Some Context for this Election (Cornerstone 11/06/2016)

Some Context For This Election

Thomas Keese

It may be true of every election, but it seems the case in this election it is unlike any other in our nation’s past. I know I am not alone in feeling gravely concerned for our nation’s future. There are so many things at stake as we approach November 8. No matter who is elected, we as Christians will continue to be confronted with major issues. 1st of all there is rampant immorality, fornication, adultery, lasciviousness and lovers of themselves, lovers of money, abortion, homosexuality, etc.… Which I doubt either candidate will deal with. This societies downward spiral started years ago and will likely continue for years to come. If God wanted to judge this nation based on its current moral state how can anyone argue it would not be deserved? No matter who is elected for most of us life will continue to go on without drastic changes. My goal for this article is to provide words of comfort and some context for this election cycle.

How can God allow (insert your most hated candidate) to be elected?

Certainly God would not allow such an unrighteous person to rule over us. Yet God has allowed unrighteous rulers over even his beloved people in the past.

In many ways our current candidates are the worst their parties could put forth. That being said these candidates would not even compare with some of the rulers of the nation of Israel and yet God allowed them to come to these positions. in the question of who is the most unrighteous of these rulers the names Ahab and Jezebel must be considered. Nothing our current set of candidates has done or even alleged can be compared with what Ahab and Jezebel did. A summary is given in I Kings 16:30-34.

“Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him. And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation with Abiram his firstborn, and with his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, according to the word of the LORD, which He had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun”

Who Is in Control?

What must be remembered and repeated if we doubt it, is the story told in Daniel 4 of the King Nebuchadnezzar at the very moment he believed his power was of own doing God brought him down. God judged him when He was ready. Not when those being ruled by him were ready. God will judge our rulers when He is ready and in the way He so chooses. Make no mistake they will be judged, their unrighteousness does not escape God’s notice and their efforts to hide it will make no difference. The whole purpose of what happened to Nebuchadnezzar is summed up with the phrase:

“In order that the living may know
That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men,
Gives it to whomever He will,
And sets over it the lowest of men.’
– Daniel 4:17

The key parts of this verse are emphasized by being repeated no less than 3 times in the fourth chapter of Daniel. This message is repeated for us in Romans 13:

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.”

Being so close to election day it is so very clear no one but God himself knows what will happen in the selection. My advice other than voting is to pray. We are assured in this as well as every other problem we face we are to

“be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication let our request be made known to God…” – Phil 4:6

and trust that our magnificent God will work this out according to His purposes no matter who our president is. I will struggle to heed my own advice but we are assured just as we believe our sins are remitted through God’s plans that He is in control of whoever is in power in this as well as every other nation on this earth.

– tdk