Bible Rubble ∙∙∙
I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. – Matthew 16:18
Daniel 3:17-28
“If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.
“But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath and ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual.
Then, these men were tied up in their trousers, coats, caps, and other clothes and cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire.
Then Nebuchadnezzar, the king, was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, “Were it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?” They replied to the king, “Certainly, O king.”
He said, “Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!”
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he responded and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the Most High God, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire. The fire had no effect on the bodies of these men, nor was the hair of their heads singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them.
Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own god.”
A Remarkable Discovery Amidst Tragedy
In times of profound sorrow and chaos, the Father often reveals His presence in extraordinary and unexpected ways. Such a moment occurred in March 2002, during the final stages of clearing the south tower’s remnants at Ground Zero. Amid the devastation, a firefighter uncovered a remarkable artifact: a Bible fused into a chunk of steel and concrete, shaped like a heart.
Shocked and in awe, the firefighter immediately took his discovery to Joel Meyerowitz, a photographer and archivist tasked with documenting the aftermath of the World Trade Center tragedy. Reflecting on the encounter, Meyerowitz described the moment, saying, “This shredded, burned, and rubble-covered Bible came to me from the loving hands of a fireman.”
A Testament to Preservation
How could this be possible? How could the fragile pages and cover of the Scriptures withstand an inferno so intense that it melted steel and crushed concrete into rubble?
This extraordinary preservation reflects the biblical story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, three young Jewish men who were thrown into a blazing furnace and emerged completely unharmed. As described in the book of Daniel, only the ropes binding them were burned away by the flames, while they remained unscathed.
Could it be that, in a similar act of divine intervention, the Father sent His angel to protect His open Word during the fiery destruction at Ground Zero?
This story carries a deep dual message. First, it stands as a testament to the Father’s miraculous power to preserve His Word, a promise He has faithfully maintained throughout history.
Matthew 5:18: “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.”
REFLECT & PRAY
The Father gives us tasks that, as ordinary humans, we often find difficult, intimidating, and against our nature. Sometimes, they can seem almost impossible. As modeled by the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, forgiveness is one of the most challenging. Every child of the King knows the words He spoke while hanging on the cross in Luke 23:34: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
Father, I desire to be a forgiver who forgets completely, releasing every offense and wrong.
INSIGHT
A Personal and Profound Message
The second message of the preserved Bible at Ground Zero holds a profoundly personal and intimate significance, one that deeply resonates with every child of the King.
Joel Meyerowitz, the photographer tasked with documenting the aftermath of 9/11, was rendered utterly speechless when his eyes fell on the visible Bible verses on the exposed page. The passage, taken from the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, specifically addressed the theme of retaliation. The words of the Lord Jesus Christ, as recorded in the King James Bible, stood out in red letters:
Matthew 5:38-39
Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”
A Nation’s Collective Anger
In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, a wave of collective anger swept across America, with many consumed by an intense desire for retribution, echoing the national outrage experienced after Pearl Harbor. The impulse to retaliate is not confined to catastrophic events; it often emerges even in far less significant challenges. In such moments, the innate human tendency to strike back, seek revenge, and assert a sense of justice readily takes hold. This reaction, though instinctive, reveals a deeply ingrained aspect of our fallen DNA.
The Law of Retaliation
The natural inclination to seek retribution finds its roots in the ancient Lex Talionis, or “The Law of Retaliation.” This principle, which dates back to the Code of Hammurabi, is also reflected in the Mosaic Law. The Lord Jesus Christ references this law in His teaching, quoting the familiar phrase:
Matthew 5:38-39
“You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’
But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also” (cf. Exodus 21:23-25; Leviticus 24:19-20; Deuteronomy 19:21).
The “Law of Talion” fulfilled a dual purpose: it upheld the injured party’s right to seek justice while imposing limits on retribution to ensure it remained proportional to the offense committed. This legal framework maintained the principle of addressing wrongdoing while curbing the potential for excessive or unjust vengeance.
A Higher Standard
In contrast to the Law of Talion, which emphasizes proportional justice, the Lord Jesus Christ calls His followers to a higher standard of conduct. He instructs them to “not resist an evildoer.” The Greek word anthistēmi, translated as “resist,” conveys the idea of “standing against, opposing, or refusing to yield, whether through actions or words” (cf. James 4:7; Galatians 2:11; Acts 6:10). In this context, it specifically highlights the call to refrain from retaliating against those who cause harm or wrongdoing.
Rather than adopting the posture of an adversary seeking vengeance or insisting on one’s rights as the aggrieved party, Christ urges His followers to respond with grace, forgiveness, and humility. His message challenges children of the King to reject the instinct for retribution and instead embody a spirit of love and reconciliation.
The Father calls every child of the King to live by this higher standard, though, sadly, it is one we often resist. Instead of repaying evil with evil, He invites us to forgive, to turn the other cheek, and to entrust vengeance to Him. He implores us to let go of grudges, extend forgiveness freely, and move forward in love and peace.
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© Dr. H 2026
Dr H Reflections 