Make America Great Again

 

Yes, this post is about to get political, but probably not in the direction you're expecting. Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to rally in prayer with Franklin Graham and thousands of my neighbors on the steps of the State Capitol. It did my heart so much good, because the way we as God's people organize ourselves, matters to our Creator. Already back in Deuteronomy 17:14-20, God lays down some guidelines to ensure that those in authority do not elevate themselves above those whom they exercise power over. It is made clear that leaders are to be humble and not only familiar with, but guided by, God's laws. When the Israelites asked for a massive shift in their God-ordained system, it also shifted the fate of their nation. Like so many Biblical accounts, their demand for a king identical to that of their pagan neighbors contains relevant nuggets of wisdom.

For God knew their selfish hearts. He knew where a king would lead. He also knew they would reject Samuel's warning, but commands him to warn them nonetheless. And Samuel does exactly that, because he lived a life of obedience, and trusted everything to God's hands.

"So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him. He said, 'These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take... he will take... he will take... and in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer in that day'... But the people refused to obey... And the Lord said to Samuel, 'Obey their voice and make them a king.'" -1 Samuel 8:10-22

God allows for them to appoint their own king. The people attempt to reject God's rule, yet they cannot escape it. Our Lord is omnipotent: all powerful. He will never abdicate His throne, even if man asks Him to. This underlying issue of fleeing God's sovereignty is not new to us today in America and it was not new to Israel. In fact, this issue begins all the way back in Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve rejected God's rule over them. As sinful mankind, we seek power and autonomy. Yet the "naked truth" is we cannot retain both sovereignty to ourselves and citizenship to the Kingdom of God.

We know how this story ends for Israel. Saul becomes king. It's a mess. We're a mess. But we can rejoice because the King of all Kings comes, dies for us, rises from the grave, and ascends into heaven on the promise that He will come again to establish the only Kingdom that could literally be heaven on earth.

But that is to come, and for now it is important that we learn from the mistakes God's people have made in the past. It's clear that a nation gets the leaders it deserves. This should definitely concern us. What kind of a leader do you think we as a nation deserve in our current circumstance?

We are so blessed to live in a land where "We the People" are the government. We have the ability to unite for truth, love, equality, and justice. There is no substitute for personal responsibility in the home, in the church, and in our community. We have been called to be Samuel's to a country of Israelites. The people might not listen, but we still need to proclaim God's message and live a life of obedience to our One True King. So Samuel, are you ready?