Idol Room

 SCENE 6

TRANSCRIPTION

Shadrach: There we stood. Peering over us was King Nebuchadnezzar’s nine story golden statue, an idol created for all the world to see. By the king’s decree, we were ordered to bow down and worship the statue whenever the music rang throughout the kingdom. Should anyone not follow King Nebuchadnezzar’s orders to bow down to his statue, they were immediately cast into the roaring furnace and burned alive. 

Suddenly, the music played

We watched everyone, including the Babylonians and the Israelites who were held in captivity, drop to their knees and bow before the idol. I, Shadrach, and my two friends (Meschach and Abednego) were the only ones left standing. At a glance, we knew what the other was thinking. We’ve witnessed the consequences of our people when we’ve worshipped anything else other than God himself. We would rather suffer death than to continue to commit the same mistake, over and over again, and betray our Lord. 

At once, we were summoned to stand before the king.  He had grown to respect us and our chosen way of life, although, this time, he was seething with rage. He gave us one more chance to bow down to the idol. When we refused, he ordered his servants to prepare the furnace seven times hotter than it was, and he ordered for us to be thrown in.

A Moment to Reflect and Personalize: The audio continues as “the guide” motions for the group to take notice of the idol in the corner.  This statue will represent the many things within our culture that we make into idols, things that take precedence or infiltrate.

Narrator: The war over what we choose to worship began in the garden of Eden, where we were first distracted with curiosity and a desire to be all knowing. Since then, many things have consumed our time, our thoughts, our money. These things are not inherently evil, but they can be all consuming and can ultimately become a god that we worship.  Though they do not look like a 90 foot golden statue, anything that we give ourselves to IS an idol. The more we give to the idol, the more it grows in our lives.  

Take a moment to reflect on what you allow to infiltrate or take precedence in your life.  Perhaps it is something or even someone that you are choosing over the Lord. Write it on this “tree of knowledge,” and let the enemy know, as Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego did, “I will not bow!” [said sternly].  When you are ready, please start the next audio and step into the furnace.

(Heat blows into the faces of people as they step into the furnace)

Shadrach: “Though we were bound and carried towards the furnace, my friends and I were at peace. We knew that if the Lord willed it, He would save us, but if He chose not to then His will would be done. We were ready to keep serving our Lord down to our last moment. Just as we were tossed in, the furnace flamed with such intense heat that the guards that carried us to our executions were immediately burned up, but we…. We were fine! The ropes that bound us were turned into ash and the three of us worshiped and praised the Lord in the midst of the flames… but it wasn't just the three of us. There was another in the fire! The Angel of the Lord walking alongside us, protecting us from what should have consumed and destroyed us!”

Just then, we watched as King Nebuchadnezzar signaled for us to come out. As we stepped out and away from the scorching furnace, the king made circles around us, inspecting every inch of our clothes, skin and hair, looking for any degree of burn. Not even a single hair on us was singed. The look on King Nebuchadnezzar’s face was that of complete bewilderment and disbelief, but we did not have any trouble believing what just took place. 

NARRATOR: Anything is possible with our God. Just as God demonstrated in this story, He can protect us from literal fires as well.  He will continue to do so as many hardships will, undoubtedly, come our way. Although sometimes in life, the heat may feel too intense, we must remember, “There is another in the fire,” and He walks with us. The Lord is with us during the hardest of times, but we can trust that we will escape those moments not singed, burned or charred.  Instead, we will be refined like steel, stronger and better than when we went in.