The people of Israel have spent their entire existence as a nation under someone’s thumb. And it’s all Israel’s fault. It started with humanity’s rebellion against God. So – later on – when God gave humanity parameters under which to live – called “the Law” – Israel even felt they were under God’s thumb.

We’re going to find out how we can be under someone’s thumb – and how we can be free of that stifling, stressful pressure.

We’re nearly finished with our 10,000 foot fly-over of the entire biblical narrative. We now find ourselves in an interesting place in our survey: A time when only a remnant of the Chosen People remain in the Promised Land, and the land and cities lay in ruin for 70 years; a time when the people who do return to occupy Jerusalem and the land around it continue to live under subjugation – a period of about 600 years; a time between the Old Testament and the New Testament where our Bible simply provides very little information – accounting for about 440 years of those 600 years of subjugation.

This is a difficult era of history because we have so little documentation. It would be like trying to understand America’s Civil War – if U.S. History had stopped being recorded right after the landing of the Mayflower on Plymouth Rock and hadn’t started being recorded again until John F. Kennedy was president. Huge gaps in the historical record causes this to be a difficult time to understand – historically. We don’t need to know all the details of history except the certainty of subjugation.

What is subjugation? The dictionary defines subjugation as “the act or process of bringing somebody, especially a people or nation, under the control of another, (for example: by military conquest). To subjugate a nation means to defeat their military and overthrow their government and force them to obey you. It’s different than exile or captivity. Exile is when you’re taken out of your own land and forced to live elsewhere; captivity might be within your own land or in someone else’s land where you are belittled and put in chains and forced to serve them. Subjugation allows you to stay right there in your land – in your own homes – doing everything you did before. . . just under someone else’s complete control.

Subjugation – is being under someone’s thumb.

It’s the same as being in the grip of an iron fist, or having someone’s foot on your neck. They have you by the tail – and they’re leading you by the nose. They’re riding herd on you – or riding roughshod over you. They’re ruling the roost. . . they’re wearing the pants. Someone else is in control; they have no power, no authority, there’s no escape.

If we think that in modern times the nation of Israel has it bad because they’re hard-pressed on every side by the Palestinians and the Arab Muslim nations – it was a lot worse in the past.

• Early in their history, Israel was enslaved by Egypt.
• 440 years after going to Egypt, they came to the Promised Land, and were plagued by the godless people living around them.
• The people of the northern Kingdom of Israel were taken into exile by Assyria and never heard from again.
• The people of the southern Kingdom of Judah were taken into exile by Babylon and lived in exile for 70 years under both the Babylonians and the Persians.
• When they returned to Jerusalem, they were under subjugation by the Persians.
Here’s where the historical record gets a bit spotty:
• We know they suffered under the rule by two different Greek generals of Alexander the Great – Selucius and Ptolemy.
• They suffered again under Egyptian tyranny.
• Then Syrian rule.
• Then the Herodians from Idumea took over.
• The priesthood was diluted and sold off to the highest bidders.
• Then the Roman Empire swept into power and the Israelites were controlled once again.

That’s a very shortened, simplified version of history – mixed in with a time of problematic self-rule under the Hasmoneans. That entire 600 + years of history – nearly all spent under someone else’s thumb – never truly feeling free in their own Promised Land – and all the time harboring a sense of being under God’s thumb as well. Famine, starvation, and long sieges against the city resulted in cannibalism at one low point in Israel’s history. They had actually lost the scrolls of the Divine Covenant and Law God had given them, and an entire generation forgot about God until a single man uncovered the Covenant hidden away in the Temple and read it aloud to an amazed nation. All of the beautiful furnishing of the Tabernacle and the Temple were stolen and have never been found. The Chosen People tried to fight back from time to time with some measures of success, but ultimately – other nations came and put Israel squarely and securely under their thumbs.

Israel – an entire national history of being oppressed and put under other people’s thumbs. No hope. No reprieve. No rescue – and all because of their disobedient, sinful, moral and spiritual failures. . .

And this is the world into which Jesus the Savior was born. The people were desperately hoping for a rescuer from horrible subjugation under enemy military and governments – but what they just didn’t realize is that they were even more severely subjugated under the brutal tyranny of sinful separation from a loving God.

When Jesus came to teach love and forgiveness so that we might understand God’s love and forgiveness and when He came and failed to raise and army and bring bloody revolution – but instead ushered in a peaceful reconciliation with God. . . the people simply couldn’t get behind Him. They wanted a military and political victory – when what they most desperately needed was a victory over sin and eternal death.

This is where the entire Intertestamental Period speaks to us today; it’s where we find ourselves. Humanity is desperate – life is hard – and we need something to save us. . . but from what we just don’t know. We think we need saving from earthquakes and tsunamis; from hunger and disease; from war and slavery and human trafficking and economic disaster and loss of freedom and much, much more. What we need to be saved from is an eternity separated from God – a spiritual death into a spiritual hell of horrible suffering and separation from our Heavenly destiny. . . all because we are born into separation from God and live our lives wandering far away from Him.

All of the history we can read about and speculate about centers on Israel being under someone’s thumb – all to point out that they are under the thumb – under the intense, horrible subjugation of the tyranny of sin and separation from God.

We’re born into a life of sin. All human beings sin. We act and behave in ways that run counter to the holiness of God. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Holiness and sin cannot exist together – so we are born apart from God and destined to walk further and further away. But get this: “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

In fact – all that we’ve learned thus far from Genesis to the end of the Old Testament – from the beginning of time to the end of the Intertestamental Period just before Jesus comes on the scene – all of this teaches us that we can’t escape our human nature; we can’t escape sin; and sins seems to follow us wherever we go no matter what we do. But - listen to what Paul teaches us – these words might just explain everything from the beginning of Israel’s history right up to Jesus arrival on the scene – it certainly explains the period of subjugation. . . listen to Paul’s words in Romans 5:21 – “The law was added so that the trespass might increase.”

The New Living Translation puts it this way: “God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were.”

The New American Standard Bible uses these words: “The Law came in so that the transgression would increase. . .”
Another translation says: “Laws were added to increase the failure.”

Are you getting this? The law was added – or put in place – so that trespass, or breaking the law might increase. Why? To show us just how desperate we really are. To show us how far from God we truly have fallen. The Law was put in place to spell out our utter and complete depravity and desperate isolation from our holy, loving, Heavenly Father.

There’s more to Paul’s teaching. Read Romans 5:21-6:18.

The Law wasn’t put there so we could embrace sin and enjoy it all the more so that we could then enjoy our rescue all the more. Just because we’re forgiven doesn’t mean we now can just do anything we want – but that we would now behave even better because we realize not only how far we’d fallen, but how far down Jesus was willing to reach to rescue us.

Holiness is all about filling ourselves up with more and more of Jesus so that we look just like Him in all ways. It’s an active role we take once we have received God’s un-merited grace. Holiness is a state of being we seek to live in once we’ve come to Christ – in order to keep us from going back to living in our old sinful ways. We might be bound for heaven – but our tendency is to live like hell – and all that does is keep us from earthly blessings and fulfillment – and keeps us from being good examples to others so they might find Jesus as Savior. We should be filling ourselves up with more and more holiness so we can be just like Jesus.

One of the most dangerous materials that could be released into earth’s environment from the Japanese nuclear disaster is iodine-131. Iodine-131 has a relatively short half-life of about a week, but it can do a lot of damage in that time. The body takes this radioactive substance and rapidly funnels it to the thyroid, where it accumulates and causes cancer in a relatively short amount of time.

The good news is that, with this particular radioactive material, there is a simple compound that can help protect a person exposed. If a person takes potassium-iodide in a pill or liquid solution before exposure occurs, the potassium-iodide in that medicine floods the body and – most importantly - fills the thyroid. Once this occurs, even though a person might absorb the radioactive iodine-131, it won’t be able to collect in the thyroid because the inert potassium-iodide has filled the thyroid and blocks the bad stuff. The radioactivity is then simply flushed out of the body.

Now – this won’t work 100% of the time, and the requirement is that it has to be taken prior to exposure, and it only works against iodine-131 and is not all that effective against Cesium-137, Strontium-90, or Plutonium-239 – but the science is sound and the protection makes sense, especially since most exposure will come from iodine-131.

Sin in the life of a non-believer – someone who does not know Jesus – is a cancer that will result in eternal death and separation from God. The only remedy for that disease is Jesus Christ.

Sin – that keeps rearing its ugly head in the life of a believer - is like that radioactive material in that it comes into our lives and takes up residence and causes all kinds of problems: guilt, anger, mistrust, doubt, faithlessness – and we find we’re unfulfilled in our hopes and lacking in spiritual vitality.

The solution for sin for the non-believer is to enter into a relationship with the living Christ.

The solution for the believer already in a relationship with Christ is to continually fill your life with the things of the Spirit and to direct your mind into the things of God so that “the flesh” and the world don’t set up residence.

Read Colossians 3:1-17. We need to fill ourselves with all of the goodness of God – and sin will have no place to take up residence.

The Bible says:
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. . . the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 3:23; 6:23)

It also says:
“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

“…God is on one side and all the people on the other side, and Christ Jesus, Himself man, is between them to bring them together…” (1 Timothy 2:5 - TLB)

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

If you’ve never accepted Jesus as your Savior and Master – I want you to do these four things right now:

1. Admit your need. (Say it and mean it because it’s true.)
2. Be willing to turn from your sins and tell that to God. (With your whole heart, desire to stop sinning – that’s enough to start!)
3. Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave and lives today. (He did! Over 500 eyewitnesses saw Him after He rose (1 Corinthians 15:6). History and personal testimonies verify His life, death, and resurrection – but it takes your personal, faithful belief in this thing that you have not seen.)
4. Invite Jesus Christ be your Lord and Savior. (The Holy Spirit is the gift of God when you accept Christ. The Holy Spirit brings you the power to stop sinning and live a life pleasing to God.)

Then say a simple prayer like this one: Oh God, I am separated from you because of sin. I’m sorry for my sinfulness – and I’m tired of being under sin’s thumb. I’m willing to turn from my sin, and follow You instead, but I need your help. I believe Jesus died and rose again to pay the penalty for my sin. I receive Christ into my heart by faith and believing. Make me new inside. I want You to be Lord of my life, from this moment on. Amen. (“Amen” means, “so be it!” or “I agree!”)

The Bible says:
“Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

“Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39)

“He who has the Son has Life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life…” (1 John 5:12-13 – NKJV)

If you are already a believers, pay careful attention: Sin is radioactive. It’s magnetic. It’s attracted to you and you’re attracted to it by your human nature. You need to fill yourself up with Jesus’ holiness in order to no longer be controlled by sin’s effects. The more full-up you are – the better off you’ll be from day to day.

As you grow in your faith, you will have “growing pains” and commit sin. Tell the Lord about it – and He’ll forgive you and cleanse you. He promises: “But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.” (1 John 1:9)

Maybe you would like to say a prayer similar to this: Father, I continue to struggle with sin. It rears its ugly head from time to time and causes me to doubt, to have fear, to fail in my faith. I confess my sins to you right now – and ask you to cleanse me afresh. Create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me. Today, I claim holiness. Starting now, I will partner with you to fill myself with Jesus so there is no room for sin to enter in and trouble me anymore. I pray this in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

All of the history of this time period between the Old and New Testaments that we can read about and speculate about centers on Israel being under someone’s thumb. This has one major purpose: – all to point out that they are under the thumb – under the intense, horrible subjugation of the tyranny of sin and separation from God.

It directly relates to our predicament: we are subjugated to sin - under sin’s thumb – and we need to be saved from an eternity separated from God. . . and from an earthly existence that is unfulfilling and spiritual listless because sin continues to try to put us out of commission and under its control. Instead, since we have been raised with Christ, we need to set our hearts on things above – and fill ourselves with the holiness of Christ.

We need to put to death whatever belongs to our earthly nature – and partner with the Holy Spirit to grow in our Christ-likeness by filling ourselves up with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, forgiveness - and above all else love, which binds it all together perfectly. Then – we’ll begin to act and speak as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved. Then the peace of Christ will rule in our hearts.