BUT IF NOT | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 6, 1900

“BUT IF NOT.”

The King's Messenger.

THERE is in the third chapter of the book of Daniel a marvelously beautiful picture of simple faith in God. Its exquisite beauty lies in its wondrous blending of lights and shades, which brings out forcefully the negative, as well as the positive, side of faith.

Three Hebrews are asked to pay homage to a king, whose captives they are, by an act of heathen idol worship. They are men of heart convictions and strong characters; they love God so intensely that they can not conceive of such a thing as duplicity in worship. They are humble-minded men, readily taking any place of service and faithfully executing any work with all due honor to the king, but worship they can give to none but God.

Their refusal is maliciously reported to the king, being construed as disloyalty, and they themselves are brought into his raging and furious presence. They are threatened by the king with matters of earthly gain and loss, as is still the way of human nature seeking selfish ends. Another opportunity will be given, and a “burning fiery furnace” awaits their refusal; “and who is that God,” asks the arrogant monarch, “that shall deliver you out of my hands?”

An almost breathless admiration possesses us as we read the reply: “O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.” Positive and strong faith that, declared in a spirit of humble daring.

But faith goes further, and is not only strong but beautiful in its personal clinging to God. These men could trust for deliverance; but their faith was broader, and knew something that might be better than deliverance. Spirit-taught were they, for the Holy Spirit, if allowed to keep control, develops a faith that counts deliverance good if God gives it; but finds the better thing in trusting and obeying him if he does not grant deliverance.

It is sweeter and better to true and mature faith to be right with God than to have any deliverance from his hand. So felt the three Hebrews, and the sublime negative of their faith sounded forth in those three small words —“But if not.” If deliverance came, that haughty king and his heathen subjects should see their God and his power, and they would rejoice; for they knew he was “able to deliver.” “But if not;” if their God did not choose to thus show himself; if he should not count this a wise occasion for a mighty deliverance, then they would still take the path of lesser glory before men, and feel assured of greater glory before him. Spirit-filled and Spirit-taught men are ever so. There is a sublime audacity to the faith which he imparts, and he trains it for occasion.

It is not simply a faith that is willing to lose all, it is a faith that has nothing to lose, and counts everything gain that can possibly come, while it presses unwaveringly and uncompromisingly forward, true in word and act to its conception of God and his will. If they could do the will of God and be delivered from the hand of the king, they would rejoice. They were not absolutely sure of both, though their confidence covered both, but they could and would do the will of God. They knew him, his will was clear; there was nothing else of vast importance.