(With inspiration from David McCasland’s Pinstripe Parables)
Once the Urban elites had seized power in the inner cities, it had become unsafe for anyone to enter the occupied zones. There was a different law there and it was one that knew no boundaries. These so-called autonomous zones ruled by “self-law.” If you carried a bull-horn, you were a leader but still subservient to the major powers that made their headquarters in a non-descript building unknown to the police.
This is where our story played out one evening. Three shoppers who lived in the suburbs had emerged from their last store and, looking for a bus, had managed to wander to the autonomous zone. They saw a crowd of people up ahead and someone with a bull-horn was shouting out slogans and obscenities over the assembly.
As they stopped in their tracks they became quite concerned and, after a moment, turned to go back to the store from which they had emerged. But, upon turning around, they were confronted by about a half dozen people who looked particularly rough and upset.
There weren’t many words exchanged but it became apparent that the three were not going to be allowed to pass.
“We’ll take these,” one of the several ruffians said, as they grabbed the packages from the three.
“Don’t worry; it’s reparations,” another added. “I’m sure your insurance will cover it,” she said with a smirk.
The tallest of the three visitors replied, “That’s fine. That’s fine. Just let us pass, and we’ll leave.”
By this time, the larger group that had been up ahead showed up and surrounded everybody. “Let’s take them to the office,” the bull-horned leader said. “You have trespassed into the autonomous zone. You either know what you’re doing here, or you don’t. But let’s let the office determine that for you. Come with us.”
There was nothing else the three could do. While they offered no resistance to the crowd, they were essentially bullied for a couple of blocks into a nearby building and ushered in to a make-shift office where several people were conferring. “What have we here,” one of them asked.
The bull-horned person was the first to speak. “We caught these three trespassing. They look like they’re from somewhere else and don’t belong here. We think they’re rural people who came to stir up trouble.”
“We were shopping,” the tall one said. “That’s all, and we were looking for a bus, when we accidentally wandered into this area.”
One of the office leaders stood up. “If you were shopping, where are your packages?”
“They were taken,” the taller spokesperson replied.
“They weren’t taken,” the leader said as he walked up to and came a nose-length away from the tall one. “When you strolled into our area, everything becomes everyone’s. You didn’t come to shop. You came to stir up trouble.”
He turned and asked the bull-horned leader, “Were they singing our songs?”
“No.”
“Were they chanting our slogans?”
“No.”
“Were they marching with us to take down statues?”
“No.”
The office leader then went nose-to-nose with the taller of the three. “You are from the outside and we’re going to deal with you.” “Take them to the boiler room downstairs,” he commanded one of his lieutenants. “Sorry about this, but we don’t own this building—it belongs to everyone, and I don’t know how to control the heat down there; but, trust me, you’ll be warm. Perhaps after you have developed a little more sweat on you, you’ll be good enough to join us in our chanting and marching.
There was a pause for a second, and then the tall one spoke. “Look, I don’t know who you are and I’m sure we don’t belong here. You obviously have the power to do with us as you will, but in this, rest assured. Our God will be with us there and can rescue us if He chooses. If you’d like to know about Him, we could spend the time to talk about that. But even if His rescue does not come, we will never sing your songs, or chant your slogans, or blaspheme our God. We will never march in your movement.”
Furious by this response, the office leader said, “Tie them up and put them downstairs, and someone figure out how to make that place even hotter.”
And before they were led away, he turned to them and replied rhetorically, “Let’s see if their rural God will save them. Finally, something that’s entertaining in this forsaken place.”
Daniel 3:10 – 27
You have issued a decree, O king, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?
Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “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 it, and he will rescue 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.”
Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.
So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, O king.” He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.