Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO

Objectives:

Children should be able to identify Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as the three young men in the fire.
Children should be able to tell the story of the three young men.
Children should identify Nebuchadnezzar as King of Babylon and the Jewish people as his prisoners.

Possible Lesson Plan:

Open with prayer.
Read the story in the Beginner’s Bible, pages 247-250, the Children’s Bible Reader, pages 151-153, or the Read with Me Bible, pages 223-229. Remind the children that Jesus saved the 3 young men and that the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is told over and over during Holy Week as a foreshadowing of Jesus’s escape from the flames of hell and resurrection.

Add the Three Youths to your timeline.

True False

Shadrach was a Jewish boy. Shadrach was a Babylonian.

Nebuchadnezzar was King of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar was king of Israel.

Jesus was in the fire. Nebuchadnezzar fell in the fire.

Before class, lightly spray sugar cubes from a box with gold paint. In class, have the children build a statue of Nebuchadnezzar from the gold cubes. Ask the children for the characteristics of God – is He all-powerful, able to help us in all times of need? Then ask them if this golden statue can save them from troubles? What troubles can they think of in their own lives? For each problem the children mention, pour a little water on the statue. Watch the statue crumble! Just as the 3 young men knew, no statue is a true god. Review the stories of Noah, of Joseph, of Moses, etc. to show that the one true God can help us in even the worst circumstances. How did he help Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?

Make Popsicle Puppets. Print figures on cardstock, cut out, color, tape popsicle stick to the back. Can students retell the story with their puppets?

6. Close with prayer.