Once upon a time there was a king named Nebuchadnezzar, who was very powerful and had a great kingdom. One day he had a huge statue built of gold. The statue was as big as a house and sparkled in the sun like glitter. The king ordered all the people: “When the music plays, you must worship the statue! Whoever does not do so will be thrown into the fiery furnace!”
There were three brave men in his kingdom. They were called Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They worked for the king, but they believed in God and wanted to worship only him. When the music played, they did not kneel down. They knew that would be wrong.
But someone saw it and told it to the king. The king became very, very angry and called the three men to him.
“Why didn’t you worship my statue?” asked the king angrily. “You will be thrown into the fiery furnace!”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said, “We serve our God. He can save us from the fire. But even if he doesn’t, we still won’t worship your statue!”
Then the king became still more angry. He ordered the oven to be made very, very hot. Then he had the three men thrown into the oven.
It was so hot that the flames blazed like wild dragons. But then something incredible happened! The king looked into the stove and was amazed. “Didn’t we throw three men in? But I see four men, and one of them looks like an angel!”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood in the midst of the fire, but it did them no harm. Not even her clothes smelled of smoke.
Then the king cried, “Come out, you servants of the Most High God!”
The three men came out of the fire, and everyone around them was amazed. The king said, “Your God is really strong! No one else can save like that!”
The king ordered that no one should speak against the god of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Message of history
God is always with us, even in difficult times. If we are faithful to Him, He helps us and protects us with His strong love.
Bible passage
The story of Daniel and the three men in the pit of fire, especially the three men who are thrown into the pit of fire, is found in the book of Daniel, chapter 3, verses 1-30.
Daniel 3:1-30 (Schlachter 2000):
*”King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden image, 60 cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up in the plain of Dura in the region of Babylon. And King Nebuchadnezzar sent to assemble the satraps, commanders and governors, the judges, treasurers, counselors, judges, and all the administrators of the provinces, that they might come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then the satraps, commanders and governors, the judges, treasurers, counselors, judges, and all the administrators of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And the herald cried out with power, “It is commanded you, peoples, tribes, and tongues, that as soon as you hear the sound of horns, flutes, zithers, lutes, harps, bagpipes, and all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.” But whoever does not fall down and worship shall be thrown into the fiery furnace at the same moment. Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horns, flutes, zithers, lutes, harps, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, tribes, and tongues fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Therefore, at the same time, Chaldean men came up and sued the Jews. They spoke up and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! You, O king, have decreed that every man who hears the sound of horns, flutes, zithers, lutes, harps, bagpipes, and all kinds of music, should fall down and worship the golden image; but whoever does not fall down and worship shall be thrown into the fiery furnace. Now here are Jewish men whom you have appointed over the administration of the province of Babel: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not worship your gods, and they do not worship the golden image that you have set up.
Then Nebuchadnezzar commanded with fierce anger that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego should be brought. Then these men were brought before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spoke up and said to them, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, will you not worship my gods, and worship the golden image that I have set up?” Now, if you are ready to prostrate yourselves as soon as you hear the sound of horns, flutes, zithers, lutes, harps, bagpipes, and all kinds of music, and worship the image that I have made—but if you do not worship it, you shall be thrown into the fiery furnace at once; and who is the God who could deliver you out of my hand?
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “We have no need to answer you a word.” If it is so, our God whom we serve can deliver us from the fiery furnace, and out of your hand, O king, he will deliver us! But if not, you shall know, O king, that we will not serve your gods and will not worship the golden image that you have set up.
Then Nebuchadnezzar became full of rage, and the expression of his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He took the floor and ordered the stove to be made seven times hotter than it had usually been heated. And to certain men of the strongest of his army he commanded to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and throw them into the fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their cloaks, coats, hats and other clothes and thrown into the fiery furnace. Now because the king’s command was so severe, and the furnace was unusually hot, the flame of fire killed the men who brought up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound in the midst of the fiery furnace.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar was terrified, and rose quickly; he spoke up and said to his counselors, “Have we not had three men bound and thrown into the midst of the fire? They answered and said to the king, “Certainly, O king! He answered and said, “Behold, I see four men walking free in the midst of the fire, and they are unharmed; and the form of the fourth is like a son of the gods!
Then Nebuchadnezzar stood before the opening of the fiery furnace; he spoke up and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High God, go out and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire. And the satraps, commanders, governors, and counsellors of the king assembled; they saw these men whose bodies had been harmed by the fire; the hair on their heads was not singed, their cloaks were intact, and there was no smell of burning on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar spoke up and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent his angel and saved his servants, who trusted in him, and disobeyed the king’s commandment, and gave up their bodies, because they would worship and worship no other god than their God alone.” So let this be the decree: Whoever does not respect them among all peoples, tribes, and tongues, shall be cut to pieces, and his house made into a dunghill; for there is no other God who can save as much as this one!
Then the king transported Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to the province of Babylon.” *
