We Won’t Bow

(A trumpet blows in the distance and Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego
enter. They walk on to the stage and look out over the audience and
up high at the image.)SHADRACH: Well, there it is! Look at that thing!MESHACH: Wow! What was the king thinking?ABED-NEGO: Sshh… don’t let anyone hear you say that, Mishael.MESHACH: No one is listening. They are all too caught up in all of
this pomp and celebration. I cannot believe all of these men.
They are so proud of their positions before the king; they actually
seem excited to be here at this dedication.

SHADRACH: Just the same, Mishael, we do need to be careful. This
is a foreign land and they worship foreign gods. I think we are
fortunate that we are still alive and able to be administrators in
the service of the king. I only wish Daniel were here right now to
lead us. I miss him so when he is away.

ABED-NEGO: Actually, Hananiah, I am glad he is not here. I would
not want Daniel to have to see this thing. He would be appalled.

MESHACH: Azariah, that image isn’t going anywhere. Daniel will see
it as soon as he returns.

ABED-NEGO: I suppose you are right. Do you think it will be a
problem that we are standing so far in the back? Everyone else is
up so close.

SHADRACH: And they are packed in tight! There is no room for us
even if we wanted to stand closer. This is as close as I want to
be to that thing.

MESHACH: I don’t think I would be here if it were not required.

SHADRACH: I’m sure we all feel the same way about that, Mishael.

ABED-NEGO: Who are all these men, anyway?

SHADRACH: Azariah! These are the satraps, the prefects, the
governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates
and all the rulers of the provinces! The king has commanded that we
all come to the dedication of his golden image. I guess it is quite
a work of art.

MESHACH: Do you think it looks like him? I see a slight resemblance,
but I don’t think they did him justice.

ABED-NEGO: They worked long and hard on that image. If anyone asks,
I think we should say that we think it looks just like him!

MESHACH: Azariah! You sound like one of them!

ABED-NEGO: I jest. I would not say it. These people would just as
soon slay you as to look at you.

MESHACH: Now who is speaking too loud and foolish? You need to be
careful, too.

ABED-NEGO: May God forgive me. I forget that I am not in my
homeland.

SHADRACH: God has us here for a reason. It is hard to be so far
away from home, but He has blessed us and caused us to prosper here.
It is evident that His strong and protecting hand is upon us. Just
look how he has blessed Daniel, and in turn blessed us under him.
Not being in our own country is difficult, but being in the center of
God’s will is where we always want to be.

ABED-NEGO: You sound like Daniel.

MESHACH: Daniel interpreting the king’s dreams like he did was
really a major blessing for all of us. I am so honored to know him
and to have him as my friend. He is such a godly man and I learn so
much from him. He takes a stand for what he believes and God honors
him for it. I hope that I can do the same some day, to follow his
example.

SHADRACH: We can all do well to follow Daniel’s fine example.

ABED-NEGO: SShh… Hananiah! Listen! They are making some kind of
announcement.

MESHACH: Translate for us, Azariah!

ABED-NEGO: Alright… they addressed us, every nation, every language…
as soon as we hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, (a
triangular shaped instrument) psaltery, (zither) bagpipe, and all
kinds of music, we are to fall down and worship the golden image that
Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up.

SHADRACH: Fall down and worship??!!

ABED-NEGO: Sshh… there’s more! Whoever does not fall down and
worship shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of
blazing fire!

MESHACH: What?

SHADRACH: This is it, brothers! We will have to take a stand. I
can’t speak for you, but I will only bow to my God. I will not bow
to that image! That is idol worship!

MESHACH: I won’t bow.

ABED-NEGO: I won’t bow.

SHADRACH: Then we are together in this. Perhaps no one will notice
that we are not bowing before it.

MESHACH: They turned that announcement into a threat. They will
surely be watching to see if anyone disobeys. We will most assuredly
be found out. Perhaps they will bring us in for questioning and we
can explain why and they will have mercy on us.

ABED-NEGO: Or perhaps we will be carried off to the fiery furnace
any minute now. We may be meeting our God face to face before the
day is over.

(The music is heard playing and they look around them as it plays.)

MESHACH: Or perhaps before the hour is over. Look! Everyone is
bowing down… everyone!

SHADRACH: I’ve never seen such a sight! What are they thinking?

ABED-NEGO: What else would you expect from heathens who do not know
the one true God?

SHADRACH: Or they just fear their lives. We all heard the ultimatum.
I wouldn’t be surprised if … (Sudden realization) we are the only
ones left standing.

MESHACH: Does anyone see us? We are standing in the back after all.

SHADRACH: Oh, they see us alright. Here comes one of them. Well,
brothers, now is our chance to follow Daniel’s example and take a
stand for our God and what we believe.

ABED-NEGO: He’s a Chaldean. They never liked us. He looks angry,
doesn’t he?

MESHACH: If only we will get the chance to explain. Surely they
will understand if we tell them that our God is the one true God and
we cannot possibly bow to any other thing.

SHADRACH: Just keep thinking those thoughts Mishael. I’m afraid
my mind keeps going to a certain fiery furnace. If that is the way
we are to die… I pray: dear God in heaven, please help us to die a
quick and painless death!

MESHACH: Look! He’s gathered soldiers! There is no escaping now!

SHADRACH: There never was. He knows who we are. We are Jews after
all. The only thing worse than a Jew to those Chaldeans, is a Jew
who has been promoted in the king’s court.

ABED-NEGO: I don’t suppose this would be a good time to accuse them
of petty jealousy.