Yael Eckstein (2:46)

Shalom my friends. From here in the Holy Land of Israel, I'm Yael Eckstein with International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. And welcome to the Chosen People. Each day we'll hear a dramatic story inspired by the Bible. Stories filled with timeless lessons of faith, love, and the meaning of life. Through Israel's story, we will find this truth that we are all chosen for something great. So take a moment today to follow the podcast. If you're feeling extra grateful for these stories, we would love it if you left us a review. I read every single one of them and if you're interested in hearing more about the prophetic life saving work of the fellowship, you can visit ifcj.org let's begin.

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Narrator (5:22)

The Plain of Dura shimmered under the early sun, heat rising from the packed earth in wavering streams. From miles away, travelers could see it, a column of gold so vast it seemed to touch the sky. Drums rolled across the plain in slow, thunderous cadence. Lines of soldiers stood like bronze pillars. Envoys and officials from every corner of the empire crowded together, their silks and jewels a riot of color against the dusty ground. A broad platform of black stone had been built at the statue's base. Upon it, King Nebuchadnezzar stood draped in a robe of deep crimson, her crown heavy with emeralds, pressing against his brow. For years, long before the Judeans came to Babylon, the idea of this monument had been whispered in the court, sketched on tablets, argued over by architects. A hundred artisans had hammered and polished the gold plates until their arms gave out. And now it was finished, 90 cubits of gleaming immortality. A statue was built in his honor. But as Nebuchadnezzar looked up at it, the roar of drums fading into silver, there was a hollowness in his chest he could not name.

King Nebuchadnezzar (6:53)

It is finished.

Narrator (6:55)

And yet he remembered another image, one not made by human hands, a dream that God had revealed to Daniel. For a heartbeat, the king's eyes flickered with doubt. Then he buried it deep. This was not the place for hesitation, not with the eyes of the empire upon him. He raised his hands.

King Nebuchadnezzar (7:20)

Hear the decree of your king. At the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the harp, the pipe, you are to fall down and worship the image I have set before you.

Narrator (7:32)

A murmur swept the crowd. Somewhere in the sea of voices an official cried out in assent, and the cry rippled outward until the plain echoed with it. The king smiled, but the smile was thin, brittle at the edges. The streets of Babylon were restless after the king's decree. Vendors spoke in hushed tones as they sold their goods in the courtyards. Servants carried water jars a little faster than usual, their eyes fixed on the ground. The word had reached every home, every market, every temple. Bow to the image. In the shaded courtyard of a modest but well kept house, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah sat together around a low table. The fourth seat at the table was empty. If Daniel were here.

King Nebuchadnezzar (8:31)

If Daniel were here, he'd say exactly what you already know.

Narrator (8:36)

Easy for you to say.

Hananiah (Shadrach) (8:38)

You're not the one who's supposed to speak for him when the king asks where we stand.

Narrator (8:43)

Azariah set down the bread.

Hananiah (Shadrach) (8:45)

Daniel's not avoiding this. He's in Borsippa on the king's business. The Most High wanted him here. For this moment, he'd be here. Which means the task is ours.

Narrator (8:58)

Hananiah leaned back, staring up at the lattice of sunlight and shade above them.

Hananiah (Shadrach) (9:04)

There's a difference between quietly refusing and standing when the whole empire's watching.

King Nebuchadnezzar (9:11)

We've refused before. Remember the festival of Marduk last spring? We conveniently stayed behind.

Hananiah (Shadrach) (9:18)

Or the king's feast two years ago, the one with those consecrated meats. We walked out before the first toast, and each time we got away with it. But not this time, friends. This isn't a social gathering or a crowded feast. This is our line in the sand. Who is our king? Yahweh or Nebuchadnezzar?

Narrator (9:43)

A faint commotion drifted in from the street, the sound of a herald's voice echoing against the stone.

King Nebuchadnezzar (9:50)

It is time to gather at the king's landing. All courtiers and servants of the palace are summoned at once. And at the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the harp, the pipe, and every kind of musical instrument, all peoples and nations shall bow to the image set up by the king.

Narrator (10:16)

The words faded, replaced by the clatter of sandals on stone as the herald moved on. The three sat in silence for a moment. Then Azariah spoke, his tone steady but soft.

Hananiah (Shadrach) (10:31)

We've been given favor in this city, trusted positions.

King Nebuchadnezzar (10:36)

We built a life here, and none of that matters if it costs us our souls.

Narrator (10:41)

Hananiah's jaw tightened. He didn't like being the one to lead. He didn't feel ready. But the seat at the table was still empty. The plane of Dura was alive with sound. Trumpets blared from tap towers draped in crimson banners. Drums rolled in deep, steady beats that matched the pounding of thousands of feet gathering on the open ground. The gold statue loomed above them all, catching the afternoon sun until it seemed to burn with its own fire. From the platform at the base, Nebuchadnezzar surveyed the crowd of governors, satraps, military commanders, priests, and artisans. He spread his the royal herald stepped forward, his voice magnified by the amphitheatre of the surrounding hills, peoples, nations, and languages.

King Nebuchadnezzar (11:45)

This is what you are commanded to do. At the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the harp, the pipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the goat image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into the furnace of blazing.

Narrator (12:21)

A ripple of anticipation swept through the crowd. Nebuchadnezzar's gaze drifted upward to the statue's gleaming face. The music exploded, horns braying, strings thrum, drums pounding like a heartbeat gone mad. Across the plain, a wave of movement swept outward. Tens of thousands dropped to their knees, foreheads lowering to the dust. Gold bangles clinked against stone. The sound was like wind rushing through a forest. Except in one small clearing amid the bowing masses, three figures remained upright. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah stood shoulder to shoulder, their faces set, their eyes fixed on something far beyond the statue. The wind caught the edges of their robes, but their bodies did not move from the platform. The king's eyes narrowed. He could not yet see their faces, only the break in the pattern, a flaw in the design. He leaned toward the captain of his guard.

King Nebuchadnezzar (13:35)

Hebrews. Find out who they are.

Narrator (13:39)

The three Judeans were led up the black stone steps to the platform. The crowd below had thinned, but those who lingered watched intently. Nebuchadnezzar stood waiting, framed by the towering golden statue behind him. The furnace's smoke rose beyond it, a black column twisting into the pale sky. The soldiers halted, leaving Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to stand before the throne's low dais. For a long moment the king said nothing. He studied them, their posture, their calm faces, the way they looked at him without fear yet without insolence. It was the same unyielding composure he had seen once before in another Judean, Daniel. When he finally spoke, his voice was measured but carried the edge of steel.

King Nebuchadnezzar (14:38)

Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, that you do not serve me, my gods or worship the golden image I have set up?

Narrator (14:50)

Hananiah glanced briefly at the others before speaking.

Hananiah (Shadrach) (14:54)

It is true, great king.

Narrator (14:56)

The king's eyes narrowed.

King Nebuchadnezzar (14:59)

I will give you another chance. When you hear the sound of the music, you shall bow. If you do, I shall spare you for the sake of your friend Belteshazzar. But if you do not, you will be immediately thrown into the furnace of blazing fire.

Narrator (15:24)

Hananiah felt the weight of the moment pressing on him. He was not Daniel. He had never wanted to be the one speaking for them, but no one else was going to. He lifted his chin.

Hananiah (Shadrach) (15:36)

Great Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. We bow to the one true God of Israel.

King Nebuchadnezzar (15:47)

Look around you. I built these towers. I gathered these armies. I have the furnace to burn you all to a crisp. There is no God here but me.

Hananiah (Shadrach) (16:04)

You have the furnace, but our God owns the flame. Do what you will, great king. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it. And he will deliver us from your hand.

Narrator (16:19)

Mishael's voice joined his, steady as stone.

King Nebuchadnezzar (16:23)

But even if he does not, and this is truly the end for us, we still will not bow.

Hananiah (Shadrach) (16:29)

Not now. Not ever.

Narrator (16:32)

The king's jaw clenched. Beneath the heat of his anger was something else, a sting he could not ignore. Their words were not defiance alone. They were a reminder that there was a power greater than his.

King Nebuchadnezzar (16:48)

Then you shall meet your God in the flames.

Hananiah (Shadrach) (16:51)

We shall.

Narrator (16:54)

The roar of the furnace was deafening now, a constant, ravenous bellow. Heat rolled across the plain in suffocating waves, carrying the acrid tang of burning pitch. The crowd had gathered in a wide park at a safe distance, though even here the air shimmered and stole the oxygen. On the platform, the king stood rigid, eyes fixed on the growing flames.

King Nebuchadnezzar (17:24)

Find them.

Narrator (17:25)

The soldiers moved in. Coarse ropes bit into wrists and ankles. The three Judeans didn't resist, though Hananiah's chest rose and fell more quickly now. Mishael glanced at him, speaking just loud enough to be heard over the furnace. Look at me, Hanania did.

King Nebuchadnezzar (17:45)

You're not standing.

Hananiah (Shadrach) (17:47)

And even if the fire takes us.

Narrator (17:50)

It won't be the end.

King Nebuchadnezzar (17:52)

Rock Shazak, Hamas.

Narrator (17:55)

Be strong and courageous. The captain barked an order. Six of the strongest guards stepped forward and seized the Judeans. The heat was immediate, searing. One soldier gagged on the smoke. Another squinted against the brightness of the fire, teeth bared in a grimace. The king stepped to the edge of the platform, watching intently. His anger burned hot, but so did something else.

King Nebuchadnezzar (18:27)

If your God is real, then this is his last chance to prove it.

Narrator (18:32)

The guards reached the furnace opening. The heat slammed into them like a wall. One cried out, collapsing, skin blistering in seconds. Another dropped to his knees, choking in chaos. The three judicial aliens were shoved forward and fell into the blaze. The flames swallowed them whole. The surviving guards stumbled back from the opening, faces blistered, gasping for air. The crowd's murmur was low, tense.

King Nebuchadnezzar (19:07)

Where is your guard now? Hers.

Narrator (19:10)

The flame surged like a living beast, angry and hungry for more. Nebuchadnezzar roared at them in the flame.

King Nebuchadnezzar (19:19)

Where is your guard?

Narrator (19:21)

Then a voice rose from somewhere in the front ranks. My lord, look. Nebuchadnezzar's eyes snapped toward the furnace. Inside, where clothes should have blackened to ash, where flesh should have been consumed. In moments, the three men were walking, walking. And then there was a fourth figure in the flame. Nebuchadnezzar's breath caught in his throat. The figure's form was like a man's, but brighter than fire. He was robed in light itself, and every step scattered embers into gold. The flames curled around him as if they were no more than water around his ankles.

Hananiah (Shadrach) (20:07)

There appears to be a fourth man in the fire. He looks like.

Narrator (20:11)

Like a son of a the king stepped down from the platform, drawn toward the furnace's opening as though by an unseen hand.

King Nebuchadnezzar (20:22)

Prepare the iron bars and water to quiet the flames.

Narrator (20:26)

Nebuchadnezzar stepped forward, the heat pushing back at him with violent force. Still, the king needed to get closer. He needed to see. And deep down, he needed to test his own power against whatever Force kept these men alive in flames.

King Nebuchadnezzar (20:47)

Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, are you alive?

Narrator (20:52)

The furnace flared again, and the king was sent sprawling onto the ground. He looked up, and the radiance of the fourth man in the fire surged like a falling star. It was brighter than the flame and more radiant than the sun. The fourth man's eyes lit with a heavenly glow, and from his mouth a sword appeared. I am. The flames burned too fiercely for any mortal man to see. He burned for a moment, then left. The king looked back into the furnace. The fourth man was gone.

King Nebuchadnezzar (21:37)

Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, servants of the most high God, come out.

Narrator (21:44)

The three figures emerged from the furnace mouth, stepping onto the packed earth. Their ropes were gone, their garments unburned, their hair untouched. The only smell was the faint scent of the smoke they'd passed through, clinging not to them, but to the air they carried with them. The crowd surged forward, the officials and governors pressing close to see for themselves. The king looked at them, and for the first time in years, his voice faltered.

King Nebuchadnezzar (22:18)

Blessed be the God who delivered his servants, who trusted in him.

Narrator (22:23)

But even as he spoke, he felt the war in his own heart was far from over. The furnace still roared behind them, but now it was only background, a hollow threat robbed of its power. All eyes were on the three Judeans standing in the open air, untouched by flame. Nebuchadnezzar descended from the platform, the heat of the black stone fading under his sandals as he crossed the packed earth. He stopped only a few paces from them, searching their faces as if to find some hint of trickery. But there was none. He turned, his voice booming across the plain.

King Nebuchadnezzar (23:09)

Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him. They set aside the king's command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve or worship any God except their own God.

Narrator (23:26)

The crowd murmured in amazement, their ore spreading like fire through dry grass. The king raised a hand for silence.

King Nebuchadnezzar (23:35)

Therefore, I make a decree. Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins. For there is no other God who was able to rescue in this way.

Narrator (23:55)

A cheer rose, rolling over the plain. Soldiers struck their spears against their shields in a steady rhythm, a sound like thunder. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah exchanged brief glances, limb from limb.

Hananiah (Shadrach) (24:15)

He's got a lot to learn about our God.

King Nebuchadnezzar (24:17)

We're still in Babylon. I wouldn't expect things to change so quickly.

Narrator (24:22)

The king returned to the platform. Servants called for the musicians to play again, but he waved them off. Later that night, long after the officials had dispersed and the crowd had gone home, Nebuchadnezzar remained. He stood at the base of the golden statue, its polished surface gleaming in the torchlight. He looked up at its unblinking face. The wind carried the distant hiss of the furnace as it cooled. The words of his own decree echoed in his mind. No other God is able to rescue in this way. And behind them, the image of the fourth man in the fire brighter than the flames. For a moment, the king felt the weight of his own words pressing back on him, but he set his jaw, turning away. The statue loomed behind him as he walked into the dark, still unbroken.

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Yael Eckstein (27:30)

If your faith has been kindled by this podcast and it has affected your life. We'd love it if you left a review. We read them and me personally, I cherish them. As you venture forth boldly and faithfully, I leave you with the Biblical Blessing from Numbers 6. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you. May he be gracious to you. May the Lord turn His face towards you and give you peace. Amen.

Narrator (28:13)

You can listen to the Chosen People with Yael Eckstein ad free by downloading and subscribing to the pray.com app today. This pray.com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Schellewager and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of the Chosen People with Yael Eckstein. Edited by Alberto Avila Narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Jr. Rosanna Pilcher and Mitch Leschinsky. And the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith. Written by Aaron Salvato, Bree Rosalie and Chris Baig. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin Van Etten, Caleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, Rabbi Edward Abramson and the team at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Pray.com productions on the Pray.com app available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed the Chosen People with Yael Eckstein, please rate and leave a review.

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Narrator (32:05)

Wait, this has bubble jets.

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