While some think he was an angel, many Bible teachers believe that the fourth person in the fiery furnace was the Son of God -- Jesus before he came to earth as a man (Daniel 3:25-26). Bible teachers say that the pre-incarnate Son of God is mentioned more than 150 times in the Old Testament.

The Son of God is so clearly identified throughout the Old Testament that apostle Paul even used it to teach about Jesus: "So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul’s lodging. He explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures. Using the Law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening" (Acts 28:23). Theologians call this a "theophany," or an appearance of God. Theophany is Greek, meaning “God” (theo) and “to reveal oneself” (phaneia). God is always revealing Himself. He's also revealing Himself to you today.

The Hebrew men told the king that they believed God would save them from the fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego went on to say, "But even if he doesn’t ... we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up" (Daniel 3:18). This is a wonderful example of faith for believers of all ages to follow.

We can put our trust in Him by holding onto His promises. The Bible gives us many promises to hold onto when life gets hard and when we face danger. Isaiah 43:2 sounds like it was written for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: "When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you."

Psalm 91 is a wonderful chapter in the Bible, filled with many promises from God for our protection. Verse seven says, "Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you."

We can trust that God is with us, and He is for us! "So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you" (Deuteronomy 31:6).

The Bible tells us to put God first in our lives and to obey His loving commandments. In Deuteronomy 6:5-7, Moses writes, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” The three Hebrew men did not want to disobey the Law of Moses and commit idolatry. People all around them violated these laws and bowed before the golden image, but the three Hebrew men refused to bow down. God blessed their obedience. God will also bless your obedience (Isaiah 43:2).

In the story of Daniel and the lions' den (Daniel 6), we see that Daniel is an official in the Persian Empire under King Darius. The other officials did not like Daniel. These other officials urged King Darius to make a decree. They stated that no one could offer prayer to any god or man except King Darius for a period of thirty days. Daniel continued to pray to Yahweh, knowing that praying could have him killed. For this action, his friend King Darius had Daniel arrested and thrown into a den of lions. God miraculously shut the mouths of the lions, and Daniel was saved. Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel all chose to obey God in the face of great danger. Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you want to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). If we will serve and obey God, no matter what the cost, the Lord will bless us abundantly and show His love through us.

God will pour out his blessing on those who are obedient to Him. The Bible says, "People who despise advice are asking for trouble; those who respect a command will succeed" (Proverbs 13:13). The three Hebrew men -- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego -- were obedient to God's commandments, even when they faced criticism and certain death. As a result of their obedience, the Bible tells us that Nebuchadnezzar ultimately praises the "Most High God." And then, "the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon" (Daniel 3:28-30). God will give you great wisdom and blessing if you will obey Him and follow Him with all your strength.