God's People Enslaved

by Anthony Wilson

Advent Devotional ~ Day 17

Read Jeremiah 39:1-10 and Daniel 1:1-7

These two sections of scripture tell of God's people being taken over by an enemy and enslaved to serve this enemy. Jeremiah 39 explains how the enemy, the Babylon army, surrounds Judah and takes them over. The Babylonians destroy the walls of Jerusalem, kill some of the men, and take captive the rest. God's people are humiliated, beaten, and defeated. Why did God let all of this happen? The Babylonians were able to take over Judah because God allowed them to. The Jewish people had been disobedient to God, and he was disciplining them through the hands of the Babylonians. God had given the Jewish people a land to call their own. He allowed the Babylonians to rip them out of it. God had given his people protection from their enemies. He allowed the walls to be destroyed. Israel's disobedience to God caused them to be removed from their homeland and enslaved to a wicked people. Likewise, our disobedience has caused us to be removed from the family of God and enslaved to sin (John 8:34). Jesus rescues us from our enslavement through his death and resurrection (Romans 6:18). We once lived as foreigners in a wicked land, but we now live in the kingdom of God and have a home in heaven.

Reflection

Take time to think about and thank God that you were once a slave to the flesh, but you have been made free through Christ's work.

Application questions

1. How does the coming of Christ bring us liberty from our former slave master?

2. How can you celebrate Christmas in a way that recognizes your freedom from sin?