Fiery Furnace
King Nebuchadnezzar was a pretty weird dude. He had a giant gold statue of himself made, and then ordered everyone in the kingdom to bow down and worship it. Ick! There were three young guys who weren't having it--Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Wait, did you think I was going to say Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego? Those were the names they were given when they were taken as slaves from Judah to Babylon. I prefer their Hebrew names. These youths had the audacity to defy the king's order. They refused to bow down, even though they knew it meant certain death. Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah told Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 3:17-18, 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. Did you notice that? They were sure God could spare them death by the furnace, b...