When marking my x at the polls…

Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us.’ And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade, but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’ “Now therefore, if you acted in good faith and integrity when you made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house and have done to him as his deeds deserved— for my father fought for you and risked his life and delivered you from the hand of Midian, and you have risen up against my father’s house this day and have killed his sons, seventy men on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the leaders of Shechem, because he is your relative— if you then have acted in good faith and integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the leaders of Shechem and from Beth-millo and devour Abimelech.” 
And Jotham ran away and fled and went to Beer and lived there, because of Abimelech his brother. 
Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. And the leaders of Shechem put men in ambush against him on the mountaintops, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way. (Judges 9:14–25)

This is a parable telling how choosing an unworthy person to be a leader is not a good idea. It is difficult to understand the details of this narrative, but various authors helped me see:

• A lowly bramble could destroy a noble cedar, just as the lowly-born Abimelech could ruin the lords of Shechem.
• We must not be deceived into judging the fitness of a man for any post by the eagerness with which he seeks it. 
• For myself, I need to never be motivation by self-seeking in any part of life. This is a low and dangerous sin that will bring harm to me and dishonor the Lord.
• But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. (James 3:14–16)
• Weakness is better than selfish power as it encourages trusting in God’s strength. 
• Better have no king than a bad king. As a good government is the first blessing of a nation, so a bad government is its greatest curse. 
• Entering blindly into needless obligations will open eyes when these activities begin   to cause harm. 
• It is easier to confer power than to withdraw it from an ambitious person. 
• There is one King under whose leadership all people can be secure and rest: 

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. (Isaiah 11:1–5)

Jesus was mocked as King of the Jews, yet Revelation 1:5 calls Him “the ruler of kings on earth” who is seated on an eternal throne. Blessed are those who have positions of authority and who listen to this One who rules over them. 

Lord and King Jesus, ‘kings’ who do not listen to You are obvious, yet You are King and can use their decisions for Your purposes. You can set kings up and take them down. May leaders in this world fear You and pay attention to Your Word. May “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” This pleases You because You desire all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:1–4)

Federal election coming up – how do I vote?

Ezekiel 30:1–31:18, Revelation 14:14–15:8, Job 37:1–8, Daniel 2:21

In Canada, the federal election happens next Monday. Of course the media focuses on claims made and the results of popularity polls. Some voters say they don’t know who to vote for. Others express disgust at name-calling in the campaigns, and many just want change without saying why or to what.

As hubby and I discuss it, we notice two things. One is that people who cry for change almost always have personal motivations behind their wants. The other is that many fail to make the connection between the costs of those changes and the fact that whatever it is will come out of their taxpayer pockets.

Actually, we also discuss a third factor, the one that gives us comfort in election time. It comes from several places in the Bible, notably Daniel 2:21: “God changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.”

My mother used to say of many things, “We must need it or we wouldn’t be getting it.” In this case she would say that whoever gets elected, it will be what we deserve!

This actually happens throughout the biblical narrative. Today, I’m reading the following from Ezekiel: “Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord God: “Wail, ‘Alas for the day!’ For the day is near, the day of the Lord is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations. A sword shall come upon Egypt, and anguish shall be in Cush, when the slain fall in Egypt, and her wealth is carried away, and her foundations are torn down . . . . Those who support Egypt shall fall, and her proud might shall come down; from Migdol to Syene they shall fall within her by the sword . . . . And they shall be desolated in the midst of desolated countries, and their cities shall be in the midst of cities that are laid waste. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have set fire to Egypt, and all her helpers are broken.” (Ezekiel 30:2-4, 6–8)

We will cast our votes. Nevertheless, God can retain the leadership we have, set up new leadership, or even destroy our country. He has done this to other nations in the past and can do it again if He wishes. He knows what is needed here, whether it is wise leadership or humiliating folly.

It is as Job’s young friend Elihu said, “God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend. For to the snow he says, ‘Fall on the earth,’ likewise to the downpour, his mighty downpour. He seals up the hand of every man, that all men whom he made may know it.” (Job 37:5–7)

At the final judgment, those who survive the outpouring of wrath on sin will sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Following that will come more displays of the power of God. In his vision, John also saw: “The sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened, and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests. And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever, and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.” (Revelation 15:3–8)

That will not likely happen, yet I will prayerfully cast my vote, recognizing the importance of listening to the Lord. He will turn the hearts of people so that the outcome fulfills His purposes for this one and for all other elections. Our hearts need to be humble when we go to the polling stations.

Getting God’s vote

Listening to the American presidential hopefuls making speeches has shown me something about what appeals to people preparing to vote. While they want to know the background and qualifications of the candidates, they also want to hear that they are capable of making an intelligent choice.

This comes out in Psalm 86:1-5. As I read it this morning, I compared the way pleas are made to voters with the way the psalmist makes his plea to God. This passage says:

Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me; for I am poor and needy. Preserve my life, for I am holy; You are my God; save Your servant who trusts in You! Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I cry to You all day long. Rejoice the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.

In the first part, the psalmist tells God why He should ‘vote’ for him; he is poor and needy, hinting that he cannot survive without God’s help. I need you to put me into office.

He also asks God to preserve his life because he is holy, which means he has been set apart for God so wants God to remember that consecration and commitment. I’ve given my life for my country, given my life for you, so remember this at the polls.

Then the psalmist asks for mercy because he has cried out to God all day long. None of the candidates asked for mercy (which means getting what is not deserved), but two of them have said that they are ordinary people with a desire to serve their country. Certainly all four have cried out and their speeches go on all day long. Vote for me, because I am sticking with this and making my voice heard.

The psalmist also asks God to make him happy because he knows that only God can do that. It is to God alone that he makes his appeal. Vote for me. Together we can do this. You are my only way to the position that I am seeking.

At the very end of the psalm, the petitioner takes a turn. Instead of offering information about himself to persuade God to hear him, he appeals to the very nature of God. He says, “You are good . . . ” and speaks of God’s qualifications that make Him able to hear and answer his requests.

I’ve heard at least two of the candidates say something like this to their audience, You are smart, intelligent people who know what is needed and you are able to select leadership that will be good for your life and this country. You have what it takes.

The crowds love it. While they applaud when the candidates talk of their qualifications and plans, they melt when the candidates tell them that they believe in them.

When I pray today, I can tell God about my helplessness and need, and I can remind Him of my desire to serve Him and how I cannot do it without His help, but I think He most wants to hear words that express my faith in His goodness and power.

I realize that the American people may or may not live up to the expectations and praise given to them by those seeking election, but I also know that God lives up to His promises. Even if my expectations are sometimes off base, I can trust Him. Therefore, regardless of how He ‘votes’ concerning my pleas, I need to tell Him that He knows what is right and what He decides will be good.