Listen up, little ones
Listen for the words furnace and four.
Reading
Daniel 3:19-25 The Deliverer: One Like the Son of God
Keys for kids
- Nebuchadnezzar had Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego thrown into the blazing furnace.
- The fire was so hot the men who threw them in died.
- Yet four men walked around in the fire. One looked like a god.
Questions
- Why was Nebuchadnezzar so angry?
- How did he respond to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s courage?
- What happened to them in the furnace?
Notes
(See below for all authors)
Sometimes we might hope that our courageous convictions will be noticed, even by non-Christians, and that we might be accepted. That didn’t happen with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Not at all! King Nebuchadnezzar was so mad that he ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter and had these three men tied up and thrown into the furnace. It was so hot that the men who threw these three men in died from the flames. So, certainly young Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego died too. Right?
Actually, and we are very familiar with the story, that’s not what happened. Olyott notes that these three uncompromising believers were thrown into the fire. In the fire they received deliverance. We need to notice that they received deliverance in the fire, and not from the fire.
Much to King Nebuchadnezzar’s amazement, the furnace didn’t hold three burnt men—but rather four men unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed. The fourth, Nebuchadnezzar shouts, looks like a god! Was this Jesus in an Old Testament appearance? Likely. Did the king realize that? Likely not. But we do. And our God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—will deliver us. Eternally.
Swedish Method questions
Praise
Psalm 16d, 119t
Prayer
- Thank God that he will ultimately deliver you from all harm.
- Pray for the reading and preaching of God’s word tomorrow.
- Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.