Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO
Objectives:
- Students should be able to identify Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as the three young men in the fire and tell their story.
- Students should identify Nebuchadnezzar as King of Babylon and the Jewish people as his prisoners.
- Students should begin to understand the reference to the three young men in the fire as a foreshadowing of the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Possible Lesson Plan:
- Open with prayer.
- Scripture Reference: Daniel 3. Daniel and his friends, were taken as captives to Nebuchadnezzar’s palace in Babylon. They were given Babylonian names: Daniel became Belteshazzar, Hananiah became Shadrach, Mishael became Meshach, and Azariah became Abednego. I’ve never figured out why Daniel is known by his Jewish name and the others by their Babylonian names!
- Learning Game: The Big Step. Just as before, line up the students at one end of the classroom and the teacher at the other. Ask questions from the lesson. If the student gives the correct answer, he can take a step. If not, take the question to the next student. First to cross the room is the winner.
- Discussion: The story of the 3 young men in the fire is told over and over in the canons around Pascha-time. Why? This story from the Old Testament is thought to be a foreshadowing of the descent of Christ into hell to save the captives. What is a foreshadowing? Who does Nebuchadnezzar represent?
Make the “Three Young Men in the Fire”: Fashion 3 tiny people from a pipe cleaner or two each. You can put some fabric-scrap robes on them if desired. Then take a piece of orange crepe paper about 2 feet long and cut fringes on one side. Line up the 3 figures and wrap the crepe paper around their legs several times to simulate fire. Glue them and the crepe paper together. You can attach a hanger to the head of the middle person.
- Close with prayer. Ask for courage to stand up for our beliefs no matter what as did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.