DON'T BE AN AGENT OF THE ENEMY

PROCLAMATION

“… While they were eating there, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam … with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.”  Jeremiah 41:1-2 (NIV)

EXPLANATION
After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had attacked, captured, and burned Jerusalem and Judah, he carried off the people into exile, and left behind the poor who owned nothing to tend the vineyards and fields.  He put Gedaliah over them. (Jeremiah 39:1-14 and 40:7)  When Ishmael heard that Gedaliah had been appointed governor, he and his men went to Mizpah to find him.  Gedaliah was warned that Ishmael planned to kill him, but he did not believe it. (Jeremiah 40:13-14)  Ishmael killed Gedaliah, the men with him, and the Babylonian soldiers who had been left there. (Jeremiah 41:1-3) 

APPLICATION

We should not let ourselves be used by the enemy.  Helping the enemy, especially taking a position of authority or leadership with the enemy of God’s people is like taking a stand against The Lord God.  Who can stand before God or against Him? (Nahum 1:6)  If we “sell our soul to the devil” then we can be sure that we will have to answer to The Lord God.  As believers we have a choice, we can choose not to give in to temptation or yield to sin.  Don’t be so earthly focused on getting ahead that you lose sight of our heavenly goal.  Let us keep our focus on Christ and we will not sink into sin or be led astray by the enemy. (Philippians 3:14)