Rotation.org Writing Team

Daniel 3 ~ The Fiery Furnace

A Video Workshop Lesson

Summary of Activities

Students will watch the story of The Fiery Furnace using the free video from Superbook, discuss its meaning and life application, and conclude with a "golden statue" reflection activity.

Scripture

Daniel 3, The Story of the Fiery Furnace.
(The video in this lesson follows the scriptural story and so functions as the scripture reading. See the "adaptations" section of this lesson plan for incorporating a reading into the lesson.)

Memory Verse: "The God we serve is able to deliver us." (Daniel 3:17, NIV)

Lesson Objectives

See the Daniel Bible Background at Rotation.org for insights into this story and this set's complete list of objectives.

Preparation and Materials

• Read the Bible Background and scripture.
• Preview the Superbook Fiery Furnace video (Season 2, Episode 3, aka episode "203").
• Review the outline in the post below of the video and print if needed.
• Make preparations to show the video in your classroom. See "how to" notes at the end of this lesson.
• Bring some popcorn and drinks to share during the movie. Darken the room to improve concentration.
• If using the Workshop Rotation Model, host this lesson in your "Video Workshop's" comfy seating.
  
  Below is a preview of the full version of the Superbook's Daniel 3 Fiery Furnace video that Superbook has posted on YouTube. Use this direct link in your classroom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmWHcDUHFXw   You can also register and view the video at Superbook's "kids" site: https://us-en.superbook.cbn.com/episode_player?v=4515327549001 ( After you sign in or register at the Superbook site, paste that link into your browser's search field to go directly to the episode.) The video is 27 minutes long, shorter if you skip the end song.
  
  

• We chose this video because it faithfully retells the story and quotes scripture.
• The modern kids and robot who travel to the story provide life application and reinforce key points.
• It takes the story seriously, putting faith and God front and center.
• The video works for a broad age range.

Lesson Plan

Opening

Welcome your students and explain what they'll be doing and learning about today.

To introduce the idea of "following God's word and not bowing to false gods," play a quick game of this special two-leader version of "Simon Says" we call "God Says."

In this special version, two "Simons" stand in front of the players. One is designated "Real God" and the other is "false god."  "False god" tries to get the players to listen to his voice and do what he says. For example, when "Real God" says "jump on one foot," "false god" says "stop jumping" or "do jumping jacks" to see if anyone will listen to him. Unlike Simon Says, neither the real God nor false god says their name, instead, the players have to only listen to the person designated as "real" God. For an added level of fun and challenge, have the players play the game with their eyes closed so they have to use their ears.

Ease into the game by having "Real God" give a couple of traditional commands, like "jump on one foot" or "march in place," and have false god try to get them to follow different commands. Then add some more meaningful commands such as the following:

Real God says, "Say something nice about the player next to you" and as it begins to happen, false god says, "Now say something mean to that person."

Real God says, "Invite the person next to you to come to church."  False god then says, "Start whining about going to church" or "turn your back on the person next to you."

End by having Real God and false god circle quickly each other and say together "follow me" to see who will follow whom. False god can even claim to be the real god and try to grasp some hands to get the players to follow him.

Ask the players what they learned from the game about following God and ignoring the false god's instructions.
1. Keep your eyes on the true God.
2. Listen for the true God's voice.
3. Ignore the false gods.
4. False gods can be very distracting and hard to ignore!

Watch the Fiery Furnace Video (26 minutes)

a. Introduce the Fiery Furnace video and distribute the popcorn
Say: In today's video, we're going to see a Bible story from the Book of Daniel about the Babylonian King who tried to force people to bow down to his statue and worship him. In this retelling, you'll see some kids who get transported into the story to learn its important lesson. After the video, be prepared to tell me what you learned.

b. Set the story's context
The Book of Daniel is found in the Old Testament. Its stories took place about 500 years before the birth of Jesus. Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, had just been conquered by the Babylonian Empire and Daniel and his three friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were forced to go to the Kingdom of Babylon to become servants in King Nebuchadnezzar's court. The Babylonians do not worship God, they worship King Nebuchadnezzar!  And pretty soon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will have to decide if they too will worship Nebuchadnezzar or risk their lives by refusing to worship anyone but our God in Heaven.

c. Start the Video

Questions for Discussion:

1. Why do you think everyone else bowed down to the false god statue?  (fear? pressure? didn't want to offend?)
   
   Have you ever been pressured by someone to do or say something bad?  How did you resist them?
   
   
2. Why didn't the three friends bow down? What would it matter if they "faked it" and bowed down without meaning it?
   
   Not bowing down to false gods is one of the Ten Commandments. "You Shall Not" have any other gods or bow down to idols (Exodus 20:1-5). If they break this important rule, what other rules might they think it is okay to break?
   
   
3. In the video, the older boy Chris says, "Bow, No Bow, It's no big deal." Do you think it was "no big deal" if Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had gone along with the crowd and bowed down to the king's statue? Who would it have been a "big deal" to?
   
   Is "going along with the crowd" and not standing up for your faith and values EVER the right thing to do?
   
   
4. Who do you think King Nebuchadnezzar saw in the furnace with the three friends?
   In Daniel 3:25, the king said "The fourth looks like a son of the gods." It's important to note that the Aramaic phrase "son of the gods" is not the same as "Son of God." Rather, it refers to someone belonging to, coming from, or sent from God with the power to protect the innocent. In other words, something like an angel (or messenger), or perhaps even the Spirit of God itself. In Daniel 3:28, the king declares it was an "angel."
   
   
5. Who and what are the "angels today" that can help us know the right way to live and act? Who can help us avoid trouble and listen to God?
   
   When you stand up for God and God's ways, you are showing your faith to others and demonstrating how God wants us to live our lives.

If time, use the optional closing activity in the "adaptations" below.

Closing

Close with prayer by making a quick list of the things God wants us to remember (such as the Ten Commandments or the Great Commandment), then pray it in unison. End with by being thankful for the "angels today" mentioned in the previous discussion.

Adaptations

For Younger Students:

Have one leader for the God Says game and have that leader either use or not use the phrase "God says."

For Older Students:

After playing God Says, have the students make a short list of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20). See how many they can remember and give them a few hints. Then let them look it up in Exodus 20 to complete the list. Rename this list: "Things that are NOT NEGOTIABLE with God" or "Things you do not do, no matter what." Add a note of grace to remind them that everyone makes mistakes, and Jesus died so that we can ask God for forgiveness.

For Those With More Class Time:

To add Bible reading to the lesson: teach the students how to find the book of Daniel and then read the key verse (Daniel 3:17).

Add a "taking down the statues" game. At the end of the video, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego get put in charge of "more" and you see one of their first changes — the gold statue being pulled down. While this isn't in Daniel 6, it's a great metaphor for us to think about. What are the "false idols" in your world that need to be "pulled down"?

Possible answers:  Worshiping sports, appearances, money, power; obsession with musicians and movie stars; thinking you know better than God and your "angels;" thinking you don't need to learn about God (you don't need him).

To turn these ideas into an activity, set up three or four 2-liter beverage bottles in a line as the golden idols. Wrap them in yellow or gold paper or tissue paper. Let students put sticky notes on the "false gods" describing the idols they will not follow. Take turns tossing a ball at the bottles, trying to knock them over. If it's too easy, step back and try again!  Put some water in one of the bottles to make it extra hard to take down.

For a Shorter/Simpler lesson plan:

Save the "God Says" game for another time and focus on discussing the video.

"How to" show the video

Here are three options for viewing the Superbook Daniel video in your classroom:

1. Show the YouTube version of the video posted by Superbook. It's free. To view the YouTube video, you will need either an internet-connected device with a large screen (such as a smart tv or computer with a large monitor), or an internet-connected device connected to a large screen (such as a cellphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer connected by HDMI cable to a large monitor, large screen tv, or LCD projector).  Note: Unless you have a paid YouTube account, you may see ads during the playback.

2. View the Superbook video at the Superbook website (you'll need to register). When you sign-in or register, it will then take you to a confusing menu. To get directly to the episode, paste this video's link into your browser (after you've signed in). Otherwise, navigate to the "full episodes menu" and scroll down to season 2.  If you find yourself in another part of the menu, navigate to the "Episodes" and scroll down to 203.

• View the Help Graphic for the English Superbook Site
• View the Help Graphic for the Spanish Superbook Site
• If you are outside the U.S., you may need to search for episode 203 in their menu.

3. Purchase the Episode on DVD from the Superbook website or an online retailer. (Allow plenty of time for delivery!)

If viewing the video online, it's important that you test your equipment and internet connection in the classroom where you plan to show it. Even if your classroom doesn't have an internet connection, you may be able to access the online video using a cellphone, tablet, or laptop's internet connection (and connect them to a larger screen) --if the signal is strong enough.

Note: We previewed MANY Fiery Furnace videos and felt that the Superbook Episode 203 the best by far. It stayed true to the story, and we didn't think that the inclusion of the kids was a distraction at all. Rather, we believe it helps students see the story's life application. The animation and storytelling are also really well done.

Written by Neil MacQueen and the Rotation.org Writing Team
Copyright Rotation.org Inc.