I was reading my Bible, camped out in the book of Daniel. As I studied, I read the words of King Nebuchadnezzar (neh·buh·kuhd·neh·zr). I know he was the king, but I envisioned him as the Town Crier for a moment.
Let me give further context. King Nebuchadnezzar made an important public statement. It happened after the fiery furnace incident with Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego (Daniel 3). The three men were bound and thrown into a burning furnace that King Nebuchadnezzar ordered to be heated seven times hotter than usual—all because the men refused to serve his gods or worship the large, golden image he created. This golden monument he had constructed was about 90 feet tall by 90 feet wide or about the height of an eight-story building after the cubit conversion! It was quite the golden image.
Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego refused to worship this image. Instead, they trusted in the Almighty God rather than bowing to someone’s unknown god. The king asked them directly if it were true that they did not serve his gods or worship his golden image. They replied in Daniel 3:16-18, “…‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up,’” (ESV).
The men were then thrown into the blazing furnace that was so hot the flame of the fire killed the soldiers who carried up Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego as they were dropped the men into the fire.
The story did not end there. Seeing what was transpiring within the furnace, King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and asked his advisors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They confirmed, three men were thrown into the fire. The king went on to say in Daniel 3:25-27, “’But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.’ Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, ‘Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!’ Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them,” (ESV).
Suddenly, there was a shift within the heart of the king. We read in Daniel 3:28-30, “Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants, who trusted in Him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make 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.’ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon,” (ESV).
Witnessing this miracle, the king had a new message and world-wide proclamation in his heart. It’s as if King Nebuchadnezzar was suddenly a Town Crier. Listen to what we read next in Daniel 4:1-3, “King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion endures from generation to generation,” (ESV).
In other words, “Hear ye, hear ye: all people, nations, languages and those in all the earth, let me show you the signs and wonders the Most High God has done for me!” King Nebuchadnezzar had highs, lows, and times of uncertainty in his life. We all do. He also saw miracles and decided to tell the world about them!
Are we willing to go to such lengths? Do we tell the world about what the Most High God has done as we witness His miraculous works? What great signs have you seen? What mighty wonders have you experienced? What has God done for you? What proclamations are you making? “Hear ye, hear ye…” (you take it from here…) Tell others of God’s everlasting Kingdom!
How can you make Monumental Moments and live to multiply His movement today?
