When Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego were called before the king and faced charges of refusing
to worship the golden image he had erected, Nebuchadnezzar asked, "Who
is that god that shall deliver you out of my hands?" Things looked
pretty dark.
But they replied, "We
have no need to answer thee in this matter" (AS). The King James version
reads, "We are not careful to answer thee in this matter"
(Dan.
3:15-16). The
thought seems to be, we will not choose our words carefully — concerned
lest we offend; we will not try to "talk our way out of" this situation.
And they added, "Our God is able to deliver us" (if it suits His
purposes to do so) "but if not, be it known unto thee, 0 king, that we
will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast
set up."
Several years back a
preacher said John (the Immerser) "lost his head" because he "lost his
head" — he was not tactful in his criticism of Herod. John had said, of
Herod's marriage to his brother Philip's wife, "It is not lawful for
thee to have her" (Matt. 14).
John was not "careful to
answer," someone might say. Well, he certainly was not trying to "butter
up" the king. On the other hand, John and the captive Jews of Daniel 3,
were very careful to maintain their faith in God and to court
His approval. John
lost his head, and the three Hebrews were thrown into the fiery furnace,
but each gained more than he lost. We "have no need" for
any man's approval
as we have need for God's approval.
Jesus said, "Fear 'not
those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. but rather
fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell"
(Matt.
10:28).
We are not advocating crudeness!
Daniel's brethren were respectful to the king; and love for souls will
forbid our becoming a bully with the truth. Shouting, stomping
pronouncements of Damnation are often signs of weakness, while genuine
strength is accompanied by humility. But genuine strength speaks
truthfully, directly and clearly,
regardless
of temporal consequences — and
because
of inevitable eternal consequences.
