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” ( Dan. 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.
They responded with the following, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. Again, he commanded them to bow and worship him. When confronted by King Nebuchadnezzar, the three men were unwavering in their convictions. Even at the risk of being burned alive, these three refused to commit idolatry. What were their names? You guessed it: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Knowing of this command and the associated punishment, there were three Israelite men who completely disregarded his command and his golden image. He included a punishment for disobedience, saying, “And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace” ( Dan. King Nebuchadnezzar demanded that all people in Babylon, including the Israelites, worship him and his huge golden self-image exclusively. The events of the fiery furnace happened while Israel was in exile in Babylon. This is a shame because they demonstrate some of the most radical faith and integrity found in Scripture. For some reason, this story seems to be neglected among adult teachings. This is rightly one of the most common stories told in Sunday schools because it is truly amazing! For young children, the thought of three guys going into fire and coming out unscathed is nothing short of epic. Probably the most well-known of these examples is the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and the fiery furnace. Without the integrity of the Hebrew midwives, Moses, the leader of Israel, may have been killed at birth! Examples of Integrity: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego One of the Hebrew boys who was allowed to live was named Moses. Despite the risk, they decided to let the Hebrew boys live, and God blessed them for it. Even though they received pressure from the king to kill the sons, they feared God more than they feared the king.
However, as Moses writes in Exodus, “But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live” ( Ex. To combat the growth of the Israelites, the king of Egypt commanded all of the Hebrew midwives to kill any newborn males. The nation of Israel was growing strong in numbers, despite the oppression they were receiving from the Egyptians. A prime example of this from Scripture is the Egyptian midwives in Exodus. Living with integrity is to do what one knows is right, whether in public or in private. Examples of Integrity: Hebrew Midwives in Egypt While every follower of Christ will experience suffering at some point, Job demonstrates that it is possible to endure persecution with grace and patience, trusting in the sovereignty of God. However, many of us give in to doubts and lose trust in God over much smaller matters. Most of us will likely never experience suffering to the degree of Job’s suffering. He was strong, wealthy, and had a thriving family. The writer of Job says, “There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil” ( Job 1:1). Job is one of a few people in Scripture who is described as blameless. These four examples did not give in to sin and temptation, but rather give an example to all followers of God what it means to live with integrity. Fortunately, the Bible is full of myriad examples of people who have demonstrated faithful integrity in their lives, both in private and public. While it can be easy to do the right things and say the right things in front of others, it becomes very difficult to do the same when one is all alone.
There are few characteristics more important in the lives of Jesus’ followers than integrity. What is missing in the lives of so many Christians is a focus on integrity and examples of integrity. Many focus on outward obedience, yet when one is all alone, it becomes easy to commit secret sins, ultimately developing into a whole secret life. Unfortunately, this lax attitude towards moral uprightness has bled into the Church. This is especially used in times when ethical boundaries have been breached. You have likely heard the phrase “the end justifies the means.” This is a quip used often in business, signifying that as long as goals are hit and success is achieved, the steps one took to get there are unimportant.
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