Di Fourth Man Inside di Fire

Di heat strong so tey say di soldiers wey carry di prisoners reach di door of di furnace fall down, dem no rise again. And di three prisoners, wey dem tie inside dia cloth, fall enter di flames.

We dey Babylon, around six hundred years before Jesus. King Nebuchadnezzar don conquer Jerusalem and carry young Jewish men come serve for im palace. Three of dem, friends of Daniel, don get Babylonian names: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Dem don rise reach important positions. Then di king build one golden image wey big well well for di plain of Dura, and e command say when di music play, every official for di whole empire must fall down and worship am. Anybody wey refuse, dem go throw am inside furnace wey fire dey burn. Di music play. Everybody bow. Except three.

Nebuchadnezzar vex well well. E give dem one more chance, and dem answer am with calm heart. Our God fit rescue us. But even if e no do am, we no go serve your gods or worship your golden image. Now di king face change with anger. E order make dem heat di furnace seven times pass how e dey hot before. E command di strongest men for im army make dem tie Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, with dia coats, trousers and caps still for dia body, and throw dem inside. Di flames fierce so tey say dem take di life of di men wey carry dem reach di opening. And di three friends, wey dem tie, fall enter di middle of di fire.

Di king dey watch. And sudden sudden, e jump up for fear. E turn to im advisers. No be three men we tie throw inside di middle of di fire? True, O king. Look, I see four men wey dem no tie, wey dey waka for di middle of di fire, and nothing do dem. And di fourth one be like son of di gods. Four, no be three. No be tied, but dey waka. No be burning, but free. Somebody don join dem inside di flames.

Nebuchadnezzar go near di door of di furnace and call inside. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, una servants of di Most High God, comot, come here! And dem waka comot. Di officials gather around dem to look. Di fire no get any power over dia body. Not even one hair for dia head burn. Dia cloth no scorch. Dem no even smell of smoke. And di king wey build di golden statue talk: Blessed be di God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, wey send im angel and rescue im servants wey trust am. Dem prefer to give dia body than to serve or worship any god except dia own God.

Something dey different about di language of dis chapter. Most of di Old Testament, na Hebrew dem take write am. But from di middle of Daniel chapter two reach di end of chapter seven, di book change to Aramaic, di international language of di Babylonian and Persian empires. Di story of di furnace of fire, wey happen for di royal palace of Babylon, dem write am for di language of dat same palace.

Di Fourth Man Inside di Fire. You go find am for Daniel chapter three, verse nineteen to twenty-eight. God no keep di three friends from di fire, but e no leave dem alone inside am. Di prophet Isaiah don promise before: when you waka pass through fire, e no go burn you. For Christmas, Christians dey celebrate one child wey dem call Immanuel, God with us, di God wey dey enter di fire with im people. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Di three friends no dey alone inside di fire. Where you need to remember say God dey with you?