A Fiery Furnace

A Fiery Furnace

Q: What three young men were thrown into the fiery furnace?

• a. Hosea, Joel, Amos
• b. Jashobeam, Eleazar, Shammah
• c. Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego

King Nebuchadnezzar made a statue of himself that was 9 feet wide and 90 feet tall! In Babylon, statues were often worshiped, and Nebuchadnezzar made sure his big statue couldn’t be missed.

The king called everyone together for the dedication of the statue. Daniel, a Jewish exile serving the Babylonian king, wasn’t there at the time, but his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were.

King Nebuchadnezzar instructed that when the musicians played, the people were to bow before the statue or else they would be thrown into a huge furnace with flames leaping out the top opening.

The musicians played, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood firm. The king had the musicians play again, but the three young men still stood. The king, filled with rage, ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter and had the three friends thrown in. The flames were so hot they killed the guards who threw the three men into the furnace.

When the king looked at the furnace, he saw not three but four men walking around in it unharmed. The king called for the three young men to come out, and they walked out without even a singed hair or the smell of smoke on them!

The king said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him.”

The three young men could have pretended to bow to fool the king or justified bowing down because this was a command from the king. Yet they chose to stand firm for God despite the consequences.

For You

You may be surrounded by people who want you to join them in making bad choices or compromising your faith. Remind yourself that if the three men could risk being burned alive in the furnace, you can stand firm for God too.

Answer: c

Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual.   Daniel 3:19

(The Whole Story: Daniel 3)