Daniel 3:29….there is no other God that can deliver after this sort
Now we all know that moms have eyes on the back of their heads. Every child has observed the fact that moms have observed what no human should be able to see. Yet, obviously moms do not have an extra set of eyes. It just seems that way. Even if they did have eyes on the back of their heads, they cannot be everywhere at once. They cannot observe every child at once. So, what is a parent to do?
In Daniel 3 we have the story of the three Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They had been captured, taken far from their parents and homes to Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar commanded that they worship this massive image that he had erected. Everyone around them worshipped this image, but the three Hebrew children did not. While their parents are not mentioned in this story, I think as parents we can take heart from this and learn something from this story.
What do we learn? We can learn that if we do what we should as parents, God does what we can’t. So many times, we obsess over what we have the ability to do instead of thinking soberly about what we have the obligation to do. “Should” has the power to do things that “can” never could. If I think, “Can I really raise my kids to honor the Lord?” we are talking about our ability. If I say, “Should I raise my children to honor the Lord?” Now, we are talking about obligation and when I do what I should, God will do what I can’t. God is not going to do what I should, but He will certainly do that which I cannot do.
Three groups give credence to this. First of all, parents gave conviction and direction. When Nebuchadnezzar said, “Well, who is going to deliver you?” they answered, “We are not careful to answer thee in this matter.” They were saying, “With all due respect, we are not timid about telling you that we are not going to bow down to this image.” What they had been taught by parents was long before and far away. I think it is important to note that these parents did not throw them out. They were captured. And the parents did not throw them into the fiery furnace; Nebuchadnezzar did. God, of course, protected them.
Oftentimes parents talk about the “real world.” They seem to think that if they don’t expose their kids to the real world, the kids won’t survive the real world. Well, I don’t think there is another world we should live in. Of course, we should live in the real world, but that does not mean throwing your kids into the lion’s den or the fiery furnace. It means preparing them with the truth to know the truth and to negotiate life based on the truth when things get rough. So, the parents gave conviction and direction early on.
God gave protection. In verse 25 Nebuchadnezzar observed, “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.” When Nebuchadnezzar, in consequence to their refusing to bow down to his image, threw them into the fiery furnace, God was with them. The parents weren’t there, but God was. God had not literally taught these kids, but the parents had. The parents gave conviction; God gave protection.
Finally, Nebuchadnezzar gave credit. In verse 15 he says, “Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?” Perhaps this was contemptuous. “You won’t bow down and worship my idol? Well, what God can protect you?” When all was said and done and God revealed Who He was by His power, Nebuchadnezzar said, “There is no other god that can deliver after this sort.” That is, they lived in the real world, they lived with the truth, and the world took note.
If you are a parent today, take heart. Don’t be discouraged about everything around you and the future ahead of you. Realize that when you do what you should, God will do what you can’t.