Snatching Victory from Defeat: Daniel 3:26-27

God is a master at snatching victory from the jaws of what feels like defeat.  Remember the Exodus?  God’s people were trapped between deep water and an angry army.  God’s people survived; the army died.  Remember the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem?  An army gathered around His people and no hope existed.  Overnight a plague erupted in the Assyrian camp and huge numbers of their soldiers died.  Remember Jesus?  He hung on a cross and the world saw defeat.  Jesus rose from the dead and God saw victory.

Nebuchadnezzar cannot believe what happened.  He is so dumbfounded he gets close enough to speak to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  Don’t forget that when those men were thrown into the furnace the guards who put them in died from the heat.

We return to the patience of God.  God could have easily killed Nebuchadnezzar with the heat from the furnace.  God doesn’t.  God is very much interested in demonstrating his omnipotence, but His plan is bigger than getting even with Nebuchadnezzar.  God knows He can win a much bigger victory if He allows Nebuchadnezzar to win with Him instead of causing Nebuchadnezzar to lose because of him.

God is such a unique and incredible God.  He has enough power to destroy us.  He has enough righteousness that none of us can stand in His presence.  He has enough time that He could easily cast us aside and start all over.  Yet, He doesn’t.  He doesn’t because He has enough love for us He wants to draw us near.  He wants relationship with us.  He wants us to win with Him.  No matter how often we run away from Him and into the arms of things that cannot love us as much as He does, He calls us back and wants to restore the relationship.  He is an incredible God.

As Nebuchadnezzar draws near the furnace, the Chaldean governors come near the furnace, too.  This whole incident started because some of the Chaldean rulers selfishly looked to depose of the Hebrew leaders in hopes of benefitting from the power vacuum created.  Imagine what went through their mind.  The perfect opportunity to get rid of some competition inexplicably slipped through their fingers!

As they draw near to Nebuchadnezzar, they all become witness to the greatness of God.  They see how God protected Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  No hair on their head was singed.  Their clothing remained whole and unburnt.  The fire had no effect.  Nebuchadnezzar’s best power play was utterly and completely ineffective against God.

These rulers attempted to open their own door to get ahead, but God closed their door and opened a door for Himself.  Instead of His servants dying a senseless death, God honors their faithfulness, protects them, and creates and opportunity for all of Babylon to see and hear how incredibly powerful He is.  God is a master at snatching victory from the jaws of what feels like defeat.