Superhero Sidekicks: Biblical Characters Who Did Big and Small Things for GodSample

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

Superheroes and sidekicks usually have two names: their everyday name and their secret identity. 

Did you know that Daniel and his three friends had two names too? They had their Hebrew names that their moms and dads gave them, and then the new names they were given when they were taken to Babylon (Dan. 1:7).

We know Daniel by his Hebrew name, but in Daniel 3 we meet his three friends under their Babylonian names: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 

Most people know the story of Daniel and the lion’s den (Dan. 6), but we can sometimes forget about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—three brave guys who were thrown into a fiery furnace because they wouldn’t bow down to the king’s golden statue; they knew they should only bow down to God (Dan. 3:17-18). 

They loved God so much they were willing to stand up for Him no matter what. That’s pretty heroic! God rewarded their faith by rescuing them from the fiery furnace. They walked out as if nothing had happened—and they didn’t even smell of smoke!

These three guys weren’t just Daniel’s sidekicks; they were faithful to their God and trusted that He would take care of them. And He did!

Family focus:

• What’s one way you can say “yes” to God today, even if it might feel scary?
• What would you be feeling if you were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Would you be brave enough to trust and obey God?