Motivated . . .

2 Chronicles 27–28; Zechariah 10; John 13; Revelation 14

Leaders of every nation should read Chronicles, even just these two chapters. It tells of the accomplishments of leaders and either their success or downfall because of their responses to the Lord God.

Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem . . . . And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord according to all that his father Uzziah had done, except he did not enter the temple of the Lord (Uzziah’s sin). . . . So Jotham became mighty because he ordered his ways before the Lord his God. (2 Chronicles 27:1-9)

Jotham’s son became the next king but “he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord” even making metal images for the Baals and burning his children as offerings to false gods. The nation he ruled was defeated, rebuked for their sinful ways and Ahaz relied on the help of pagan enemies who eventually “were the ruin of him and of all Israel” — he did not follow God and his kingdom did not prosper.

Today’s rulers are mostly not Jewish with no claim of being God’s people, yet these are universal principles for us, people made in God’s image and intended to be reflections of His glory. Tarnished by sin, that sin eventually destroys those who allow its rule. They may or may not make progress as leaders but eventually sin will win over their lives and all that they touch.

This principle is illustrated in Zechariah also. This prophet speaks of false teachers who give “empty consolation” and “the people wander like sheep and are afflicted for lack of a shepherd.” He tells what God will do:

“My anger is hot against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the Lord of hosts cares for his flock . . . . From him shall come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler—all of them together. They shall be like mighty men in battle, trampling the foe in the mud of the streets; they shall fight because the Lord is with them, and they shall put to shame the riders on horses. I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the Lord their God and I will answer them. (Zechariah 10:3–6)

The chapter ends with this: “I will make them strong in the Lord, and they shall walk in his name, declares the Lord.”

I’m not a political leader and have little idea how a country should be run, yet the Bible is clear about the ways of the Lord and what a person must be like if they are walking in His name. Jesus illustrates it in John 13 when He, the King of Glory, wraps a towel around Himself and washes the dirty feet of His disciples. He says:

You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. (John 13:13–17)

Imagine the difference in the world if our leaders had the attitude depicted here! Instead of raising taxes to take care of themselves or using that money to “fix” human problems, they served in love the people they were leading, thinking of practical and creative ways to meet needs and help people overcome the ‘dust of the earth’ that so easily clings and wears us down.

Of course this will not happen. Greed and sin permeate the population. Not only leaders, but all of us battle the sin of “I will do it myself . . . I do not need God” and in living this way the world is headed for those last days revealed in Revelation when God brings judgment instead of the grace and mercy available to us today.

APPLY: Yes, leaders need to read these passages, but so do I. Following the ways of the Lord may not be as significant for an ordinary person, but who knows . . . God can multiply five loaves and two fish. Even if my life has little impact, scientists marvel at the “butterfly effect” and I marvel at the power of God. Praying according to His will — in the lives of those who live according to His will — is promised to be world-changing. His Spirit motivates me to love and obey my Lord and Savior, and to pray for the leaders who need His wisdom.