I could find no greater examples of God’s restorative abilities in the lives of people but in the three examples I’ll make tonight.  Sometimes it seems that our gifts can be a blessing and a curse.  I heard a conservative radio host say you should never apologize for your gifts and what God has graced you to do.  And I must say that I believe this to be true.  I’m sure that Dr. Zina can agree with me.  Every single person on this line has something that only they can do, and God has created each and everyone of us with unique giftings and abilities.  

You will notice each one of these individuals found themselves in situations by no fault of their own.  So as some of us on this call tonight, but nevertheless God found himself in a position to show himself mighty in their lives in some of the most hellacious situations.

Joseph

In the case of Joseph covers Genesis 37-50 to much for us to read tonight but I will give some bullet points on his life and story

– Timeline of Joseph’s life Born in Paddan Aram – the 11th of 12 sons 

6 years old: Travels to Canaan with family 

17 years old: sold as a slave 

28 years old:interprets dreams for Pharaoh’s butler and baker 

30 years old:interprets dreams for Pharaoh and becomes 2nd in command 

37 years old:end of years of plenty 

39 years old: family comes to get grain

56 years old Jacob dies 

Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego

Daniel 3 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Image of Gold

3 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was [a]sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2 And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 Then a herald cried [b]aloud: “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; 6 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.â€

7 So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Daniel’s Friends Disobey the King

8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. 9 They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 10 You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; 11 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.â€

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?â€

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.â€

Saved in Fiery Trial

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22 Therefore, because the king’s command was [c]urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his [d]counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?â€

They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.â€

25 “Look!†he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the[e] Son of God.â€

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the [f]mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.†Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. 27 And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not signed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.

28 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel[g] and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! 29 Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.â€

30 Then the king [h]promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.

Daniel

Daniel 6 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Plot Against Daniel

6 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, to be over the whole kingdom; 2 and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm. 4 So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.â€

6 So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: “King Darius, live forever! 7 All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which [a]does not alter.†9 Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.

Daniel in the Lions’ Den

10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

11 Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. 12 And they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king’s decree: “Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?â€

The king answered and said, “The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which [b]does not alter.â€

13 So they answered and said before the king, “That Daniel, who is [c]one of the captives from Judah, does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.â€

14 And the king, when he heard these words, was greatly displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he [d]labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him. 15 Then these men [e]approached the king, and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed.â€

16 So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.†17 Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.

Daniel Saved from the Lions

18 Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no [f]musicians were brought before him. Also his sleep [g]went from him. 19 Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 And when he came to the den, he cried out with a [h]lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?â€

21 Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.â€

23 Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.

Darius Honors God

24 And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions—them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den. 25 Then King Darius wrote:

To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth:

Peace be multiplied to you.

26 I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God, And steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, And His dominion shall endure to the end. 27 He delivers and rescues, And He works signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has delivered Daniel from the [i]power of the lions.

28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

1. Our God is not an ordinary man
2. He is not bound by the laws of physics and arithmetic 
3. He is always looking for an opportunity to make His name known in all the world
4. He is looking for a people who will believe him at all cost 

In the three examples I’ve shown tonight I have some takeaways

Joseph

1. 2. Joseph was not exactly innocent, He brought an evil report on his brothers (Genesis 37:2)

2.Jospeh was favored by his father Jacob, born in his old age. Joseph was born when Jacob was  63 Genesis 37:3

3. Joseph’s gifts got him in trouble but they also made room for him 

4. Joseph had to endure many hardships before his ascension to the second most powerful man in the world.

5. His ascension to the primeminsitership came through prison a rape chage a crime he didnt commit.  He chose to defy a sexual advance than sin against his God
6. His ascension to this position of authority saved many souls.

Shadrach meshach and Abednego

1.Their Hebrew names are, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.

2.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.†Daniel 3:17-18 

3..Failure to comply will result in your being thrown into a blazing, fiery furnace.

4..They refused to bow down and were arrested, interrogated, and thrown into the fiery     furnace, 

5.“Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.†Daniel 3:25 

6.The satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was the hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.†Daniel 3:27

7.The king says, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.†Daniel 3:28-29 

Daniel

1. Daniel was a righteous man of princely lineage and lived about 620–538 B.C.
2. Became a Eunuch as his friends Shadrach Meshach and Abednego
3. His Babylonian name was Belteshazzar
4. He was carried off to Babylon in 605 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar, the Assyrian, but was still living when Assyria was overthrown by the Medes and Persians.
5. Daniel is renowned for his wisdom and intelligence
6. Daniel’s specialty is a dream interpretation
7. Daniel’s righteousness is legendary status
8. Daniel oversaw the pagan magicians of Babylon
9. Daniel is a government official under four kings
10.  

About Author