Building on the idea of how to demonstrate faith in the midst of a pandemic, two passages, one from the Old Testament and one from the New, demonstrate a faith that is not a fatalism.
In the book of Daniel, Chapter 3 is all about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and their trial by fire. The Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, had built a 90 foot tall golden image and had ordered that everyone worship the image. Faithful followers of God Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to worship anything or anyone but God. They were brought before Nebuchadnezzar and offered the opportunity to bow down now to the image or be thrown into a fiery furnace.
Here’s what the trio said: “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:16-18).
It’s a bold statement to make to a king, but it was one coming from a deep faith in God. The key phrase we should focus on is this: “But even if He does not [free us from the furnace] . . . we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold.” Here the three men of faith acknowledged that God, who was capable of rescuing them, may choose not to, for whatever reason. Their faith in God rested not on being rescued, but on knowing God would be with them and uphold their faithfulness.
As it so happened, the three were thrown into the fire and God sent the angel of the Lord to be with them. They not only did not die in the fire, but they came out without a hint of smoke on their clothing and not a singed hair. This was a fire that killed the soldiers who had thrown them into the fire.
In this case, God chose to rescue His faithful servants. But there’s another passage in the Bible where God does not rescue someone.
In Acts 7, the deacon Stephen is accused of heresy and brought before the Sanhedrin, the council of Jewish religious leaders who ruled on matters of the law of Moses. Stephen was a man of faith who gave an eloquent defense of his faith before the Sanhedrin. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the kind of defense that won friends and influenced strangers. Rather, his words so enraged his accusers that they didn’t let him finish his defense. Instead, they took him outside the city where they then stoned him to death for his “heretical” beliefs. Stephen became the first martyr of the Church.
Why didn’t God rescue Stephen? There are numerous occasions when Jesus was about to be set on by a mob of angry religious leaders but Jesus was able to walk away from those who threatened Him. Why not Stephen? Wouldn’t his rescue from the angry mob have been a marvelous testimony of God’s ability to rescue His people?
The answer is that sometimes God will want us to demonstrate our faith by paying the ultimate price in the giving of our lives. Why?
I believe the answer is found in the way we face our peril. In the Daniel account, the faith of the three friends was used to demonstrate to the king God’s mighty power and supremacy. In Stephen’s case, his death was used to demonstrate that his beliefs were so strong that he was willing to die for them. It helps to look at Stephen’s last words as he was being brutally murdered. “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit,” followed by, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:59-60).
We see from the lives of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and from Stephen a faith that was willing to face any peril that may come their way. All four were willing to suffer the end of their earthly lives for their faith in God. And all four demonstrated an unwavering faith, regardless of the outcome.
And that’s our lesson in the face of the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19. The likelihood is that most of us will not catch it. And of those who do catch it, the likelihood is we will recover. But there is also the very real possibility the disease could kill us. For people of faith, all we can do is step out in that faith, being shrewd as snakes (using our heads to take all precautions) and innocent as doves (not scheming or plotting or hoarding). We live out the Golden Rule—treating others as we would want to be treated—and so watch out for one another and keep our social distances.
Who knows what tomorrow will bring? God does. Let us then put ourselves in His hands and know that, whether or not He chooses to save us from this virus, He will not desert us nor forsake us. We will behold His glory, one way or another.
© 2020 Glynn Beaty