Three Hebrew Worthies

[Thompson, Darryl]

Three Hebrew Worthies 

     If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the
burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy
gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Dan 3:17,18  

     A severe test came to . . . these youth when Nebuchadnezzar issued
a proclamation, calling upon all the officers of the kingdom to assemble
at the dedication of the great image, and at the sound of the musical
instruments, to bow down and worship it. Should any fail of doing this,
they were immediately to be cast into the midst of a burning fiery
furnace. The worship of this image had been brought about by the wise
men of Babylon in order to make the Hebrew youth join in their
idolatrous worship. They were beautiful singers, and the Chaldeans
wanted them to forget their God and accept the worship of the Babylonian
idols.  

     The appointed day came, and at the sound of the music, the vast
company that had assembled at the king's command "fell down and
worshiped the golden image." But these faithful young men would not bow
down . . . .  

     Then the king commanded the furnace to be heated seven times hotter
than it was wont to be heated; and when this was done, the three Hebrews
were cast in. So furious were the flames that the men who cast the
Hebrews in were burned to death.  

     Suddenly the countenance of the king paled with terror. . . . His
voice trembling with excitement, the monarch exclaimed, "Lo, I see four
men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and
the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."  

     From age to age the heroes of faith have been marked by their
fidelity to God, and they have been brought conspicuously before the
world that their light might shine to those in darkness. Daniel and his
three companions are illustrious examples of Christian heroism. . . .