Hall of Faith: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, stood up for their beliefs

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are not mentioned by name in the Hall of Faith, but

Daniel and his friends honored God with their actions

referred to as “quenched the fire”. {Hebrews 11:34}.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were friends of Daniel, who escaped the lions den. They also suffered under the hand of

King Nebuchadnezzar. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are the Babylonian names for Hanania {meaning God is gracious}, Mishael {meaning Who is like God?} and Azaria {meaning God has helped}. These are their names and meanings in Hebrew.

they were given high positions for their abilities

We find their story in the book of Daniel, chapter 3. King Nebuchadnezzar set up a golden image to one of the pagan gods, Dura, and insisted that all of his officials bow before it. All those that failed to do so would be thrown into a blazing furnace. Certain officials informed the king that the three Jewish youths Hanania, Mishael, and Azaria, who bore the Babylonian names Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and whom the king had appointed to high office in Babylon, were refusing to worship the golden statue. The three were brought before Nebuchadnezzar, where they informed the king that their God would be with them.

They were thrown into the fiery furnace

King Nebuchadnezzar commanded that these men be thrown into the furnace which was to be heated seven times hotter than normal. The flame was so hot that the men who three Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the furnace were killed. {Daniel 3:22} The men were thrown into the fire, but when the king looked into the furnace he did not see three men, but four men, who were walking around unharmed by the flames. The fourth man was described by the officials as “like a son of the gods”. {Daniel 3:25} Upon seeing this King Nebuchadnezzar brought Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego out of the fire and promoted them to a high office. He then decreed that anyone that spoke against their God would be torn from limb to limb.

So what can we learn from Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego?

1. They stood up for their beliefs

An angel was with the three men in the fire

2. They trusted in God to see them through

3. They were not afraid to stand up for their beliefs

4. God never left or forsakened them

5. They were rewarded for their faith

6. God can use us at any age

We live in a time where people live more for the world than for God. Taking a stand is not easy, but we can learn from Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego that God will be with us and never leave us, if we take a stand for him.

Have you had to take a stand for your beliefs?

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.