“Gedaliah took an oath to reassure them and their men. ‘Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials,’ he said. ‘Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.’” II Kings 25:24
If I were to sum up II Kings in a single word, that word would be “Obedience.” From Chapter one we have seen the same theme: “But they did evil in the eyes of the LORD and did not follow His ways.” Obedience is a critical element of followership as it requires us to lay down our desires and seek to humble ourselves to God’s way. Here again in II Kings 25 we see another extension of obedience; humbling yourself to the leaders of the land. Nebuchadnezzar was not a godly King, he wasn’t even a King of Israel; but whether they liked it or not, God choose him to rule over Israel in the exile and they were to submit onto his commands. We may not like every law or “ruler” in authority above us. From bosses to seatbelts, supervisors to legislation, one thing remains. Where is our heart towards authority and are we willing to die to ourselves to submit. Obedience in how we live in the land often translates in how we submit onto God. Because a heart that says “I will not obey” to those the Lord places above us will likely say the same to Him who is above all. May we continue to seek a humble, submissive spirit that does not simply seek our own way, but yearns to always seek God. For in obedience we see the fullness of what the Lord wants from every one of us who follows Him; a simple “yes” when He calls.