King Nebuchadnezzar had a statue made in gold that was 90 ft high by 9 ft wide. He ordered everyone to bow down and worship this statue anytime a horn blew, thus making his devotions to God short lived. Anyone who refused to bow down and worship this statue was to be sent to a burning, fiery furnace.
When the horns blew and everyone else worshiped, the chaldeans saw that Daniel's friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego did not follow orders. The boys when questioned by the king simply said that they didnt need to answer and that their God would deliver them, and that they will not worship their idols and gods. They stood up for their faith and loyalty to God and out of their love and fear of the Lord they didnt give in and worship the statue.
Nebuchadnezzar was furious, so he demanded that the furnace be even hotter and that the boys be burnt in it after being bound up. The fire was so hot that the men who took the boys to be put in the fire were taken up by the flames and killed. As the king watched the fire burn with the 3 boys in it, he stood up in shock and asked if they had put just the 3 men in the fire. His counselors replied by telling him yes, just the 3 men. He was shocked because he saw 4 men loose, walking in the midst of the fire. They were not hurt or burnt and the 4th man was like the son of God. Nebuchadnezzar went to the mouth of the fire and told the boys that serve the Most High God to come out. He praised God and told everyone that no other God could deliver like this. The boys were then handed a promotion in the province of Babylon.
To have faith like this is inspiring. They believed God would deliver them and protect them as they were being put in a fiery furnace to their death and God saved them. Faith like this is what we should strive for. It would have been a thousand times easier and less scarier to bow down and worship the idol made of gold and beg God for forgiveness. The strength and courage to stand up for our God is incredible in this testimony. Not only did they show their love and commitment to God but God was given the opportunity to show everyone just how powerful He is by delivering them from the fiery pit of death.