March 12 – Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego – Daniel 3
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were Babylonian name given to them when they were taken into captivity. Their birth names were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
King Nebuchadnezzar makes a 90 to 110 foot statue of himself for all to worship. Upon the refusal to worship this statue, these men were brought before the king himself. The king again explained his expectations to them, and what the consequences were if they chose to disobey. I love the answer in verse 16. The statement “ we are not careful to answer thee in this matter” shows they had previously examined their options, and they had decided to please God even before standing in front of the king. In verses 17 and 18, they respectfully disagree with the king as to whether or not God has the ability to save them from the furnace. They promptly declare that if God does not choose to save them from the fire, they are still determined to to right.
All three men are thrown into the fiery furnace. The king is astonished after looking into the fire and seeing the Son of God with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abenego. Like yesterday’s example of Daniel experiencing one on one time with the angel of God while facing a crisis; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego only got to experience Jesus Christ on a personal level while they were facing a crisis. What is the similarity? In both instances, pleasing God became the most important thing in their lives.
How important is pleasing God to you?
