Subjugated and Set Free

  2 Kings 25:22-30

    22 Then he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, governor over the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left. 23 Now when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan the son of Careah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men. 24 And Gedaliah took an oath before them and their men, and said to them, "Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you."
    25 But it happened in the seventh month that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men and struck and killed Gedaliah, the Jews, as well as the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. 26 And all the people, small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose and went to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.
    27 Now it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, that Evil-Merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. 28 He spoke kindly to him, and gave him a more prominent seat than those of the kings who were with him in Babylon. 29 So Jehoiachin changed from his prison garments, and he ate bread regularly before the king all the days of his life. 30 And as for his provisions, there was a regular ration given him by the king, a portion for each day, all the days of his life.

Gedaliah was made governor over the remnant in Judah by the Babylonian king, but his appeals to subjugate themselves to their occupiers met with his murder instead.  The murderers then fled to Egypt, reminiscent of the constant looking back to the four hundred year captivity of their people to that land’s bondage.  Fear of the surrounding Chaldeans inspired them to flee there.  After a time, Jehoiachin the former king over Judah was set free in Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar‘s successor and was give a place of honor in his court among other kings, most likely from other conquered nations.  There he lived out his life in peace and comfort along with his people among the Babylonians.  Their land was subjugated, but there was freedom in their captivity as well.  In a type of parallel, we who are in Christ have been set free from captivity to the bondage of sin, yet are slaves of righteousness in Christ - certainly not a bad thing, and surely with much privilege and honor (Romans 6:16-18, 20, John 8:35-36, 1 Corinthians 7:22).  Once subjugated to sin, now we have been set free from bondage to sin and find rest, joy, and peace with Him as willing bondservants of the heavenly King who rules over all (Psalm 103:19).  He is king of kings (1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 17:14) and Lord over all lords!  We then are truly subjugated to His righteousness in holiness and set free from the power and eternal consequences of sin, from eternal death, and from allegiance to any other who would rule over us.