lives anyway. We face situations like this in our own lives. The fire may not be literal fire, but rather pressures to fall in line with others. The only question that has validity in this type situation is:
: What must I do to be obedient to Yahweh?
: Hope this is not to simplistic for you.
: Love, Sister Juanita