BibleBlox
36. shadrach, meshach, and abednego
/ daniel 1, 3 /
/ listen as you follow along /
In the ancient kingdom of Babylon, there lived three 3️⃣ young Jewish men named Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They had been taken from their homeland 🏡 and brought to serve in the royal court of King 👑 Nebuchadnezzar. These friends were special because they loved 🥰 God with all their hearts and always tried to follow His commands, even in a foreign land.
One day, King Nebuchadnezzar decided to build a massive golden statue, 🗽over 90 feet tall! The statue was so big and impressive that it could be seen 👀 from far away. The king made a decree that when music 🎶 played, everyone in the kingdom must bow 🙇♂️ down and worship the statue. Anyone who didn't obey would be thrown into a huge, blazing furnace. 🔥
When the music 🎶 started to play, people everywhere dropped to their knees. But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego remained standing. 🙅♂️ Some people who didn't like them quickly ran 🏃💨 to tell the king about their disobedience.
King Nebuchadnezzar was furious! 😠 He called the three friends and gave them another chance. "I'll give you one more opportunity," he warned. 🫵 “When the music plays, bow down 🙇 to the statue. If you don't, you'll be thrown into the fiery furnace. 🔥 And what god will save you then?"
The three friends stood brave and calm. ☺️ “King Nebuchadnezzar," they replied respectfully, "we don't need to defend 🛡️ ourselves. The God we serve is able to save us from the fiery furnace. 🔥 But even if He doesn't, we want you to know that we will never bow 🙇♂️ down to your statue or worship any other god."
This made the king even angrier! 😡 He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual. The fire 🔥 was so intense that the soldiers who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace were burned up by the extreme heat. ☠️
But something miraculous happened. The king looked into the furnace 🔥 and saw something impossible. The three friends were walking around inside the fire, completely unharmed! And there was a fourth person with them, who looked like an angel 😇 or a divine being, protecting them.
Nebuchadnezzar was shocked 😮 and amazed. He called the friends to come out of the furnace. When they emerged, they weren't burned at all. Their clothes weren't even singed, and they didn't smell like smoke. 💨
The king was so impressed by their faith 🙏 and by the power of their God that he made a new decree. He told everyone in his kingdom that no one should speak 🗣️ against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, because no other god could save people in such a miraculous way. 🚀
35. split kingdom / 36. shadrach, meshach and abednego / 37. daniel
