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King Nebuchadnezzar ordered a huge golden statue to be built. All the people were ordered to bow down to this idol or be thrown into a blazing furnace. The king heard that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow. They had been educated in the king’s palace and now served as government officials, but they told the king they only worshipped the true God and would not bow down. They were thrown into the furnace but did not die. When they walked safely out of the furnace, the king was impressed by the power of God. He promoted these Jewish men to even higher positions.
Bible verses used in this episode:
Daniel 3
Outline:
- King Nebuchadnezzar commands everyone to bow before his gold statue. (Daniel 3:1-7)
- Shadrach, Meshach and Abedgego refuse to bow and are thrown in a fiery furnace as a result. (Daniel 3:8-23)
- King Nebuchadnezzar witnesses God saving the men from the fire. (Daniel 3:24-30)
Tips for teaching children:
- Challenge older children to spell the name Nebuchadnezzar.
- Provide a paper and crayons (red, yellow, orange, brown, black) and let the children draw fire. Follow this up by adding drawings of four simple “people” in the fire.
- Sing the song: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Three young men lived very long ago.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
To an idol, they would never bow.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Into a fiery furnace, they were therefore cast.
Nebuchadnezzar said they’d never last.
God was there and He never let them go.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Tips for teaching adults:
- If you can bring a clay brick to class or a clay-fired piece of pottery. Ask the class to guess how hot a furnace or kiln had to be to fire pottery in the ancient world? The answer is about 1000o C (1800o F). Ask if anyone knows the melting temperature of various metals (silver – 960, lead – 330, glass softens at 800 and is workable at 1000).
- Read chapter 3 dividing the reading according to the outline in the show notes. As you are reading you can show a slide of the famous Ishtar Gate found here: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ishtar-Gate Tell the class that this gate that led into the city of Babylon was built by King Nebuchadnezzar and represents his wealth and power.
- You may want to ask these discussion questions: What could these three have done before this that prepared them to face this threat? What can we do to prepare ourselves to act faithfully before we are faced with a crisis? What is the primary point of the story – the faithfulness of these three men from Judah or the honour of the God of these three men? Why?
- How is this story an illustration of what Jesus says in Matthew 5:16? What is one thing you can do this week to demonstrate your faith in a public way that will not draw attention to you but to God?
Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:
Bible Lesson: The Fiery Furnace
Scriptures quoted from The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.
Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com
For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org
