Back to: CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES SS2
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In today’s Christain Religious Studies class, We will be learning about Faith in God. We hope you enjoy the class!
Faith is defined according to Hebrews chapter 11:1-2 as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith can be expressed as that conviction that drives a man to believe in the possibility of some things according to the revelation he has in the word of God. Faith is different from logic in fact it is totally opposite to Logic in that it sometimes sounds illogical when you make some expressions of faith. The angel delivered God’s message to Mary about the delivery of a child without any form of sexual intercourse. Many questioned this as it does not sound logical she said,
” How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?”Luke 1:34.
The response from the Angel showed the reality of what faith can wrought.
“For with God, nothing shall be impossible.”
Luke 1:37.
FAITH AND COURAGE (Dan. 3:1-30)
Command to worship the image and their refusal
It is very important that Men Trust God in seemingly impossible situations. this was the case of the three Hebrew children. Shedrack, Meshach and Abednego faith and confidence in God was tested and found to be second to none. These men were Jews who were brought into captivity in Babylon while in captivity they still dedicated themselves to the worship of their God with strict observance of the ordinances and status of Yahweh, God of Israel.
it was their outstanding qualities that qualified them to be appointed as officials in the Babylonian kingdom however the situation came when the King of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar made a golden image and invited all the officials in the provinces of Babylon to come and pay obeisance to the image at the dedication. there was an order,
” 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,
And whoso falleth not down and worship shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.” Daniel 3:5-6.
This instruction was a direct attack on the conviction of the Jews. they have been commanded never to bow or worship any other image apart from the God of Israel who brought them out of slavery in Egypt.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, therefore, refused to bow down and worship the god that was made. some Chaldeans accuse and reported them to the King.
Punishment for their refusal and God’s Deliverance
Nebuchadnezzar who summoned them and questioned their refusal to worship his God. he, therefore, gave them another opportunity. That’s when they heard the sound of all kinds of music they should bow to the image he had created. However, the three Hebrews did not renege on their resolve never to worship any other god they replied Nebuchadnezzar saying:
O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 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. 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. (Daniel 3:16-18).
The king was very furious, he then ordered that the consequence of disobedience to his order be given to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. This implies that the three Hebrew men be thrown into the furnace. Great men of His army bound Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and cast them into the fiery furnace. He added that the furnace be heated seven times more than its normal heat. The order was very urgent such that the Jews were bound and cast into the furnace with their clothes. The soldiers who executed the order of the kinky lost their life due to the heat of the furnace.
However, to the glory of the God of heaven, the king was very astonished when he discovered that the men were not hurt and they were not bound instead they were loosed. 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.”Daniel 3:25
The king Nebuchadnezzar requested that the three men come out of the fire. Further, he made them stand in the presence of the Governors, counsellors and all his officials and all observed that the fire had no single effect on the men.
The faith of the three Hebrew in their God leads to a transformation in Babylon, the king ordered that nobody should speak anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. From this account, we can learn that faith in God is very profitable.
Evaluation
Explain how the faith of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego was tested in Babylon (June 2007 WASSCE).
Assignment
Discuss King Nebuchadnezzar came to agree that the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego was to be served.
We have come to the end of this class. We do hope you enjoyed the class?
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In our next class, we will continue learning about Faith in God. We are very much eager to meet you there.
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