I'm in Jeremiah as part of my reading plan. There is a repeated theme that helps bring me comfort as we prepare for tomorrow's election. God is in charge of kings and kingdoms. You see this very clearly in Daniel and the minor prophets as well.
This means that we should vote if we're able, but that we don't have to feel like the future of the world hinges on this election. God is still in control. If he wants Obama in the White House then that is who will go. And if he wants McCain then that is who will be there. How this works in concert with man's will is beyond me, but I do know that it somehow works together.
Our pastor preached on this passage yesterday:
Romans 13:1-7 ESV
(1) Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
(2) Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
(3) For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,
(4) for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.
(5) Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience.
(6) For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.
(7) Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
He brought out something really interesting from verse 7. We are to give honor to our leaders. Who was the leader of Paul? Nero.
Yes, the Nero who would use Christians as tiki torches in his garden. The Nero who would wrap Christians in wet animal skins and then watch them suffocate as the skins dried. That Nero.
I don't think either McCain or Obama will be that bad, do you?
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2 comments:
Hey, I've been enjoying checking up on your thoughts on Jeremiah lately - good stuff. As for the election, that was pretty much what I told my church - the election has nothing to do with the Kingdom. The world will keep on doing the same things its always done.
I tend to see democracy as Romans 1 in action. The people say what they want and God gives it to them.
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