Every day it’s something new, but is it really?  In the last few weeks we’ve heard about the demolishing or desecration of statues and images of those who were memorialized for their accomplishments.  Some would argue that statues are simply images or representations and there really is no need for them.  Some believe they are creating a negative influence over the people that were hurt in some way by the image.  They are nothing but bronze and stone.  There is no life in them.

God told His people not to have  graven images when he wrote the Ten Commandments.  However He was talking about images that were being worshiped as gods.

There was once a king who determined that he was a god.  The fact that he deemed himself worthy of such honor, demanded a golden image of himself be created.  It was also mandated that the people would bow down and worship him as a god.  This was the kind of graven image God was talking about.

There were three Hebrew slaves that refused to bow down to the statue.  Their names were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  The book of Daniel, Chapter 3 is the source of this story of faith.  They refused to worship the idol. When King Nebuchadnezzar heard of this disobedience, he sent them to the fiery furnace to be incinerated.

This story is one we probably all heard in Sunday school.  It’s one of those stories that seems filled with impossibilities.  It could be another super hero story that kids seem to love.  It has all the elements.  These three young men were sentenced to certain death.  They were not afraid.  They were willing to die for their beliefs.  They walked to their death convinced that their God would rescue them and even if they died they would never disobey Him.  Their faith is what brought them through the flames and heat.  Their God would not fail them.  He stood with them in that furnace and cooled the raging fire around them, making it possible for them to survive.

The results of this miracle caused the king to set out a decree:

“Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.”  Daniel 3:29

Obviously the king was a pretty violent guy, but the fact of this story is that he saw the power of the true God and was moved to acknowledge Him.

This is a great lesson in faith.  Our faith is what draws us to our Savior.  His Spirit works in us through that faith and we are bound to God, the Father because of it.

There is no other God.