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Friday, August 21, 2026

Bible tale: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery Furnace

 


Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery Furnace
Daniel 1-3
re-told by Debbie Dunn









Story highlights:

* What were Shadrach & Meshach & Abednego ordered to do?

* Bow to King Nebuchadnezzar’s tall gold statue or be thrown into fiery furnace.

* God saved Shadrach & Meshach & Abednego from the fiery furnace.


Bible tale begins:


The fiery furnace story happened about 600 years before Jesus, the Son of God, walked the earth as a man.


RINGLEADER: Tell us the fiery furnace story!


Group repeats


First, you have to understand that the King of Babylon came to Jerusalem and kidnapped a whole bunch of people.


RINGLEADER: What was that mean king's name?


Group repeats


His name was King Nebuchadnezzar [neh-buh-kuhd-neh-zr].


RINGLEADER: Nebuchadnezzar is a long name!


Group repeats


It sure was. The king even gave new names to some of his hostages including the 3 heroes of this story.


RINGLEADER: What were those 3 names?


Group repeats


One of them was called Shadrach [SHAD-rak].


RINGLEADER: Shadrach.


Group repeats


The second one was named Meschach [MEE-shak].


RINGLEADER: Meschach.


Group repeats


The last one was named Abednego [uh-BED-nih-goh].


RINGLEADER: Abednego.


Group repeats


God gave those 3 young men lots of talents and abilities.


King Nebuchadnezzar rewarded them with important jobs. But as time passed, something awful happened.


RINGLEADER: Uh-oh! What happened?


Group repeats


King Nebuchadnezzar got it into his head to build a gold statue that was 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide.


RINGLEADER? What is something 90-feet tall?


Group repeats


A 9-story building and baseball players have to run 90 feet between home plate and first base.


RINGLEADER: Wow! That is a tallllllll statue!


Group repeats


But … there was a big problem with that tall gold statue.


RINGLEADER: I bet people had to worship it.


Group repeats


You guessed it! Just listen to the announcement they made.


HERALD: The king commands you to bow to his statue when you hear musical instruments play.


RINGLEADER: What happens if we don’t do that?


Group repeats


HERALD: You will be thrown into a blazing furnace.


RINGLEADER: Woe! That's scary!


Group repeats


It sure was! King Nebuchadnezzar's people were used to bowing down to statues. But remember that hostages like our 3 heroes only worshipped God Almighty.


Have you ever tattled or had somebody tattle on you?


RINGLEADER: Uh-oh! Did someone tattle on them?


Group repeats


Yep! Some jealous people went to the king and tattled.


TATTLERS: Uh, Your Majesty, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to bow down to your tall gold statue.


RINGLEADER: Uh-oh! I bet that king was mad!


Group repeats


That king called them in and angrily demanded


KING: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, I will give you one last chance. If you refuse to bow down to my 90-foot-tall gold statue, you will be thrown into my blazing furnace. I bet no god can rescue you from my power!


Speaking for all of them, Shadrach politely replied:


SHADRACH: Your Majesty, if we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve can save us. He will rescue us from your power, But even if He doesn't, we still refuse to worship any idols including your tall statue.


RINGLEADER: I bet that king wanted revenge!


Group repeats


He sure did! The enraged king ordered:


KING: Soldiers! Make that fiery furnace 7 times hotter. Then, bind those 3 and throw them into the flames.


Believe it or not, that fire was so hot that it immediately killed the soldiers who threw God’s faithful 3 into the roaring flames.


RINGLEADER: Woe! What about our 3 heroes?


Group repeats


King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and asked:


KING: Woe! Didn't we only throw 3 men into the fire?


The advisors said, "Yes, Your Majesty. There were only 3.” Shocked, the king pointed toward the fire and shouted:


KING: Look! I see 4 men, not just 3. They are unbound and walking around unharmed. Is the 4th the Son of God?


RINGLEADER: Maybe it was an angel or Jesus.


Group repeats


The king approached the furnace and called:


KING: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!


Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego calmly stepped out of the fire. Everyone crowded around. They realized that all 3 of them looked fine and didn’t even smell like fire. The king called out:


God text

KING: Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent His angel to rescue his servants who trusted in Him. Those 3 were willing to die rather than worship any god except their own God. From this day forward, treat their God with great respect. After all, there is no other god who can rescue as their God did.


RINGLEADER: Wow! Our God is all powerful!


Group repeats



Question: Any questions or comments?



Are you a Bible enthusiast or do you lead a Youth Group or Family Bible Study? To get a FREE PDF download of this story, click on this link below:


Free PDF download of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery Furnace.


Do you want more stories about prophets like Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, & Ezekiel? If so, visit the Major Prophets of Israel chapter from my EXPLORE BIBLE STORY dot org website.


Click here to get more stories about prophets like Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, & Ezekiel.



My ever-expanding Explore Bible Story dot org website includes Bible stories and Biblical Family Trees about



Explore Bible story dot org Business Card designed by Debbie Dunn using PowerPoint
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Thursday, August 20, 2026

Bible tale: Elisha heals Naaman of Leprosy

 Elisha heals Naaman of Leprosy & punishes Gehazi for lying

2 Kings 5

re-told by Debbie Dunn









Story highlights:

* Leprosy is highly contagious disease that sometimes rots away skin

* Prophet Elisha healed military commander Naaman of leprosy

* Elisha punishes his servant Gehazi for his lies and greed


Bible tale begins:


Get ready to hear a Prophet Elisha miracle tale.

 

In the country of Syria, there was a popular guy with an unusual name. His name was Naaman [naa-muhn].

 

RINGLEADER: Naaman's name was Naaman!       

[Group repeats]

 

RINGLEADER: What made Naaman so popular?      

[Group repeats]

 

Naaman was a military commander whom God had blessed by allowing him to win many victories for the king of Syria. Until a bad thing happened.

 

RINGLEADER: What bad thing happened?       

[Group repeats]

 

Even though he was mighty warrior, Naaman came down with leprosy,

 

RINGLEADER: What’s leprosy?      

[Group repeats]

 

Leprosy is highly contagious. It can even sometimes rot away the skin.

 

RINGLEADER: Yikes to scary skin rot!!!       

[Group repeats]

 

Today, leprosy is curable with medicine and prayer. Back in those days, some people isolated briefly, while others suffered lifelong skin rot.

 

RINGLEADER: Did Naaman have the bad kind of leprosy?   

[Group repeats]

 

He sure did! He went from being the kind of guy everybody wanted to be around to the man they were now too scared to be around. His own wife even had to keep her distance. One day, her young Hebrew servant girl said:

 

HEBREW SERVANT GIRL: If my master would travel to Samaria, the Prophet Elisha could heal him of his leprosy.

 

Perhaps the wife sent a message to the King of Syria, because the Bible states he urged Naaman to visit that Hebrew man of God.

 

To pay the prophet, Naaman loaded his horse-drawn chariot with gifts.

 

RINGLEADER: What gifts did he bring?      

[Group repeats]

 

He brought 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and 10 clothing sets.

 

His soldiers likely rode in a separate chariot so they didn’t catch his disease.

 

RINGLEADER: How far did they have to travel?       

[Group repeats]

 

100 miles. They traveled from Damascus, the capital of Syria, to Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel. Elisha then sent him this message:

 

ELISHA: To be cured of your leprosy, go to the Jordan River, and dunk yourself under the water 7 times.

 

Naaman was so offended! As he stormed off, he snapped:

 

NAAMAN: There’s no way I am going to dip myself in that dirty river!

 

One of his officers gently pointed out:

 

OFFICER: Uh, ..., sir, with respect, even though he asked you to do something simple instead of heroic, shouldn’t you try to do it anyway?

 

Swallowing his pride, Naaman traveled the 10 to 20 miles to the Jordan River, waded into the water, and dunked himself 7 times.

 

In the Bible, the number 7 is very special. And those 7 times were all it took for Naaman’s skin to go from open sores to smooth and healthy.

 

RINGLEADER: Hooray! His leprosy was cured!       

[Group repeats]

 

Naaman was so excited that he rushed back to Elisha to thank him.

 

NAAMAN: Prophet Elisha! Now I know that there is no God in all the world except here in Israel. Please accept the gifts that I have brought.

 

ELISHA: Naaman, I cannot accept payment for what only God could do. Thanks anyway, and go in peace.

 

Naaman gratefully started for home. Did he picture himself hugging his wife? Did he plan to thank her little Hebrew servant girl? Was he eager to tell the King of Syria he could once again report for duty?

 

In any case, he had no clue that Elisha's greedy servant, named Gehazi [gi-HAY-zy], was running to catch up to him as fast as he could.

 

RINGLEADER: What did Elisha's servant want?       

[Group repeats]

 

Greedy Gehazi intended to tell Naaman a whopper of a lie that led to him handing over 2 new outfits of clothes and 2 big bags of shiny silver.

 

As Gehazi sneaked his treasure home, he was shocked to discover God had given Elisha a vision of everything he had said and did. Elisha said:

 

ELISHA: Gehazi, the consequence for your lies and greed is that you will suffer from Naaman's leprosy forever.

 

To his dismay, Gehazi realized that he now had leprosy all over his face and body. His skin was white as snow.

 

RINGLEADER: Yikes! Telling lies and being greedy sure doesn't pay!

 [Group repeats]

 

And that is the end of today's Bible tale!


Any questions or comments?


Are you a Bible enthusiast or do you lead a Youth Group or Family Bible Study? To get a FREE PDF download of this story, click on this link below:


Free PDF download of Elisha heals Naaman of Leprosy.


Do you want more stories about prophets like Elijah, Elisha, Samuel, & Nathan? If so, visit the More Prophets of Israel chapter from my EXPLORE BIBLE STORY dot org website.


Click here to get more stories about prophets like Elijah, Elisha, Samuel, & Nathan.



My ever-expanding Explore Bible Story dot org website includes Bible stories and Biblical Family Trees about



Explore Bible story dot org Business Card designed by Debbie Dunn using PowerPoint
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Location: Athens, AL, USA

Bible tale: Prophet Elijah trains Elisha to one day replace him as God's prophet

Prophet Elijah trains Elisha to one day replace him as God's prophet

Psalm 46 v 1 God is our refuge Part 5

re-told by Debbie Dunn 









Story highlights:

* Elijah heard God speak to him in gentle whisper after wind-earthquake-fire

* God sent Elijah to train Elisha to one day replace him as God's prophet

* Elisha agreed to leave home to train as God’s prophet


Bible tale begins:









As we continue this series about how we can always call on God to help us in times of trouble, let's have a volunteer read Psalm 46:1.

 

Psalm 46:1 (NLT) God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.


Question: What does refuge mean?

Answer: A safe hiding place.
To help you remember this word better, imagine yourself playing Hide-and-Seek. Just like you try to find a safe hiding place for yourself, God guides us to find safe hiding places, as well.


Psalm 46:10 is another cool Bible verse.

 

Let's get a volunteer to read that one.

 










Psalm 46:10 (AMP) God says: "Be still and know [recognize, understand] that I am God."

 

Last week, we heard an encouraging story about when Elijah was feeling sad and lonely. After spending the night in a cave on Mt. Sinai, God spoke to Elijah and said:





 Father God: Elijah, go out and stand before me on the mountain.

 

You might recall that there was a windstorm, then an earthquake, and then a fire.


RINGLEADER: But, ..., the Lord was not in any of those.

[Group repeats]

 

After that, there was the sound of a gentle whisper.

 

God can definitely choose to speak to us in a loud voice. But perhaps, more often than not, He speaks to us in a quiet voice. That is what happened in Elijah's case. God quietly said:

 

 Father God: Elijah, what are you doing here?

 

That is when God gave Elijah a chance to share his concerns.

 

RINGLEADER: Hooray for God making Elijah feel better!                                                                                                      

[Group repeats]

 

God gave Elijah some tasks to do. The coolest task was this one.


 

 Father God: Elijah, I want you to meet up with Elisha and anoint him as My prophet who will eventually replace you.

 

So, Elijah began his mission. His starting point was Mt. Sinai.


Question: What amazing thing happened when Moses first climbed to the top of Mt. Sinai?

Answer: Moses saw the burning bush and heard the voice of God.



Question: When Moses spent 40 days and 40 nights at the top of Mt. Sinai with God, what did he bring back to show the Israelite people?

Answer: 2 Stone tablets that held the 10 Commandments


RINGLEADER: How far did Elijah have to travel to see Elisha?                                                             

 [Group repeats]

 

Elijah probably had to walk about 250 to 300 miles to reach Elisha. It very likely took the prophet around three weeks to walk that distance.


RINGLEADER: What was Elisha doing when Elijah finally saw him for the first time?                            

[Group repeats]

 

Elisha was plowing his field.

 

RINGLEADER: What did Elijah do next?         

[Group repeats]

 

We learn in 1 Kings 19:19 that Elijah went over to Elisha and threw his cloak across Elisha's shoulders. Then, Elijah walked away.

 

RINGLEADER: What did it mean when a prophet did that?

 [Group repeats]

                                                                                                         

Elisha very likely knew who Elijah was - a great prophet. Back in those days, if a great prophet threw his cloak over your shoulders, it meant that God was calling you to be His special prophet, as well.

 

RINGLEADER: Did Elisha agree to go with Elijah?                                                                                                      

 [Group repeats]

 

Yes, Elisha did agree to go after he kissed his parents goodbye and had one last goodbye party with the people of his town.

 

After that, Elisha went with Elijah to train to become a prophet of God and to serve Elijah as his assistant and helper.

 

RINGLEADER: How long did Elisha's training sessions last?                                                                                                    

 [Group repeats]

 

The Bible doesn't give an exact number of years. Before the Chariot of Fire story, which we will hear about next week, they probably spent 6 to 10 years together.


Question: Any questions or comments?


Are you a Bible enthusiast or do you lead a Youth Group or Family Bible Study? To get a FREE PDF download of this story, click on this link below:


Free PDF download of About Elijah part 5.


Do you want more stories about prophets like Elijah, Elisha, Samuel, & Nathan? If so, visit the More Prophets of Israel chapter from my EXPLORE BIBLE STORY dot org website.


Click here to get more stories about prophets like Elijah, Elisha, Samuel, & Nathan.



My ever-expanding Explore Bible Story dot org website includes Bible stories and Biblical Family Trees about



Explore Bible story dot org Business Card designed by Debbie Dunn using PowerPoint
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , ,
Location: Athens, AL, USA
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