Submission to Authority

Judges 19:1 "And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel,...."
Judges 17:6 "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

I'm certain that when this phrase was written, it was speaking of an earthly visible earthly king. However in reading it again this time, I took note that Israel had no heavenly king also - at least not one whom they submitted to. There was no governing authority over Israel to ensure that they would do what was right by God. The story that follows (the Levite's concubine and the eradication of the Benjamites) clearly casts God representative authority in some shady light and at best illustrates how off center Israel really was. The people no longer submitted under an earthly authority and so lost view of their heavenly authority. Even the most burdensome authorities in our lives are placed by God (Rom. 13) to teach us humility and submission to our heavenly authority. This is why it is so critical for believers to place themselves under authority and submit to one another (Eph. 5:21) "out of reverence for Christ." How can we submit to our heavenly authority which we cannot see if we will not submit to our earthly authorities that we can see?

God - humble me and teach me to submit to my earthly authorities so that I may submit more fully to You in all ways. Amen.