So much talk around the election and all things Trump has taken place in the last week or so….
Why in the world add to it?
Well primarily because in my Old Testament readings I’ve recently read through I&II Samuel, I&II Kings, I&II Chronicles about all the kings of Israel and Judah. And then Ezra leading up to the election, and this morning (11/9/24) I started reading through Nehemiah. On top of that we are preaching through Daniel at our church and we have taken our children through the first six chapters of Daniel. So the subject of government leaders and the people who follow them or who are under their authority has been on my brain much in these last weeks.
As most of you Americans know, much talk has revolved around why so many Americans voted for Trump with all of his glaring weaknesses. Many believe most voted for him because they have been so negatively affected by the economy (inflation, etc), and they believe Trump can better turn that aspect of our American life around than Kamala Harris could/would have. I believe that was a driving factor though there are many others.
Another question we should be asking though is: Why did God allow Trump to be elected as our 47thPresident? This morning in my reading in Psalm 75 God clearly wants to be known as the Judge of all judges (see vs. 2, 7) and as the One who raises up one and puts down another. Now I do not pretend to know all that was in God’s heart and mind when He allowed Donald Trump to have such a resounding victory. But the one reason I want to share with you comes from Ezra chps. 6 & 7. In Ezra chapter 6 Ezra and company are having to deal with King Darius of Babylon. The enemies of those Jews who were seeking to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem had come to King Darius trying to get him to stop them. To their shock and dismay he did the opposite (after discovering via the archives that King Cyrus had ordered and blessed this rebuilding project). He commanded them and everyone else to support the rebuilding efforts of these Jews.
So this pagan King of Babylon got behind a Jewish rebuilding project solely because of something in the archives? No that is not the sole reason. Another driving motivation was Darius’s concern about his and his sons’ welfare and wellbeing. In ch. 6 vs. 9 King Darius commanded basically that whatever they needed should be given these rebuilders on a daily basis. Then in vs. 10 he reveals more of his inner motivation,” that they (those Jews rebuilding the temple) may offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.” While King Darius did not know the God of the Jews personally (it appears), he knew their God was unlike any other God and had power to bless or curse. He knew as powerful as he was (as king of Babylon) he needed God’s favor to succeed. And he had a better chance of experiencing that favor if he treated God’s people favorably. And he appeared to know that God’s people would pray for him and his family, and that that would yield positive results.
Well then in chapter 7 the Jews are now having to deal with King Artaxerxes of Persia and Ezra is highlighted in this chapter. Similar to King Darius, King Artaxerxes speaks of God as their God, not his. But he extends great favor to them in their rebuilding project. And similar to King Darius he has a similar motive (not necessarily the only motive). He says in vs. 23, “Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, so that there will not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons.” King Artaxerxes clearly saw that the way he treated these Jews would affect the way God treated him and his sons.
Both in President Elect Trump’s first term and leading up to this now second term as our 47th President he has many times sought the audience, counsel and prayers of evangelical Christian leaders. I have read reports of those meetings from some of the ones that I am more familiar with and whom I respect for their pursuit of godliness and righteousness. Whether President Elect Trump knows the living God as his God – only God knows for sure. But he clearly knows the God of these leaders is the One True God, and he clearly seems to know He needs His favor, protection, guidance and protection to be able to fulfill his role as President.
Surely one of the reasons around 81% of evangelicals voted for Donald Trump was his continued openness to these leaders and their concerns – chief of which are concerns for the unborn being protected and support for Israel among a handful of others.
Some question President Elect Trump’s true motives in all of this. Again I am not God and I do not know his heart. But I know this: We who know God and know He is a God who answers prayer need to pray that when these evangelical leaders get access to Mr. Trump they will be holy, pure, clean, unaffected or impressed by the pomp and glitter, and bold to speak truth whenever the opportunity arises. Daniel’s example with King Belshazzar comes to mind here (see Daniel 5:17). They must be led and filled with the Holy Spirit, not depending upon their own wisdom or experience. They need to be tuned into God’s ways and the kingdom of God, which is far more important than any earthly kingdom. And they will have a better chance of being like this in his presence if we pray for them diligently.
While I have the microphone, I have two more concerns herein: First, if you are one of the ones that voted for President Elect Trump and are excited or greatly enthused about his election and those he has appointed to serve with him, please know that we are commanded in I Timothy 2:1,2 to pray for “kings and all of those in authority…”, which means we disciples of Jesus need to continue to pray for President Biden and his staff and cabinet. Much can be done for good or evil in the next two months from the oval office depending at least in part on whether God’s people faithfully and obediently pray for them.
Second, many of us need to be cleansed and detoxed from all of the rhetoric and gloating and finger pointing and cynicism that is in the airwaves these days regarding the election. Let’s get back to meditating in His word day and night and devoting ourselves to prayer and crying out for more of His mind and heart in the way we see and feel about our neighbors, who might not see the election the way we do.
God bless each of you and may you and I ever more be like our Savior, seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness in these last days before His return.
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