The Three Hebrew Children

Olivia, a beautiful angel in heaven was walking swiftly toward the throne room to speak to Father God about something she had seen through her window in the side of heaven. She always talked to Him when she had questions about what she saw, and she had just seen something amazing.

“Oh, Father God, it is so good to talk to You again. “

“Yes, I always love talking to you also. What is troubling you this time?” He asked gently.

“I have been watching what is happening with the king of Babylon.”

“Oh yes, Nebuchadnezzar. I know him well. I gave him a dream about a statue made of different metals and clay. He was amazed when My servant Daniel was able to interpret the dream. He recognized that I am truly the God of gods, and Lord of kings, and he promoted Daniel to a high position in his country. Sadly, he has already gone back to his wicked ways.”

“I know, Father God. He built a gold statue 90 feet tall. Then he told everyone they had to bow down and worship it or they would be thrown into a fiery furnace. How could he tell people to worship his statue when he already realized that You are God of gods, and Lord of kings? I don’t understand.”

“Well, Olivia, too many people forget very quickly who I am, and what I have done for them. They are blinded by sin. Nebuchadnezzar wanted to make everyone bow and pray to his statue to prove that he had power over them. It made him feel strong.”

“But, Father, there are three young Hebrew men who love You and serve You. Their names are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.”

“Yes, I know them well also,” He replied. “King Nebuchadnezzar put them in positions of power in his kingdom. I call them my Hebrew children. They are wonderful sons of Mine.”

“Oh, I agree, they are amazing. But the king told all the people that when they heard the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery play in symphony with all kinds of music they had to bow down and pray to the idol at that time. When the music started, everyone bowed down on their knees and started praying to the idol except the three Hebrew children. They stayed standing, refusing to pray to the idol because they know You are the only true God, and they didn’t want to betray You. With all the other people on their knees with their faces to the ground, it was very obvious they were standing and not praying to the idol. There was no place for them to hide. They must have been so afraid.”

“Yes, Olivia, they were very afraid. The king had said he would kill them, and they knew the fiery furnace would be a horribly painful way to die. They also knew the king would have to do what he had said or the people would no longer be afraid of him. So, the Hebrew children knew the king would not back down and forgive their disobedience.”

Olivia said, “When the soldiers saw them refusing to bow down they went and told the king. Then the king went into a rage and demanded the soldiers bring the three Hebrew children to him.”

“When they brought Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to him, he asked them if it was true that they had refused to worship his god. They told him, ‘Oh Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, oh king. But if not, let it be known to you, oh king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image you have set up.’

“The king was so furious he had the soldiers tie their hands and stoke the fire seven times hotter than usual. When he had the soldiers throw them into the fire, with all their clothes on, the flames were so hot that all of the soldiers fell down and died from the heat. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego fell into the flames.”

“Then king Nebuchadnezzar was shocked, and jumped up and said to his counselors, ‘Did we not throw three bound men into the fire?’ They answered him and said, ’we did’. Then the king said, ‘Look, I see four men walking around in the fire and they are not hurt, and the fourth one is like the Son of God.’ “

“The king called out to the Hebrew children and told them to come out of the furnace. When they came out and stood before the king, their hair and clothes were not singed, and they didn’t even smell like smoke.”

“Then king Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, yielded their bodies, that they should not serve, nor worship any god except their own God. Therefore, I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.’ Then he promoted the Hebrew children to higher positions in Babylon.”

“I was wondering, Father God. Couldn’t the Hebrew children just have bowed down but not worshiped the idol. That way the soldiers would never have known they were not praying to the idol, and they would have been safe? What would have happened then?”

“I would have understood that they were afraid and weak, but I would have been very sad that they let their fear stand in the way of them trusting Me. Of course, if they had asked Me to forgive their fear and weakness I would have, but this wonderful miraculous story would never have taken place and been told as a witness to others about Me. This story will be passed down through the years to all generations, and will encourage others to put their trust in Me, and know that I will never abandon them.”

“That was an amazing thing to watch, but You don’t always deliver people when they are in trouble, do You?”

“No,” He replied, “sometimes I deliver them so the rest of the world will hear their story and see that I am God. Sometimes I let them go through the problems, but I do promise that I will always be there with them. I want people to come to Me so I can take away their sin, and mend their heart and life, and when their life is over, they can be with Me. The rain falls on the just, and the unjust. I don’t want people to serve Me just so I will keep them from ever going through hard times. I want them to serve Me because they love Me. Service without love would have no value. “

“Thank You for explaining this to me. I always know that I can come to You with anything I don’t understand and You will always be there for Me. I love You.”

“I love you too, Olivia, and you are always welcome here.”

Daniel chapters 2 and 3