When Babylon defeated Israel in a great struggle, the King of Babylon had a giant golden statue built for worship. When the people heard the King’s special music, they were to stop what they were doing, bow down, and worship the statue. This was especially painful for the Israelites he had captured and brought to Babylon, as they knew that they should not worship only the Lord, and that statue was definitely not their God!
Most people did as they were commanded, for they feared for their lives. But there were three, named Shadrack, Meshech, and Abednego, who refused to bow to the statue. They were determined to follow their hearts and worship only their one true God.
When the King saw this defiance, he was furious. “Throw them into the furnace!” he ordered. “Make the fire seven times hotter than usual!”
The three men did not struggle. They were led to the furnace and the King watched with satisfaction as they were thrown in. A moment later he looked confused. “Were three men thrown into the furnace?”
“Yes, my King,” one of his men replied.
“Then why are there four men in that furnace?”
The King and his men stared at those who were standing in the furnace, comfortable, as though the flames could not touch them. In fact, the flames were dancing around them, but they didn’t seem injured or overcome. The King approached the furnace and called for them to come out. The three men stepped out of the fire with no burns, and not even the slightest hint of smoke. The fourth man had simply vanished.
The King realized what had happened. “Your God is great!” he praised. “He sent an Angel to save you. From this point on, nothing bad will be said about your God, for I have seen with my own eyes what He can do for those who believe in him.”
From that day forward, the statue was not worshipped, and the land was peaceful under the King’s reign.