GROW - Daniel 3

Go to God in prayer

Read Daniel 3

Observations

Gosh there is so much in this chapter that I could write several posts.  But I think the main observation I found in reading this chapter today was in verses 19-23.  Here are the highlights from a sensory perspective...

Daniel 3:19 

Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual.

We need to remember from the last chapter that King Neb (I am not typing out his full name lol) was so impressed with these three that he had elevated them to be in charge of the province of Babylon (Daniel 2:49).  This could be part of the reason why King Neb was so furious - he had done them a huge favor and promoted them and now they refused to worship him.

Have you ever been so angry that your face is distorted with rage.  How about yelling so loudly that even your dogs leave the room.  Anger is bad enough, but rage is ugly.

Rage can be irrational and become more harmful to those around you.  King Neb was so enraged he ordered the furnace to be seven times hotter.   What sense did it make to make the furnace hotter?  It was on fire, it was already deadly.  Rage makes you irrational!

Daniel 3:20,22 

20 Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind

22 And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in.

Even though King Neb had given the order to some of the strongest soldiers they were not strong enough to survive the more deadly furnace.  Even being near the results of King Neb's rage had serious consequences.  The soldiers were simply obeying orders, but suffered because of the deadly environment caused by King Neb's irrational rage.

Write the lesson

Being overcome with rage not only hurts you but those around you because of the consequences of rage induced irrational decisions.