I am reminded of the story of three young Hebrew boys who were tall, dark, and handsome. They were smart, too. Daniel’s friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were in exile in the sin city of Babylon, which was notorious for its wickedness and worship of false gods. The children of Israel were taken captive because of their disobedience to God, who allowed King Nebuchadnezzar to take them for his spoil. Then King Nebuchadnezzar had a golden statue built in his likeness.

The king wanted to be worshiped like a god. He actually thought he was God. He desired to be worshiped and every subject was told to “take a knee” before the massive golden image — roughly 90 feet tall — while musical instruments were played. If they refused to bow down, they would be thrown into a fiery furnace and burned to death.

Enter Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego — I mean Jonathan Isaac, a man of God who plays for the Orlando Magic as a Center.

The National Basketball Association season has reopened for business after COVID-19 delayed it, and the league has a new image that has been erected in the hearts and minds of athletes and fans alike. “Black Lives Matter” is etched on the court for all to see, and, as for NBA players, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Black Lives Matter is king.

When asked why he didn’t wear BLM paraphernalia or bow down during the anthem in protest of “police brutality,” Isaac said, “I believe that black lives matter. A lot went into my decision, and part of it is, I thought that kneeling or wearing the Black Lives Matter T-shirt doesn’t go hand in hand with supporting black lives. … I believe that, for myself, my life has been supported through the gospel of Jesus Christ, and everyone is made in the image of God and that we all fall short of God’s glory.”

He continued, “Each and every one of us do things that we shouldn’t do and say things that we shouldn’t say. We hate and dislike things that we shouldn’t hate and dislike, and sometimes it gets to a point where we point fingers — whose evil is worse? — and sometimes it comes down to whose evil is most visible. … We all make mistakes, but I think that the gospel of Jesus Christ is that there’s grace for us, and that Jesus came and died for our sins and that if we all come to an understanding of that and that God wants to have a relationship with us, that we can get past skin color. … I think when you look around, racism isn’t the only thing that plagues our society, that plagues our nation, that plagues our world. And I think coming together on that message that we want to get past not only racism but everything that plagues us as a society, I feel like the answer to it is [the gospel].”

This is the type of man you bring home to mama. This is the type of man that deserves support from the Christian conservative community. He stood up when everyone else bowed down. The three Hebrew boys did the same thing! They knew the consequence of not taking a knee wouldn’t just be a few reporters questioning them after the worship event took place. No, they knew that death by fire was their final destination and they still didn’t bow down.

Daniel 3:17-18 records, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

I am fired up just thinking about this! There they were, about to be tossed into the fire, and yet they never cowered down in the face of an intolerant king. Jonathan Isaac is a new household name in the Christian community. The very next game, he would go on to tear his ACL. He refused to take a knee during the BLM protest, but suffered a knee injury. Many black liberals and godless people celebrated his downfall. They say that he left “his brothers” hanging while refusing to kneel, so he deserves this injury. No worries, he says. He’s in good spirits and tweeted:

IT IS WELL!!! 2 Kings 4! Thank you for all of your prayers and concerns I’m encouraged. Remember our God is not just a God of the hills but a God of the valleys! (2 Corinthians ch 4 vs 9!) MY COMEBACK WILL BE GREATER THAN MY SETBACK!!!! I STILL STAND IN JESUS NAME!!!!

I’m so glad to have witnessed this incredible display of faith, courage, and redemption. This is how it’s supposed to look when we raise our children to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind. What gave this young man so much courage to stand in the face of the statue of BLM? Where is his father? I am glad you asked. The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. Jacob Isaac is his father’s name.

“My Pops made the Scripture important,” Isaac added. “‘Train up a child in the way he should go. And when he is old, he will not depart from it.’ He made that true for me and his ability to instill in me a belief and a faith in Christ. It’s helping me now and it’s a big deal for me. I’ll always appreciate him for that.”

Enough said.