THE FIERY FURNACE
Daniel Chapter 3 verses 16-28
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were 3 young men who were taken to Babylon (present day Iraq) as prisoners.
One day, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon called his nation to a service of dedication. He had had made a large statue of gold. It stood 90 feet high and had been placed in the Plain of Dura.
All the important officials in the kingdom had been instructed to come to the service. An orchestra was in place to provide music and a herald was instructed to cry out to all those gathered, so that at the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, this great gathering would fall down and worship the image of gold.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to fall down and worship the image of gold.
When Nebuchadnezzar discovered that the 3 young men refused to bow down, he was furious and demanded to speak to them. He told them he would give them one more opportunity to fall down and worship the image and if they refused he would have them thrown into a fiery furnace. “What god will be able to deliver you from that?” he said.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego informed the king that the God they served was able to rescue them, but even if he did not and they were killed, they would not bow down and worship an image of gold or any other Babylonian gods. Nebuchadnezzar was furious! He had the furnace heated 7 times hotter and commanded certain mighty men from his army to bind and throw these 3 young men into the furnace of fire. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were bound in their coats, trousers and turbans and thrown into the flames.
Because the furnace was so hot the mighty men died as they took up their prisoners and Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego fell into the middle of the fire. Then, king Nebuchadnezzar was astonished!
“Didn’t we throw 3 men bound into the fire? Look, I see 4 men loose walking in the middle of the fire and they are not hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God”.
Then the king called the men out of the furnace and he and his officials gathered around them and saw that the fire had no power over them. Their hair was not singed, their clothes were untouched and there was no smell of fire on them. Nebuchadnezzar blessed the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him.
For their faith they were further blessed, for the king had them promoted in his kingdom and made a proclamation throughout his vast empire telling of the greatness of the living God who had rescued his servants from the flames of fire.
Read this story for yourself in the Bible. You will find it in the Book of Daniel, chapter 3 verses 16-28.
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