Student Devotion Week 45: Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego: Standing in the Furnace

Key Verse: Daniel 3:17-18, "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. ¹⁸ 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."

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were Daniel's friends. In fact, all four of them were exiles from Judah living in Babylon. During King Nebuchadnezzar's three-year training period. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were with Daniel. While Daniel got in trouble for his prayers, it was their failure to bow down to a gold statue that heated things up for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

King Nebuchadnezzar had a huge gold statue built. At the dedication ceremony, he declared that when people heard the music, they were to bow down to the golden idol-except Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. When Nebuchadnezzar heard of their refusal to bow down, he was furious and gave them one last chance to submit or face a painful death in a fiery furnace.

The confrontation between the king and these three young men was nothing short of classic. Nebuchadnezzar asked them what god could protect them in a blazing furnace, to which not just one but all three of them basically said, "The God we serve is able to save. But even if he doesn't, your majesty can be sure we'll never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you've set up."

They were willing to put their lives on the line for God. Why? Because obeying God and being faithful to him were more important to them than life itself. God did rescue Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from certain death in the burning furnace. And the bold stance by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego caused the king to issue a new declaration: "There is no other god who can rescue like this!" (Daniel 3:29, NLT).