Sunday, April 8
“He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much” (Luke 16:10, NKJV).
Look at the words of Jesus here. It’s so easy, isn’t it, to compromise, to be “unjust in what is least.” The problem isn’t so much that “what is least” is important in and of itself; it’s not. That’s why it is “the least”. As most of us know either by personal experience or by the examples of others (or both), the problem is that the first compromise leads to another, and then another, and then another, until we become “unjust also in much.”
With this thought in mind, we pick up the story in Daniel 1, the first account of the experiences of these four Judeans in Babylonian captivity.
Read Daniel 1. In what ways did the stand that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah took reflect what ancient Israel was to be to the nations? See also Deuteronomy 4:6-8, Zechariah 8:23.
Though the text does not directly link what they ate to their being “ten times better” in “wisdom and understanding” than all others (Daniel 1:20), the link is clearly there. The chapter also says that God gave them this knowledge and wisdom. That is, the Lord was able to work with them because of their faithfulness to Him in refusing to eat the unclean food of Babylon. They obeyed, and God blessed their obedience. Would not God have done something just like this for ancient Israel as a whole had it adhered to the teaching of the Bible as diligently and faithfully as these four young men did? Of course. And will He not also do that for us today, in the last days, if we are faithful?
Since we have been given so much light and truth, as a church we need to ask ourselves: Have we been faithful and obedient to what we have been given? At the same time, how can each one of us individually take positions that will enable us to be powerful witnesses for God?
