The model politician in the bible is King David. Before becoming King, he was chosen by God, anointed by the prophet Samuel, the Spirit of God came upon him, he took the opportunity to claim victory for Israel and the God of Israel against a seemingly invincible enemy, he won enormous victories for Israel and King Saul, and he was persecuted to the point of having to escape his own nation because the jealous king was intent upon killing him. Did he orchestrate any of this by consulting with his campaign managers and analyzing polling data? Did he choose to become king? Did he compete and scramble in competition with King Saul to claim his kingship after being anointed king by Samuel? Did he fight to defend himself against King Saul when he was facing death at Saul's hand? The answer is no to all of the above.
So, how did he become king? It was not by any humanly orchestrated means that King David became King. Nevertheless, we can still learn alot about David. First is his faith in God, meaning he did not consider himself fit for the job of King but knew if God wanted him in that position, then it would happen. In other words, why would David need to orchestrate what God already ordained? Why would he advance himself to become something for which he didn't think he was even fit? Why would he jeopardize his life, his soul, and his future by harming God's chosen king?
You say modern politics is different and you have to promote yourself. Is modern politics that different? Is God no longer able to advance a person to a chosen position? Or does God not care anymore about who serves in politics? Back then, God set up a theocracy, and now things are different. So what God sets up is not as good as what we can set up? Secularism is better than theocracy? Human government is better than God's? Which is it going to be?
But what if a group of people, the church, maybe, got the vision for God's government, run by God's men? First, they would need to know and understand God's method of civil government. Second, they would have to pray for God's men to become elected officials. Third, they would have to apply their faith to the process of getting elected. Lastly, they would have to apply their faith to being a governing official.
First, what are the principles, the standards for governing civilly? Before he even knew that he would become king, David began as a worshipper of God and faithfully keeping his father's sheep. He ended worshipping God, faithfully keeping his father's sheep, and instructing his son how to continue in the right way. He had the five elements of covenant down pat. Worshipping God, the sovereign and the authority over even the king - elements 1 and 2, sovereignty and hierarchy. He kept the law of love, guiding the sheep - element 3, law. He accepted God's discipline and sanctions upon him and his sin as what was true and just from his God's hand - element 4, sanctions. And he passed along instructions to keep God's covenant people going, keeping the continuity of godly rulership - element 5, succession or inheritance.
"Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself: That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel." I Kings 2:1-4.
David spoke right out of the law of Moses because he was a man after God's own heart. How else would we know that he loved God? "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." I John 5:2-3.
So how do we pray for these godly elected officials? That is for the next post.
No comments:
Post a Comment