Where is the fourth man?

Daniel 3.25

“He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”

Where is the fourth man?

Daniel 3.19-26

19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.

20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

22 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.

23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.

25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, came forth of the midst of the fire.

Where is the fourth man?

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

These were the names given them by the Babylonians. They mean:

Shadrach – Servant of sin (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)

Meshach – Shadow of the prince

Abednego – servant of Nebo (god of science and literature)

Their Hebrew names and meaning are:

Hananiah – Jah has favored

Mishael – Who is what God is

Azariah – Jah has helped

Refusal to eat of the king’s meat was not a point of being obstinate. The Children of Israel were commanded not to partake of the blood of the animal. The king’s meat of that time was not slain as Israelites would do. The Israelites would cut the throat of the animal and the blood would drain out. The meat of the king of Babylon was previously offered to idols as a sacrifice. They had been strangled. The blood stayed in the meat. This was anathema to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Their refusal was a refusal to lose their identity as Israelites. They maintained, in a captive, sometimes hostile, environment, their identity. There is an old gospel song which states, “they wouldn’t bend they wouldn’t bow, they wouldn’t burn.” They were not the only princes of Israel that were taken, but they were the only ones that refused to be amalgamated into the Babylonian lifestyle.

There are Christians today that are having identity crises. The Bible says that we are in the world, but we are not of the world.

We have all heard the stories of wild animals, raised in captivity, that attack their handlers. I have a ball python. We handle her often to keep her accustomed to being handled. We reach into her terrarium and remover her without fear. She coils around my neck for the warmth my skin offers. We have had her in public places where she is content to be so wrapped. Others around have asked if they could touch her. One question usually comes to the forefront. “Does she bite?” I answer that question thusly: “She is a snake. She does not generally bite, but for all our handling, all our trust, all our confidence, she is still a snake. I have changed her environment, but I have not changed that fact that she is still a snake. If I could put her on a leash, it would not make her a puppy. She would still be a snake.” Knowing this, they may or may not touch her, as is their choice.

We may be in the same place as nonbelievers, but we are to retain our identity and our heritage. We are to be as lambs among the wolves. We are to hold to a higher standard. We are to be Children of God no matter where we are or who is around us.

The world tries daily to strip Christians of their identity. Satan has tried to change the meaning of a couple words. The secular world tries to preach what they call ‘tolerance.’ However, what they claim as tolerance is not tolerance, but ‘acceptance.’ I am tolerant of other lifestyles. I am tolerant of the sins of others. I can be tolerant without being accepting. It is a thin line, but the line is there. Anyone, of any lifestyle or persuasion, can stand beside me in a church service, and worship God. I can stand with them in praise of God. This is the meaning of tolerance.

Acceptance has a different meaning. Sin is still sin. Wrong is still wrong. Jesus loved sinners while hating the sin. While I can be tolerant of a sinner, and love their souls, I cannot accept their sin into my life. I must maintain my identity as a Child of God.

Compromise is the watch word of the day. We must be wary of a water religion. If I pour 16 ounces of water into a coke bottle, it takes the shape of that coke bottle. If I take the same 16 ounces of water and pour in into a bowl, it takes the shape of that bowl. There are those trying to serve God the same way. They try to conform their beliefs to match the circumstances. Someone said once, “If we do not stand for something, we will fall for anything.”

Ephesians 4:14

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine , by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

We, as mature Christians, are to be rooted and grounded in our beliefs. This is not to say that we do not grow in the truth, but our core belief must remain true.

Heb 6:1

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

In the original text, it clarifies, launching from the principles, let us go on to completion.

Sadly, there are times that Christians take on the identity of the world.

A young Christian boy was hired to work in a lumber camp with many seasoned lumberjacks over a summer. His mother, as mothers do, worried about him. She worried for his health and well being. She also worried how these men would treat him, being a Christian.

When the longest summer of her life ended, she went to retrieve her son at the train station. She was greeted by a taller, more muscular young man. The boy that left at the start of the summer returned as a young man. After the hugs and the ‘missed you’ greetings, she asks the question that plagued her over the summer.

“Son, how did the men of the camp treat you, being a Christian?”

He beamed as if he had gotten away with something and said, “Mom, they never knew.”

If your friends, neighbors, and coworkers don’t know you are a Christian, you may not be one.

God does not have undercover agents.

Psalms 107:2

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

If you have been redeemed, God expects you to say so. God expects you to tell someone the good news.

Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. He gathered his wise men and asked them to tell him the meaning of the dream. They told him to tell them the dream. He says he cannot because he does not remember the dream.

Let me get this straight, you want me to tell you the meaning of a dream that you cannot remember, and if I cannot tell you the meaning, I will be cut to pieces and my house destroyed?

The kings magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans, could not tell him the dream or the interpretation, but they knew someone that could. They knew about a Hebrew that refused to compromise. They knew about a Hebrew that was still in touch with his God. They knew about a Hebrew that maintained his identity.

The king’s men came to Daniel. Daniel went to Hananiah (Shadrach,) Mishael (Meshach,) and Azariah (Abednego.) They began to fast and pray. God revealed the dream to Daniel in the night. Daniel went into the king and told him his dream and the meaning. The dream contained the great image that represented several kingdoms in the future.

The king wanted to see part of the dream happen, specifically the great image. He commissioned to have the image created. When it was finished, he gathered the princes, the governors, the captains, the judges, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the providences of the nation.

Daniel 3:1-7

1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

3 Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

4 Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,

5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:

6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up

Everyone is going to bow. What would be wrong with bowing? Everyone else is going to bow.

If you are going to do what everyone else is going to do, you will lose your identity.

You will not be identified with God anymore.

The time comes. The crowd is assembled. The musicians are ready. You may not have been able to pick Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego out of the crowd, but once the music sounded, they were not hard to find.

The choice is the same today. You will either bow to the image the world has or you will stand for God. There is no compromise. There is no half bowing. There is no half standing. You will be identified with the world or you will be identified with God.

The king was alerted. He called the three Hebrew boys to him. He told them he was going to give them another chance. Perhaps they didn’t understand. Perhaps they were confused. Now that they knew what was expected, surely they would bow.

Daniel 3:16-18

16 …O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

We must refuse to be changed by the world and its ideas. There are some things that are just non-negotiable. There are too many that have given their all, for us to step down from the word of God.

Three went in. The king looked in. He saw four. He called to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The three Hebrew boys came out.

Where is the fourth man?

He is still waiting in the fire.

When you have to go through fiery trials, He is there. When you refuse to lose your identity, the fourth man is in the fire. When you refuse to compromise to this world, and they put you through the fire, He is there.

The fourth man is still there and he is waiting.

Ephesians 6.13

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

When you have done all you can do; stand.

He is a very present help in time of trouble.

When you are in trouble, the fourth man is there.

When you are in a trial, the fourth man is there.

We have more in us than the world has in it.

“Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world”

When we walk through the dry places, He will be with us.

When we are tested and tried, He will be with us.

When the devil rants and raves, He will still be there.

When the furnace is hotter than ever, He is still there.

In the book of Luke, it says the Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert. There are times that the Spirit will lead us to places we may not want to go. Rest assured, the Spirit will never lead you where the Spirit cannot keep you.

If you convictions lead you the furnace, the fourth man is there.

When you refuse to compromise your identity; when you refuse to follow the vain traditions of man; when you refuse to bow to the image; God will be there.

“I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”

The fourth man is there.

In the middle of the night, He is there.

In the midst of the trial, He is there.

The fourth man is there.

The Boundary of the Blood

1 Samuel 17:1

"Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim."

The Boundary of the Blood

The primary places mentioned in this scripture are:

Shochoh

Azekah

Ephes-dammim

The meanings of these names are as follows:

Shochoh: comes from a root word meaning to entwine or fence in.

Azekah: comes from a root word meaning to grub over or fence about.

Ephes-dammin: this compound word comes from the word ‘ephec’ meaning to cease or end, and the word ‘dam’ which means blood or drops of blood.

‘Ephec’ means more than just the cessation of a thing. It means to 'go no further'. This is where the ‘boundary’ comes in. It is the edge of the property. It is the ‘line in the sand’. This is similar to a property line.

Here in Mt Sterling, Kentucky, we have a festival called ‘Court Days.” It goes back to the early 1800’s. Thousands of visitors invade our small town (pop 5600.) There are vendors scattered and packed into an approximate area consisting of nine blocks. My home is at the edge of the festival area. People do all manner of things in the festival area. They can behave however it pleases them over there, but when they step across this boundary, things are different. This is the line where my authority starts. The rules are different over here. Over here, you will not throw your trash where ever it pleases you. Over here, you will not be drinking and carrying on. I am the authority across this boundary.

As you may or may not be aware, there are many types and shadows in the Old Testament. Many of the stories and events that happened were situated to show significance to future events and teachings. They portrayed truths. They strengthened lessons taught and learned.

The Philistines came to make war with the Children of Israel. This was one of many times these two forces met in battle.

This time the Philistines came between two fences and arrived at the boundary of the blood. This is where I want to look.

The Philistines had a champion that went into the valley. Goliath issued a challenge to the men of Israel. He asked them to send out a man to face him. He stated that he would fight this man and the army of the loser would serve the army of the winner.

In a previous Bible Study, I talked about how this was a tactic of the devil. He wants to fool you into thinking that he sets the conditions for the battle. He does not. God has set the conditions for the battle. On the day when the Sons of Men presented themselves before God, Satan appeared there as well. God asked him from when he came. “Going to and fro in the land seeking whom I may devour,” was his response.

As a teacher in the public school system (I taught electricity at a high school technical school) I often encountered one of my pet peeves. It bothers me when people misuse the words ‘can’ and ‘may’ in a question. The most asked question in the school system is. “Can I go to the restroom?” What is wrong with this, you ask. ‘Can’ implies having the ability. ‘May’ on the other hand implies having permission. I think my students came to know the ‘look’ when this was a problem. They would correct themselves.

Satan said he was going about seeking whom he had permission to devour.

God said to him, “Have you considered my servant Job?” Then, in the ensuing exchange, God gave Satan permission to touch Job’s possession, but not to touch Job himself. Do you see who is setting the conditions here? Later, in another exchange, God give Satan permission to touch Job, but not to take his life. Still, god is setting the conditions.

Now, back to the Boundary of the blood:

In Exodus, God has been dealing with Pharaoh through Moses, to bring about the release of the Children of Israel. He has sent plague after plague upon the land of Egypt. Still Pharaoh’s heart is hardened. Through the plagues of (1) blood, (2) the frogs, (3) the lice, (4) the flies, (5) the murrain, (6) the boils, (7) the hail, (8) the locust, and (9) the darkness, Pharaoh did not relent and release the Children of Israel.

God told Moses of the tenth and final plague, the death of the first born throughout the land.

Exodus 11:5 “And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.”

There was a remedy for the nation of Israel. They families were to take a lamb on the tenth day of the month from the flock. It was to be a pure and spotless lamb in its first year. On the fourteenth day of the same month, they were to kill it. Then, they were to take a hyssop branch and strike the blood on the two side posts and the upper post of the doorway in the house where it was to be eaten.

Exodus 12:7-11

7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.

8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.

9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.

10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.

11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD's passover.

That night, the angel of death was going to pass through the land. As this angel moved through the land, he was going to enter every house and take the life of the first born. As he does his job, he would be stopped by only one thing: the boundary of the blood. There was no pedigree check. There was no family name check. There was no political status check. There was no wealth check. There was only one boundary that was going to stop the angel of death. That was the boundary of the blood.

Exodus 12:23 “For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.”

I am convinced in my heart, knowing human nature; there were Israelites that suffered that night because they did not follow the commandments. They wrongly assumed that their pedigree or family name was going to be enough. For whatever reason, they felt strict adherence to the commandments was not necessary.

The angel of death was only looking for one thing that night; the properly applied boundary of blood.

On one side of the boundary was death and sorrow. There was weeping and mourning. There was a cry of anguish. On the other side of the boundary was victory. On that side was rejoicing.

One the one side was the sleeping. On the other side were a people with their lions girt and their shoes on their feet, and their staff in their hands, ready to take a journey. Oh, what a difference the boundary makes.

Exodus 12:13 “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt”

The word used in this scripture for token is ‘owth’. It means: a signal, such as a flag, a beacon, or a monument. God told his people, “I am going to give you a monument. This monument will signify the boundary.”

There will be times in your lives when the enemy presses hard against you. You need to know that there is a boundary of blood if the blood has been applied to your life. Isaiah 59.19 says there will be times when the enemy comes in like a flood, but God will raise up a standard against him. That standard is the boundary of blood.

Satan cannot cross the boundary of the blood.

Now, let’s recall the statement we made earlier. It is about the difference between ‘can’ and ‘may.’

Have you ever said, or heard someone say, after a blessing filled service, “The devil will be on my trail tomorrow.” It is as if they are inviting Satan to come against them. Now, I will admit that he will come with or without your permission. This does not mean we need to ‘give him permission.” We have a weapon system. The launching mechanism is our lips. When we say, “The devil is going to get me,” we are launching that weapon.

We need to speak faith.

We need to speak deliverance.

We need to speak belief.

We need to speak healing.

We need to speak protection.

We need to speak joy.

We are fighting from a protected place. We are on the right side of the boundary of blood. On the hill of the skull, Golgatha, Jesus shed his sinless blood, to create for us, an impenetrable boundary of blood. Our past is covered by the blood. Our sins are covered by the blood. Our mistakes are covered by the blood. If someone is going to try to bring up our past, they have to reach through the boundary of blood.

You need the blood.

Hebrews tells us that almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

Forgiveness .. it is in the blood.

Remission .. it is in the blood.

Salvation .. it is in the blood.

Redemption .. it is in the blood.

Protection .. it is in the blood.

Satan cannot cross the boundary of the blood.

Satan has no joy of his own. He has no real victory (in the end he will suffer ultimate defeat.) There is no redemptive remitting power within him. He does not save, but rather destroys. Therefore he seeks to take your joy and victory. He desires to rob you of the reconciliation. However, there is a boundary that he cannot breach. He cannot cross the blood of Christ to take your victory.

Colossians 1:14 “In whom we have redemption through his blood , even the forgiveness of sins:”

Redemption is through the blood. Satan cannot reach through the blood to take it away from us. We have been redeemed by the blood of a near kinsman. What we lost in Adam, we regained in Christ. The selfish act of Adam is covered by the selfless act of Christ. That which was lost has been redeemed.

Forgiveness is in the blood. You cannot be forgiven without the blood. You cannot forgive without the blood. That is the power of the blood and Satan cannot cross the blood.

There are those that would be pleased to hold your past against you. They would use this to keep you down. They would laud the events and sins of your past as a press to oppress you and to stop your efforts to serve the Lord. There are several things to say to that:

· When we repent and are baptized, we are covered by the blood of forgiveness. To bring my past back, one must cross the blood to retrieve them. To hold my former sins against me, you must deny the redemptive power of the blood.

· The Word tells us the old things are passed away and all things are new. We are new creatures in Christ. We are something that never existed before. The sins attached to our life but the original sin of Adam has been washed away. They and us are now in different places.

· With God, forgiveness is forgetting. There is a song that says, “when he sees me, he sees the blood of the lamb.” On the side posts and the door posts, on the night of the first Passover, was the blood of a lamb. There was no litany of past wrongdoings. There was no list of mistakes. There was no catalog of errors. The death angel passing over the land that night was looking for only one thing: the blood. The household was spared the death of the first born by the covering of blood.

· We are forgiven and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the Earth. Anyone bringing up my past must reach through the blood of Jesus to find them.

Colossians 1:20 “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”

We have peace through the blood. We have a peace not born of financial security. We have a peace not born of our own strength or military might. We have a peace that cannot be removed without going through the blood which provides it.

Hebrews 10:19 “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,”

By his blood, we can enter into the holiest of places. We can go to the place where we talk to God face to face. That is not by birthright. That is not through worthiness. That is not by earning it. It is solely by the blood of Christ. Adam’s sin brought shame into his life for the first time. He was afraid and ashamed to stand before the presence of God. By his own admission, ‘he hid himself.’ In our sinful state, fear and shame will try to keep us from entering into the holiest places. But, the blood, the precious blood of Jesus ushers us into that place.

Satan cannot cross the boundary of the blood.

You need the blood.

On the other side of the blood, Satan roars like a lion, seeking whom he may devour. Outside the boundary, you are easy prey. You are tossed about by every wind of doctrine. You are constantly barraged by the wiles of the devil. Your path is broad and wide and leads to destruction. Your only strength is in the flesh. Your trust is in man.

Oh, but on the other side of that blood boundary, it is a different story. On this side, the Lion is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. On this side, the Word of God keeps you and establishes you. On this side, you have protection. Your path is strait and narrow and leads to life everlasting. Your strength is in the tower of the name of the Lord. Your trust is in God.

You need the blood.

A man was walking one day when he came upon a young boy with a rusty old cage. Inside the cage were two small birds. The man asked the boy what he had. “Just two barn swallows,” was his reply. “What are you going to do with them?” the man asked. “I am going to play with them, and pull their feathers off, and then when my fun is over, I am going to kill them.” The man thought for a moment, and said to the lad, “you don’t want to do that. Let me buy them from you.” “You don’t want these birds, mister. They are just common barn swallows. They aren’t worth anything.” “No,” the man insisted, “I really want to buy them. How much will you take for both of them?” “Two dollars?” came the boys reply, more of a question than an answer. The man took out two dollars and paid the boy. He then opened the door to the cage and set the birds free.

One day Jesus was out walking. He came upon Satan with an old rusty cage. Jesus asked Satan what he had in the cage. “Just humanity,” was his reply. “What are you going to do with them?” Jesus asks. “I am going to play with them, tease them, torture them, make them make war with one another, lie to them, promise them everything, take everything away, and when I am done with them, I will destroy them.” “You don’t want to do that,” Jesus replied, “Let me buy them from you.” “You don’t want to buy these, Jesus. They will just mock you, lie to you, ignore your commandments, spit on you, and in the end, they will crucify you.” Satan replied. “No,” Jesus said, “I really want to buy them. How much will you take for them?” “Well, Jesus,” Satan responded, “They will cost you all of your sweat, all of your tears, and all of your blood.” And Jesus paid the price. He then opened the door to the cage, and set us free.

You need the blood.

Those things in your life that are most important, put them under the blood. Give them to God. Put your life under the blood. Stand at the foot of Calvary.

There is a song I sing at times. It says, “It started at Calvary, on an old rugged tree, but it was a river by the time it found me. Ever since that day, I ain’t been the same. Red river roll on, washing sins away.”

You need the blood.