Episode The Fiery Furnace | Week 1
The "Fiery Furnace" plays an important role in how the story of the Bible is told. It describes how evil things can get, but the lengths to which God will go to rescue his kids and set things right. In our hands, furnaces are agents of destruction and evil—destroying what is good and promoting what is evil. In God’s hands, fiery furnaces purify, shape, and set right. And ultimately, God did this setting right by going into the furnace himself and coming out on the other side with the keys to death and hades. And as a result of this, as we all experience living in a fiery furnace—living in a world that still has evil and sin and destruction—we can look forward to the day when Jesus will burn away all that is evil, leaving all that is truly good.
Chapter 1
Have you thought about what the “fiery furnace” means in the Bible? You are probably familiar with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego but have you noticed the theme of the fiery furnace throughout the Bible? In this two-week series on Discover the Word, we explore the important role that the fiery furnace plays in how the whole story of the Bible is told. Daniel Ryan Day leads our discussion with Elisa Morgan, Mart DeHaan, and Rasool Berry, and in this first episode we explore the difference between how God and humans wield fire.
Chapter 2
Would you consider Sodom and Gomorrah to be a fiery furnace story in the Bible? And what contribution do you think that makes to the bigger story the Bible’s telling? Join the Discover the Word team as they discuss how the word furnace shows up in this story early on in Genesis, and its surprising connection to God hearing the outcry of those who are in need and responding.
Chapter 3
Do you talk to God about what you wrestle with? And have you considered what He may be doing during difficult situations? In this episode of Discover the Word, Daniel, Elisa, Mart, and Rasool dig into Abraham’s open discussion with God about what he wrestled with. And they explore the observation that when God wields fire, something that’s purified and better than it was before comes through on the other side.
Chapter 4
Why would God cultivate an invitation in a fiery furnace? Join the Discover the Word group as they find another incident that involves “The Fiery Furnace,” this time during the Exodus. See how on this occasion it’s God descending to build a relationship with His people and commission them to be his representatives in the world.
Chapter 5
How do you respond to adversity? And how do you think adversity can be used in your life? Discover the refining quality of adversity in the Bible as Daniel, Elisa, Mart, and Rasool consider how God uses a fiery furnace to get rid of those things that are bad and also to strengthen those things that are good.