The Fourth Man: A Story from Daniel 3

This week, we look into Daniel 3 and study the story of Shadrach, Meschach, and Abed-nego.  Read on after the jump for the story, paraphrased, written in narrative form.

Long ago, when God’s people had been captured by the Babylonians, there was a king who decided to build an enormous statue made of gold.  He was pretty happy with himself, saying, “Look how great this statue is!”  He wanted everyone in the land to see it, so he ordered all the important people of the region to come and see it and celebrate.

During the big party, the king’s messenger announced a decree, a law, saying that when anyone heard his special music playing, everyone had to immediately get on their knees and worship the statue.  If they didn’t, the king would throw them into a blazing furnace of roaring fire.  The king was pleased with his new law.

Now, God told his people to never worship anyone or anything other than Him.  What were God’s people going to do?  Who should they obey?  The king who could throw them into a blazing fire or God?

There were three young men amongst God’s people who loved God and refused to obey the king’s law.  They chose to obey God, no matter what.

Soon, the king’s men noticed that these three men, Shadrach, Meschach and Abed-nego, weren’t worshiping the statue when the music began playing and they ran to tell the king!

“O king, o king.  May you live forever, o king,” they said.  “Did you not, your majesty, make a law saying that anyone who didn’t worship the statue when your special music played would get thrown into the blazing furnace of roaring fire?  Well, there are these three men of God’s people who don’t obey you, o king.  They don’t believe in your gods or worship the statue that your highness has built.” 

Hearing this, the king became furious with anger.  “Who do these men think they are?  I am the king!” he thought.  “They’ll get what’s coming to them; that’s for sure!” 

“Bring them to me!” he yelled.

Shadrach, Meschach and Abed-nego were swiftly brought to the king.  Still angry, the king asked them, “Is it true that you aren’t obeying me and my law?  The special music is about to play.  Are you going to disobey me right in front of my face?  If you do, I’ll throw you into the fiery furnace and no one can save you from that!”

The young men didn’t want to be thrown in that furnace.  Others before them had been thrown in there and burned to death!  But, they remembered what God said through Isaiah the Prophet:

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by my name; you are Mine!
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

and through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.
For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.  ^{Is. 43:1b-3a}

 So, Shadrach, Meschach and Abed-nego answered the king with confidence.  “O king, we know you know Who can save us, but if you want us to remind you, is it our God, the Most High God Who is able to save us.  He will deliver us out of your hand, o King, and out of the blazing furnace of roaring fire.  You know, even if he doesn’t, you should know that we will never serve your gods or bow down to that statue.  Never.  Never, ever.”

The king was REALLY upset now and was visibly twisting with hate toward the three young men.  “Make that fire seven times hotter than it has ever been!” he shouted to his soldiers. “And I want the strongest soldiers to tie up these disrespectful, insubordinate, punk kids as tight as they can and throw them into the fire!”  The fire was so hot that the soldiers that threw Shadrach, Meschach and Abed-nego into the fire were burned to death because they got too close to the flames!

The king took a seat to watch them burn, happy inside that he had taught them a lesson.  As he enjoyed the moment, he noticed that the young men were still alive.  In fact, they were up walking around in the fire.  “Hey!” said the king.  “How come they aren’t dead, but are walking around?”  The king looked very perplexed and troubled.  “I thought we only threw three men in there.  Why do I see four?  The fourth one looks like a heavenly being!”

Then it clicked.  Sixteen years ago another young man of God named Daniel had recited and interpreted a dream of his.  “Daniel worshiped the only true God, the God of Israel and so do these three young men” the king thought to himself.  “That fourth man in the furnace – that must be their God or one of His angels!”

“Come out!  Come out Shadrach, Meschach and Abed-nego!  I know you serve the Most High God and He has saved you!” the king yelled.

So, Shadrach, Meschach and Abed-nego came out of the still raging fire.  The king’s men were awestruck.  Their jaws having dropped to the floor, they mustered the courage to inspect the three men of God and found that it was if they were never thrown in the fire at all.  Nothing was burned; not a hair!  Their clothes were untouched and didn’t even smell like smoke!

The king, then, blessed the Most High God of Shadrach, Meschach and Abed-nego and made a new law that anyone who defames the name of the Most High God would be torn limb-from-limb and their houses be reduced to rubbish.