The Fiery Furnace

Introduction: Our next story takes place during this time when Israel was in exile to Babylon. The exile lasted 70 years. 1 Now King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide. He then summoned

the governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up, and they stood before it. Then the herald loudly proclaimed, "This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples of every language: As soon as you hear the sound of the horn and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace." Therefore, as soon as the people heard the sound of the horn, all the peoples fell down and worshiped the image of gold King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then some officials came forward and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! There are

some Jews of the province of Babylon- Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego-who neither serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. "Is it true that you do

not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? If you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?" Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend

ourselves in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Nebuchadnezzar became furious and ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and

commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and cried out to his advisers, "Weren't there

three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, O king." He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods." Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and

Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So the three men came out of the fire, and the governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his

angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in their God and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way."