1.1. LOYALTY TO GOD
God is a jealous God and commands that we should worship no other gods or serve them; and we “[must] destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves”. (Exodus 20:5; 34:13-14; Corinthians 10:22). One of the key attributes that God assesses our trust by is our loyalty to him.
Even though we may believe or trust in Him, obey his word and rely on his power, He desires that we should be trustworthy enough for him to entrust to our charge his plans and secrets and his power to accomplish things. God will seek to prove our loyalty when he gives us his promises, a responsibility or when we desire to serve him willingly; and he can assess our trustworthiness by the specific instructions he may give us, or by our own initiatives taken to further his purpose.
For example, God promised that Gideon would save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. He believed God and trusted in His power to save Israel and on his own initiative, built an altar unto the Lord and called it “Jehovah shalom” (Judges 6:6-106:12-13; 6:18-24). But is he trustworthy of leadership to deliver God’s people?
God sought to prove Gideon’s loyalty by asking him to throw down his father’s altar of Baal (idol) and cut down the grove that is by it. He was also to build an altar to God upon the top of the rock in the place, and with the wood of the grove, which he cut down he was to offer a burnt sacrifice, using his father’s bullock (Judges 6:26:27). Gideon did not consider the importance of the idol to his father or his relatives, or his own safety but did as God commanded him. (6:30-32). After this test, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he had power to gather his brethren across the land against their enemy (Judges 6:33-36).
Similarly, Hezekiah King of Judah demonstrated his loyalty to the God of Israel, by removing the high places, breaking the images, and cutting down the groves for idol worship. (2 Kings 18:4-5). Hezekiah proved trustworthy and “the LORD was with him; and he prospered [wherever] he went forth”. He refused to serve the king of Assyria, and he defeated the Philistines. (2 Kings 18:7-8). Such was God’s approval of Hezekiah that ” after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him”. (2 Kings 18:4-5)
Further, King David showed His loyalty to God by desiring to build Him a house. David considered it inappropriate that he would “dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains” and from his heart wished to build God a house. (2 Samuel 7:2-3). God was moved by David’s loyalty and in turn promised David a House and a kingdom, and a throne that shall be established forever, symbolising the lineage of the messiah. And he made David’s son Solomon fulfils the desire of David to build the physical temple. (2 Samuel 7:7-17; 1 Chronicles 22:6-7).
Brethren, consider therefore that the main thing that God looks for in our relationship with Him is if we are loyal to him, to put Him first above all else, including gods, or idols and things we may prefer over him or his interests. He will therefore require or expect us to tear down our personal, family, or communal ‘idols’ (or vane things) which compete with God for our loyalty.
