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Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Of course, I’m writing this BEFORE Wednesday morning November 4th. From where I am, I cannot possibly predict what we will find when we awaken this morning after the American election. All types of predictions span the entire spectrum from landslides to ‘too close to call’ and of course there are the questions of early voting, absentee ballots, and extended time in some States for late votes to be included.
Here’s a vital question for us to consider right now: Is Almighty, Omniscient, Holy God fully Sovereign over this election process and the results? Has God seen everything that has been done in every place where every vote has been cast? Does God understand every aspect of the process, every conversation, every voter’s intention? Is God powerful enough that He could have changed the result? Of course YES is the answer to all these questions.
But here’s another question: What should we anticipate God may do with the future of America considering this fact: political leadership in America is voted INTO leadership BY THE PEOPLE, both to leadership in the White House and the Congress!? It’s vital we remember this was an election. Leadership in America is ELECTED… not inherited as in a monarchy, nor is it earned at gunpoint as in a coup d’état, nor is it assumed as in a dictatorship. Of course a fair election ASSUMES one fundamental thing: HONESTY, INTEGRITY in every phase of the election process!
In our study of the Kings of Israel over the past several days, we’ve seen God select kings and we’ve seen God reject kings. We’ve seen God bless those kings who led the people TO pursue and follow God, and we’ve seen God punish the kings and the people when they rebelled and rejected God. We’ve seen drama and chaos in leadership transitions. And we’ve seen leaders both follow in the path of those before them, and totally turn away from the path of their predecessors. So what shall we see in America over these next several months?
Today I invite you to a powerful turn of events in the leadership of both wicked king Ahab and honorable king Jehoshaphat, both of whom we’ve met in the past few days. Things were going very well for king Jehoshaphat as he sought to honor God with his leadership, and things were going very badly for king Ahab as he led Israel in rejection of God. 2 Chronicles 18:1 says: “Now king Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor and he allied himself with king Ahab by marriage.” It’s a shocking statement! Why would such an unholy alliance be formed?
We can imagine king Ahab would hope some of God’s blessing, which has been poured out on king Jehoshaphat, might spill over onto him if he gave one of his daughters to Jehoshaphat in marriage! But why would Jehoshaphat, who is described as “His heart was devoted to the ways of the LORD…” (2 Chron. 17:6) risk defiling himself and his people through affiliation with wicked king Ahab? The Scriptures don’t explain it to us, but knowing human nature as we do, and knowing the confusion of back-room politics, we can only imagine somehow both kings felt it might be mutually advantageous.
Before we throw stones at them, we would do well to imagine that similar discussions are being held today between politicians all across America, and perhaps even leaders of other nations, as election winners and losers, political parties and political brokers all look to advance their personal agendas and political futures in the post election frenzy.
As you read through the rest of 2 Chronicles 18 you’ll meet several deceiving advisors for king Ahab; a shocking request by king Jehoshaphat; and one courageous, God inspired prophet, who speaks hard truth to both kings, as the two kings discuss the possibility of a military alliance and a strategy for joining their forces in battling a common enemy. I wonder if you have been praying for those involved in the political frenzy taking place in Washington DC right now?
May I ask us these questions as you read 2 Chronicles 18? Do you have a person like “Micaiah” in your life, who will only tell you what they are confident they have heard from God, even if it’s unwelcome news? I wonder, of the politicians who won their elections and are now in positions of important leadership with newfound authority, how many have advisors like Micaiah, who will speak God’s clear truth to them, even if it’s hard truth?
Does it confuse you that Holy God would allow deceiving spirits to deceive king Ahab and convince him to adopt a specific battle strategy which would actually lead to his death? Don’t be confused by this my friends. Satan and his demons are always at work, seeking to harm people. And especially with leaders, demons work to manipulate them so their leadership will lead people away from God and into despair! (1 John 5:19; 1 Peter 5:8; 1 Tim. 4:1) In this case God allowed the evil spirits to deceive Ahab into believing he’d be victorious in battle, when God knew it would be Ahab’s last battle. So God allowed the demons to do their dastardly work, because in this case it would accomplish God’s purpose… the termination of Ahab’s leadership, in judgment.
Last Friday we considered God’s patience and the important truth that even God’s patience has a limit, and when God’s patience runs out, He will act with judgment. God had been amazingly patient with king Ahab and sent multiple messengers to warn him including Elijah the prophet, but to no avail. Ahab was determined to live a wicked life and lead the people of Israel in the same path, rejecting God, God’s truth and God’s ways.
God’s patience ran out on king Ahab, and Ahab led his army into battle. Here’s how the author of 2 Chronicles records it: “But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel (Ahab) between his breastplate and scale armor. King Ahab told the chariot driver, ‘wheel around and get me out of the fighting, I’ve been wounded.’ All day long the battle raged, and king Ahab propped himself up in his chariot facing the enemy until evening. Then at sunset he died.” (2 Chron. 18:33,34)
Do you see it? An unnamed archer shot an arrow ‘at random’, and it miraculously found its way to king Ahab. Even more miraculously, that random arrow found the tiny little opening in Ahab’s body armor between the breastplate and the scale armor. And God watched, as wicked king Ahab’s life trickled away sitting propped up in the back of a chariot, with an arrow sticking out of his chest. Listen to this from 1 Kings 22:35 “The blood from Ahab’s wound ran onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died. As the sun was setting, a cry spread through the army: ‘every man retreat to his town!’ So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried him there. They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria, where the prostitutes bathed, and the dogs licked up his blood, as the word of the LORD had declared.” What a pitiful ending to a pitiful life, leaving a pitiful legacy.
In closing today, as some American leaders relish their election victories, and others search for who to blame for their election defeat…I wonder what God sees deep in their hearts? And as God looks ahead into 2021 and beyond, what does God see in America? We need to ask, don’t we…what does God see in your heart and mine today, as we contemplate what the media are telling us about the election results? Can we trust God with this moment, and the future? How will you and I live our lives as followers of Jesus Christ, like Micaiah, speaking God’s truth in our world, living our lives as Jesus leads us, to help our world in desperate need of God’s help?
And as God looks out into future time… 2021 and beyond, what does God see that will be the long term results of this election and the role of God’s people, all around the world, in that future? And finally what is God planning, even right now, for the day each and every one of us and all these leaders, and leaders of all time, will stand before HIM and give account of our lives? (Heb. 4:13; 2 Corinthians 5:10)
Do you remember on Sunday I gave you a special insight into this concept that as followers of Jesus we are ‘spiritual aliens’ having been redeemed by Jesus. So here’s another video clip as you contemplate how you and I can make a difference now, in the shadows of yesterday’s elections. God says: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God…” (1 Peter 2:9)
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Click to read today’s chapter: 2 Chronicles 18. (At the top you can choose a different translation.)
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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