God on Authority

 

    God is the ultimate authority, so He has high standards for the people that hold a position of authority.  First they need to recognize that He is still in authority over them.  Then they need to listen to His direction.  He will not lead them wrong.  However, He will punish harshly if the people in authority lead His people astray.

    If you are in a position of authority, then listen to to God's promises and warnings.  What He says needs to be taken seriously.  He gives you a level of freedom that not everyone possesses.  You are not in bondage to anyone unless you put yourself there.  

    Listen to God and you can live freely.  When you mess up, repent and do what is right even if you may not get caught.  If you ignore God's warnings and violate His covenant, then the consequences are death.  However your death will be more public.  People will see the down fall.

    King Zedekiah ignored God's warning and he had to watch King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon take his land.  God gave the enemy the promised land and allowed the enemy to burn it.  Zedekiah had to watch, then he was captured and taken away to Babylon.  God did allow the king to die peacefully instead of violently.  He would be given a royal funeral with respect and mourning.

    It was violent times.  It felt like the whole world was under attack.  The consequences of generational sin was overwhelming.  God held them back for a little while because of the covenant that Zedekiah made, but once that covenant was broken it came down faster and harder.

    The economy had slavery.  God ordered them to let the Hebrew slaves be free.  The officials obeyed this covenant, but then changed their mind and recaptured them.  God had made an agreement when His people had been freed from Egypt about the time frame for slavery.  What the officials did was abuse that authority and in doing so profaned God's name.

    The consequences for abusing their authority was a violent death, horrible sickness, and starvation.  Once they became slaves, they had no idea how to take care of themselves.  Their cities were fought on, captured, and burned.  Their selfishness led to uninhabited homes and cities.  Everything that they coveted over God was slaughtered and destroyed.

Jeremiah 34