The Sin of Loyalty to Man. Part [10] 01/28/2025 (Morning thought)

Daniel 1:11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. 13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as you see, deal with thy servants.

But satan is a relentless and determined foe, and he will not let the servants of God off the hook, until he has tested them on the matter of worship, the very same issue that is scheduled to bring the probation of earth to a permanent, and final close. The devil insists through Nebuchadnezzar that the Hebrew worthies must subscribe to a false system of worship, or else face the heat of the furnace. As far as the devil is concerned, if persuasion will not work, then he will threaten them with death, and in this dire circumstance, their loyalty to God will again be tested.

It’s worthy of note that the same format used by the devil in testing the loyalty of Daniel and his friends is the same format used he when he tempted Christ in the wilderness. He begins with the issue of food, the issue so many persons struggle with. And when that doesn’t pan out at all in his favor, he finally moves to the issue worship. In other words, if food does not work with Christ and Daniel, the very last test of loyalty would be bowing down to a false system of worship.

Daniel 3: 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not you serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

Daniel 3:15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!

The Sin of Loyalty to Man. Part [9] 01/28/2025 (Evening thought)

Exodus 11:5 And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first born of Pharaoh that sits upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. 6 And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.

And what about the firstborn of beasts, which had nothing to do with pharaoh’s stubbornness? They too will be taking a hit, for there is something which persons might not be aware of as yet. When folks live under the banner of the “Loyalty to man” principle, in some instances you could sustain heavy losses, or collateral damage, as the case may be. As far as we know, Covid was the result of handling, and eating forbidden foods.

But so many individuals who have never eaten forbidden foods also suffered collateral damage, including those, who, like many others, have been faithfully eating their vegetables, with singleness of heart. Very many persons who have never even touched a cigarette have died from second hand smoke. That’s because when loyalty is removed from God, strange things can happen, and persons who have not been in conscious violations, could sometimes incur loss.

In stark contrast was Daniel and the three Hebrew boys, as they came face to face with decisions that would test their loyalty to God. Nebuchadnezzar, in the capacity of king, orders their food, which in his ignorance, he thinks is the very best, for it is what he himself partakes of. But the chef’s menu contains forbidden foods and alcoholic beverages, items which God forbids His people to ingest. Thus, it comes time for decisions, to see where their loyalty will be placed.

Daniel 1: 8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!