Unless you live under a rock, you probably have heard about the current United States election. You might have even seen news about the election as you went to read this article! This is election is a big deal. While it’s not nearly as big a deal as many make it out to be, it will shape the future of our country, as every election does.
Based on the demographics of this podcast, there is a good probability that you voted for Donald Trump. At this rate, it looks like he will not win re-election. The goal of this article isn’t to show why that’s a good or bad thing. Rather, I want to show you why your candidate did win the election, as he has every year. That means that if Donald Trump wins, you win. That also means if Joe Biden wins, you win. Who is that candidate?
I’m assuming you’ve guessed where I’m going with this. The answer to the question is, of course, God. While this might sound cliché, I want to show you why this fact is true and why it’s a glorious and hope-giving truth. To do this we are going to take a bit of a history tour, looking at God’s rule and sovereignty over nations.
God’s Rule Over Israel
The most prominent nation in the Bible is Israel, especially so in the Old Testament, so we are going to take a look at God’s rule over Israel, starting with Moses. By the time of the Mosaic Covenant (God’s covenant with Israel at the time of Moses), Israel was a very large nation, probably over one million people.
God made a special covenant with His people Israel. He offered to be their King. He would rule over them through the prophets and judges, who would tell Israel God’s instructions. This is known as a theocracy. Here we see that God has first-hand experience in ruling a nation. God also guided Israel when they demanded a king, sending them prophets to tell them what to do.
God’s Control Over Babylon
To get a good idea of God’s control over Gentile nations, we are going to take a look at Babylon. Babylon is one of the most referenced non-Israelite nations in the Old Testament, and the Bible gives us a lot of information on how God used them.
God used Babylon to serve His purposes. Now you might think that this means that they were a godly nation. The opposite is true. Ezekiel 30:11 (ESV) calls Babylon “the most ruthless of all nations.” So how did God use Babylon? God used Babylon to judge other wicked nations. As you read through the prophetic books, you see how that is the case. Isaiah likens another world power, Assyria, to God’s “axe. (Isa. 10:15 ESV)” God used Babylon and other world powers for the good of his people Israel, to discipline them, and to show His justice to all the nations.
God’s Continued Control
God’s control over nations didn’t stop with the Old Testament. God controls every nation to this day. King Solomon said that “the king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will. (Proverbs 21:1 ESV)” This means that no decision that a king makes happens without God’s approval. That means good decisions and bad decisions alike. Nothing, not even kings, is outside of God’s control.
This truth is reason for rejoicing. Regardless of who wins the 2020 election, we can know that God will use them for His glory. We probably won’t know how He did it. But we do know that He will accomplish it. We know that God is always working for His glory and for the good of believers, so we can rest in Him. Now it’s up to us. Will our neighbors and those around us see the peace of God inside of us, even if our candidate doesn’t win? Will they be curious and ask about the peace we have? Will we tell them that the God we serve is ALWAYS working for His glory and our good, even through flawed leaders?
Christ’s Eternal Reign
God’s present sovereignty isn’t even the best of it. We find that in Christ. As we read Revelation, we see our glorious Savior clothed in majesty, ruling for all of eternity. Jesus truly is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, and we will spend all of eternity worshipping Him.