The Explanation

King Nebuchadnezzar built a statue of gold. It was huge, taller than a house, shining in the sun. He set it up on a wide plain, and he called all his important men to come and see it.

Then a herald shouted the king's command. When the music played, horns and flutes and harps all together, everyone had to bow down to the golden statue. Everyone. And whoever refused would be thrown into a blazing hot furnace, that very hour.

So when the music sounded, everybody bowed. Everybody, except three men. Their names were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They stood tall while everyone else lay flat on the ground.

Some men ran to the king. "Those three Jews do not bow," they said. "They will not serve your gods." The king was furious. His face turned red with rage. He called the three men to him.

"Is it true?" he asked. "Bow now, or into the fire you go. What god could ever save you from my hands?"

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not even blink. "We do not need to answer you," they said. "Our God can save us from the fire. But even if he does not, we will still not bow to your golden statue."

The king was so angry that his face twisted. He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter. It was so hot that the soldiers who threw the three men in were burned up themselves just from standing close. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell into the flames, tied up with ropes.

What Does This Mean?

Then something happened that made the king jump out of his seat. "Did we not throw three men in, tied up?" he asked. "Look!" said his men. "I see four men," said the king, "walking around in the fire, loose, and not hurt at all. The fourth looks like a son of the gods."

The king ran to the furnace. "Come out!" he shouted. And they walked out. Not one hair on their heads was burned. Their clothes did not even smell of smoke. Would you have dared to stand still when everyone else bowed down? These three men chose to trust God even before they knew he would save them.

The Common Thread

The three men said something brave: "Our God is able to save us. But even if he does not, we will still not bow." They trusted God not because they were sure of the outcome, but because they knew who he was. That fourth man in the fire, walking with them, unharmed, shows that God does not leave his people alone in the hardest places. Long after this, God would send his own Son into the world, to walk right into suffering with us, and even through death, to bring us out on the other side.

For You

Sometimes doing right means standing when everyone else sits, or saying no when everyone else says yes. That can feel scary, like walking toward a hot furnace. But you are never alone in it. God sees you, and he is with you, even in the hardest moments.

Talk About It

Why do you think Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego kept standing even when everyone else bowed down?

Has there ever been a time you had to do the right thing even though it was scary?

Praying Together

Dear God, thank you for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who trusted you even in the fire. Help me to be brave when it is hard to do what is right. Thank you that you are always with me, even in scary places. Amen.