Article March 29, 1930 Issue

The Fiery Furnace

PAUL O. NAFE

To those struggling with what seems to be a particularly vexing problem, the account in the book of Daniel of the deliverance of the three young Hebrews from the fiery furnace never fails to bring fresh inspiration. Scarcely a student of the Bible but has been impressed by the fact that although King Nebuchadnezzar had commanded the furnace to be heated "one seven times more than it was wont to be heated," the faithful young men came forth from the fiery ordeal without "an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed:" and to emphasize how complete had been their protection, the writer adds, "nor the smell of fire had passed on them." There was absolutely no trace of the experience.

The observant reader will note as he studies the Biblical account, however, that something was burned. We read that the king "commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego," and that they "were bound ... and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace." After this we are told that the king looked in, and in amazement asked, "Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" He was assured that this was so. Then he exclaimed," "Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." Yes, through the aid of the Christ, something had disappeared in the furnace fires, and it was the very thing that needed to be destroyed: it was that which bound them, their bonds.

Small wonder, then, that Christian Scientists who seem to be going through a furnace experience are cheerful; small wonder that they rejoice. They know that it is only a testing time, that a correct understanding of the ever-presence of Love will nothingize the flames so that they can "have no hurt." Only the apparent bonds of materiality can be touched and destroyed! With this in mind perhaps we can better understand Mrs. Eddy's statement in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 66), "Trials are proofs of God's care."

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