Judith 1:7-11: a reflection

7And Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians sent to all who lived in Persia, and to all who lived westward, to those who lived in Cilicia, Damascus, Libanus, Antilibanus, and to all who lived along the sea coast, 8and to those among the nations that were of Carmel and Gilead, and to the higher Galilee and the great plain of Esdraelon, 9and to all who were in Samaria and its cities, and beyond Jordan to Jerusalem, Betane, Chellus, Kadesh, the river of Egypt, Tahpanhes, Rameses, and all the land of Goshen, 10until you come above Tanis and Memphis, and to all that lived in Egypt, until you come to the borders of Ethiopia. 11All those who lived in all the land made light of the commandment of Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians, and didn’t go with him to the war; for they were not afraid of him, but he was before them as one man. They turned away his messengers from their presence without effect, and with disgrace.

At the opening of the account of Judith, the mighty king Nebuchadnezzar sends messengers to all the surrounding nations, summoning them to join his war; but many of them refuse. All those who lived in the land made light of the command of Nebuchadnezzar, the account says, and didn't go with him to the war; for they were not afraid of him. They turned away his messengers without effect and with disgrace. The great king demanded submission, expecting to be feared as though his power were absolute; but these nations were not afraid of him, and would not bow to his demand. However great an earthly power presents itself, however it demands to be feared as ultimate, it is not in fact ultimate; there are those who need not fear it. Earthly power that overreaches, demanding the submission and fear due only to God, is not to be feared as though it were absolute; it is not the ultimate power it claims to be.

Notice what these nations did, and what it reveals: they did not fear the overreaching king as ultimate. Nebuchadnezzar presented himself as one to be feared and obeyed absolutely; he demanded that the nations join his war. But they made light of his command and were not afraid of him. Their refusal reveals that even a great earthly power is not the ultimate authority it may claim to be; it can be refused, it need not be feared as absolute. Earthly powers may overreach, demanding a fear and submission that belong ultimately only to God; but such power is not, in truth, ultimate. There is a limit to what any earthly power can rightly demand, and a freedom in not fearing as absolute what is not absolute. To grant an overreaching earthly power the ultimate fear due only to God is to concede to it more than it deserves. It is not to be feared as though it were the final power; God alone is that. The overreaching king was not, for all his claims, one to be feared as ultimate.

That is worth taking to heart, for overreaching earthly powers are not to be feared as ultimate; that fear belongs to God alone. We can be tempted to fear earthly powers as though they were absolute, granting them the ultimate submission and dread that belong only to God; but the overreaching Nebuchadnezzar was not feared by the nations who saw through his claim. Earthly power, however great, is not ultimate; it can overreach, and it is not to be feared as though it were the final authority. God alone is worthy of ultimate fear. Do not fear overreaching earthly powers as though they were ultimate; the ultimate fear belongs to God alone. Refuse to fear overreaching earthly powers as ultimate, remembering that the fear due to God alone belongs to no earthly authority, as the nations made light of Nebuchadnezzar's demand and were not afraid of him; for earthly power, however great it presents itself, is not the ultimate authority it claims to be, and to grant it the fear and submission due only to God is to concede more than it deserves, while God alone is worthy of our ultimate reverence and fear.

Lord, at the opening of the account of Judith, the mighty king Nebuchadnezzar sends messengers to all the surrounding nations, summoning them to join his war; but many of them refuse. All those who lived in the land made light of the command of Nebuchadnezzar, the account says, and didn't go with him to the war; for they were not afraid of him. They turned away his messengers without effect and with disgrace. The great king demanded submission, expecting to be feared as though his power were absolute; but these nations were not afraid of him. However great an earthly power presents itself, however it demands to be feared as ultimate, it is not in fact ultimate. Show me what these nations did, and what it reveals: they did not fear the overreaching king as ultimate. Nebuchadnezzar presented himself as one to be feared and obeyed absolutely; but they made light of his command and were not afraid of him. Their refusal reveals that even a great earthly power is not the ultimate authority it may claim to be. Earthly powers may overreach, demanding a fear and submission that belong ultimately only to you; but such power is not, in truth, ultimate. There is a freedom in not fearing as absolute what is not absolute. God alone is the final power. Take that to my heart, for overreaching earthly powers are not to be feared as ultimate; that fear belongs to you alone. I can be tempted to fear earthly powers as though they were absolute, granting them the ultimate submission and dread that belong only to you; but the overreaching Nebuchadnezzar was not feared by the nations who saw through his claim. Earthly power, however great, is not ultimate. Keep me from fearing overreaching earthly powers as though they were ultimate; help me reserve my ultimate reverence and fear for you alone, Lord, as the nations made light of Nebuchadnezzar's demand and were not afraid of him.