In and Through: In a Lions Den and a Fiery Furnace

I’ve become obsessed with scriptural “ins” and “throughs.” The words are the simplest, but I feel I have so much to learn through them.

My in and through obsession began in John 17 which I read during the sacrament.

And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.

And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, artin me, and I in thee, that they also may be onein us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfectin one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me (Italics added).

In and Through All Things

These in and through verses reminded me of Doctrine and Covenant 88‘s beginning.

He that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth…

And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings;

Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space—

The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things (Italics added).

I’ve looked at etymologies and word structures and learned much from that. But I still wanted more.

So, the prompting came to look at scripture stories of people in and through.

In the Lions Den: Daniel

The first story that came to mind was Daniel. King Darius made Daniel first of his presidents. Other leadership were jealous of Daniel but couldn’t find any fault or error in him

because an excellent spirit was in him…forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

The enviers devised a plan where anyone who prayed and not to King Darius would be thrown in a lions den. Daniel, with windows opened, continued to pray to the Lord. And he was thrown into the lions’ den.

And they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.

And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den;

The den of lions became Daniel’s tomb. Daniel, pit, means of death, stone = Daniel experienced in and delivered through the Lord.

Daniel, delivered by the Lord and His angel, came out of the den rejoicing and worshipping God.

In the Fiery Furnace: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego

An all-time favorite story also popped into the In and Through scripture story brainstorm.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego stood when all the rulers of the Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom bowed before the king’s gigantic golden image. They stood in the midst of a sea of false worshippers.

Angry, Nebuchadnezzar commanded them to be thrown into a fiery furnace if they would not bow. Respectfully, they confirmed that they would not bow.

Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.

And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.

And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.

He answered and said, 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.

The fiery furnace became Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego’s tomb. It even killed the soldiers who through them into the furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, furnace, means of death = Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego experienced in and deliverance through the Lord.

So both stories illustrate how people, through the envy of others, were thrown IN a place purposed to cause their deaths. Deity saved their lives.

I hadn’t thought about in and through this way.

I am IN the world expecting death. In fact, the Fall demands death.  Will die in the dens and furnaces like Darius’ leaders and their families and Nebuchadnezzar’s soldiers or will I be saved through divine intervention like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego?

I’m excited to study more.