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. [daniel 3:26-27]
nebuchadnezzar was a polytheist, but in his astonishment he makes an admission:
Yahweh is the Most High.
the reason for the miracles of triune God are meant for the purpose of turning people away from their idols and false gods, and so that all might bend the knee to Jesus Christ. several times throughout the book of daniel, nebuchadnezzar, the ‘king of kings’ and first world-powerful king, proclaims the supremacy of God, but only after he witnesses ‘impossible’ displays of God’s power.
what about us? what are we waiting for to truly bend the knee to the Most High Jesus?
now thomas, one of the twelve, called the twin, was not with them when Jesus came. so the other disciples told him, “we have seen the Lord.” but he said to them, “unless i see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, i will never believe.”
eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and thomas was with them. although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “peace be with you.” then he said to thomas, “put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. do not disbelieve, but believe.” thomas answered him, “my Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “have you believed because you have seen me? blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” [john 20:24-29]
yes, nebuchadnezzar and thomas proclaimed the supremacy of God, but required ‘proof’. we have the very presence of Jesus, the Holy Spriit who lives in us–this is ‘proof’ enough! let us bow down and declare the supremacy and sufficiency of the Most High God!
~ce