Bow Down to Babylon?

Let’s do a perspective-taking exercise. You are a young person…let’s say thirteen years old. You have served your God faithfully for your entire young life. One day, the news comes. A foreign nation has swept through and taken your people and is now carting your friends, family and loves ones off to be taken into captivity. They are helpless at the hands of their enemies. 

Fast forward a few years. You grow up, carefully manicured by this foreign land to walk in their way, adopting their language, even changing your name. This foreign nation does everything that they can do to tear your faith and identity from you…eventually demanding that you bow the knee to their king and worship. This was the reality for Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego—three faithful young Jewish men who were staring down the barrel of a very hard decision. Bow to the Babylonian idol or remain faithful to God and be burned alive. 

“And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” Daniel 3.4-6

Yet, surrounded by people with their faces to the ground, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stood up. They said, “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.” They had real courage—the kind that can only from holy confidence in the promises of God.

As Christians we are called to endure all kinds of spiritual attacks. We are told that we will face pressure and persecution so long as we try to live the way Jesus wants us to live. These things are sure. How will we respond, then? Even if everyone around us bows their faces to the idols of today—will we have the courage to stand? Will you make your faith in Christ known? 

Will we find our identity in culture or in Christ? Will we bow down to Babylon? Not a chance.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12.2.