We are in a dark time in our nation right now. There is political unrest, racial unrest, and we still have the concerns over COVID-19. One question that I think we should all consider is, how are we to feel towards our elected officials? The Bible actually does have something to say on this matter. Not just in the New Testament, but also in the Old Testament as we will see today. In the book of Isaiah, God is telling Isaiah and the nation of Israel what He is going to do some 200 years before it comes to pass. Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel, was going to go into captivity in Babylon. This captivity was going to last for 70 years (Jer. 29:10). Then, God says he is going to use a leader named Cyrus to set them free. We see this in Isaiah 45:1 which says, “Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held–to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut.”
Here is the interesting thing about Cyrus, he isn’t Jewish. Later in same chapter, God reveals that Cyrus isn’t even a believer in God. However, God was going to use Cyrus to accomplish His plan. I believe this paints a very important picture for you and I as Christians with respect to our leaders. Here are some of the lessons I think we need to learn:
- God uses who He desires. Because God is all-powerful, He can use anyone He desires, for whatever reason He desires to use them. In the book of Daniel, we see that it is God who appoints leaders, both religious leaders as well as secular leaders. This doesn’t mean that every leader is going to be good or even do right. It simply means that God’s plan and purpose is going to be accomplished. Leaders can either be for the good of people or bad of people. Either way, God is going to use them to accomplish His purpose, for His glory. This leads to the second lesson.
- We need to pray for our elected officials. This isn’t about liking them, voting for them, or even agreeing with them. God has placed them in authority over us (Rom. 13), and He has commanded us to pray for them in 1 Timothy 2. Before you think that 1 Timothy 2 deals with only leaders who are good or when there is an ideal situation; when Paul wrote this letter, the church was being persecuted. Christians were not in favor with the Roman government, yet Paul still said we are to pray for our leaders.
- We are to submit to our leaders. Paul writes this in Romans 13. It is worth noting once again, this has nothing to do with voting for them or agreeing with them. Paul is perfectly clear, God appointed the leader for this time, and therefore we are to submit to them. To not submit to our earthly leaders is to rebel and sin against God.
We are in a bad situation in our nation. We need to pray for our elected officials, and we need to pray for one another. What we have seen over and over again is that neither political party is the solution to what ails our nation. Only Jesus can help us, and restore us. Before we look to criticize, let’s make sure that we have spent time in prayer for them and trying to be a part of the solution. If we won’t do those things, frankly we are part of the problem, and we have enough problems. May we glorify God by how we live our life and how to interact with others.
By His grace and for His glory,
Pastor Justin