Originally posted: 10/07/2019
So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the sons of Israel, (4:23).
The cycle continues. As the people again reject His commands and His rule, and run after their own way towards the rivals of Holy God, they again find themselves suffering the consequences.
And when they find their lust for self-rule and gratification has led them straight into servitude, into the hands of an oppressive king, they cry out again to Him Who has all power and authority, to Him Who Subdues Kings.
Then the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died. 2 And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan…3 The sons of Israel cried to the Lord; for he had nine hundred iron chariots, and he oppressed the sons of Israel severely for twenty years…23 So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the sons of Israel, (4:1-2, 23).
Consider Him Who Subdues Kings
The Lord is just and impartial. He does not force allegiance but allows us to pursue our hearts’ desires.
In their hunger for the world, the Lord turned them over to gain what they yearned after. He had redeemed them, purchased them out of the bondage of slavery. He in a sense, sold them back into what He Himself had bought them out of, as they now left Him to follow after their own evil desires.
Then the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died. 2 And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan… (4:1-2).
But oh His amazing grace! He who hears and answers the cries of His children and Subdues Kings before them.
- He Subdues Kings as His children cry to Him; an acknowledgment He alone is their only hope.
- The sons of Israel cried to the Lord, (4:3).
- He Subdues Kings in the face of apparent military might.
- …for he had nine hundred iron chariots, and he oppressed the sons of Israel severely for twenty years, (4:3).
- He Subdues Kings as He empowers His children to destroy the enemy.
- So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the sons of Israel. 24 The hand of the sons of Israel pressed heavier and heavier upon Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin the king of Canaan, (4:23-24).
How do we respond to Him Who Subdues Kings?
Today as we consider our response, a quote from My Utmost for His Highest, a devotional by Oswald Sanders, offers a very needed perspective.
His teaching is meant to be applied to the life which He puts within us. The proper action on my part is simply to agree with God’s verdict on sin as judged on the Cross of Christ.
We begin responding to Him Who Subdues Kings by agreeing with His verdict on sin and placing our faith in Christ’s payment for the penalty of our sin judged on the cross.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, (Romans 6:23).
When we are saved by faith, He begins the lifelong process of sanctification, the process of conforming us to the image of His Son.
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, (Romans 8:29).
- As we trust His Life in us, let us agree with God’s verdict; He is our only Hope to Subdue the rivals for His rule in our lives.
- But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness… 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life, (Romans 6:17-18, 22).
- As we trust His Life in us, let us agree with His verdict; there is no military might against Him Who Subdues Kings.
- “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper;
And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
And their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD, (Isaiah 54:17).
- “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper;
- As we trust His Life in us, let us agree with His verdict; He empowers His children to destroy the enemy.
- Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven,” (Luke 10:19-20).
- For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
It is only His Life in us that enables us to lay aside our rivals, to pursue only Him and to face and destroy the enemy so determined to defeat us. May we grow in our dependence upon His Life in us, as He strengthens us in our faith and surrendered allegiance to Him Who Subdues Kings.