[This post needs a preface. America and biblical Israel are not the same. We do not follow the Gospel of God and Country. We follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ and God’s covenant people is the church, not America. However, there are similarities between the two stories that can be beneficial.]
Just because something (or someone) seems perfect in every way, it doesn’t mean it’s what God has for us. Similarly, often times it is the one who appears to be the least eligible for the job that God chooses and uses. This gives me hope for the elections.
I was praying about choosing a PhD program a few years ago and I had the perfect school picked out. It was perfect in every way. The scholar who I wanted to study under was there, tuition was waived because it is an endowed program, and the school has a very good reputation for putting out great graduates.
I had a my second and third choices picked out as well, but they didn’t measure up to the perfect school. They were lacking in this or that, or were outside of my budget, or I just didn’t get the right “vibe” from them.
When everything was lined up for me to go to the perfect school, God unexpectedly redirected me. He told me (as I was fervently seeking his will in the matter) with great clarity that even though that school seemed perfect it wasn’t his will for me. Not only did he say it wasn’t his will for me, but he also made it clear that he wanted me to go with the second option. Yes, the one I wasn’t crazy about. It was the one that didn’t seem quite right that God had for me.
According to all standards, Saul was the perfect king for Israel. He was physically strong, handsome, rich, and he lived right in the geographic center of Israel. He was everything that anyone could have ever wanted in a king. If Saul was running for president, he would win by a landslide. Little did the population know that he would be an awful king. God would use him for his purposes nonetheless.
On the other hand, David was anything but eligible for kingship. He was the last-born male, poor, uneducated, and from the south. David would have gotten zero votes from the public. Little did the population know that he would be the best king they had ever had outside of Jesus.
You know what I love about the contrast between Saul and David? God used both of them. God wastes no leader. Bad leader? God can use them. Good leader? God can use them. He’s that sovereign and powerful.
So what does this mean for the US election and its candidates? No matter how good, or how bad; no matter how eligible, or ineligible a leader may seem, God will not waste a leader. No matter how promising or how dreadful a presidential candidate may appear, ultimately only God knows who the right person for the job is, and only God is sovereign enough to use his person for his purposes.
Saul seemed great, but was awful. Even though he was awful, God used his mistakes to reveal to Israel that they didn’t need a king according to the world’s standards.
David seemed awful, but was great, and through David God revealed to Israel that humility, obedience, and hunger for righteousness were the most important criteria for leadership.
This doens’t mean that voting doesn’t matter. It does mean, however, that we need to set aside all our humaness, critiques, and judgments, and fast and pray that God would reveal who to vote for. At that point, all we have to do is obey.
Great article and great truth. Thank you.