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Blazing Oven

In Psalm 21 David is praising God for delivering him from his enemies in battle. In the ninth verse he says, “You will make them as a blazing oven when you appear. The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath, and fire will consume them.” 

That is terrifying imagery, as the previous verse said God would “find out” all His enemies. I know some people do not believe in a literal hell, and while it is true that word does not appear in this psalm, the idea of unbelievers in the afterlife is always associated with fire, as they are depicted here in a blazing oven.

When I hear this phrase, blazing oven, I can’t help but think of the three bold young men Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s golden idol. But they were not harmed by the fire because there was a Fourth Man in the furnace with them, none other than Jesus, the Son of God. They were protected from the flames, even though they technically deserved it for breaking the law, because Jesus chose to save them.

No one wants to think about God’s blazing oven, even though we all deserve it for breaking His law. But we can be spared from the flames because of the amazing grace of Jesus our Lord. Just as He stepped in and protected those three Hebrews, He will step in and protect anyone who calls on His name. 

Speaking of himself in the third person, in verse seven David said, “For the king trusts in the LORD, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.” If our trust is also in Christ Jesus, then we will be shielded by His steadfast love.  

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