Do Votes Count?

The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not dwell in the land. The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.” Proverbs 10:30-32

I’m one of those a-political types. I have believed for so long that nothing I can say or do will make any difference in the way things go in this country that I stopped thinking that my involvement or that my vote mattered. I vote in every election but I have the mindset that says I will look for the lesser of two evils on the ballot.

About a year ago my husband got involved in a group called MARS (The Mid-Atlantic Reformation Society, www.thinkandreform.org). I have been attending the monthly meetings they host and listening to their speakers. These people love the Lord above all else and believe that Christians need to let their voices be heard in every arena – even the political arena. They are passionate about God’s Word being the source of direction and order for the whole world –.– in every sphere.

MARS doesn’t deal with only political topics and my thinking has been challenged greatly in many areas. This is a statement taken from a brochure I picked up last night at their “Old Fashioned Election Day Sermon.”. “The goal of MARS is Exhortation by Education – helping individuals break unbiblical thinking patterns. Our presentations are intended to show that a biblical view on various matters may be outside the comfortable status quo. It’s our duty as Christians to conform ourselves to God’s pattern of thinking, to reform our thinking to His. Since the Bible is His revelation to us of how He thinks, His Word is where we must first inquire to know His will in all matters of life.”

Because of the Old Fashioned Election Day Sermon and the fact that election Day is tomorrow, voting is on my mind. The guest speaker last night, Pastor John Weaver, has given me a lot to think about it in the realm of what the Bible says is the sphere of authority for the civil government. The Bible draws some pretty clear lines as to what those are. He made a great case for how far out of bounds we have let the government of our nation go.

One of the things I heard, though it was not his major point, is that Christians with attitudes like mine (the “what can I do about it?” attitude) have allowed the government to step so far outside God’s intended purpose for them that the return to their proper role is going to come from God –in judgment. God will judge the government for taking roles they weren’t called to but I will also suffer judgment for not taking action against what I know to be wrong on even the lowest levels.

How do people like me get back in the game? Pastor Weaver gave biblical examples of people who watched as sinful kings did what they wanted and not what God called them to. Consider Joab and David, when David purposed to number the armies of Israel. They both clearly understood this to be sin. Joab confronted David but took the count when the king failed to listen. In God’s sight Joab was as sinful for continuing the count as David was for initiating it. (1 Chronicles 21:1-7) All Israel suffered because of it.

In my limited, “scared of the rulers” mindset, I thought Joab had done what he could. He confronted the King – if he proceeds isn’t that on David? Yes, but also on Joab. As Pastor Weaver continued to teach (and on the way home my husband had to explain again) Joab followed the dictate of David out of fear for his own life. He did not follow what he had already demonstrated he knew was the right thing “not” to do according to God because David would at least demote him if not have him killed, if he didn’t. He was disobedient to God to protect himself- as if God couldn’t or wouldn’t.

So, the challenge for me is to get back into the game – not like Joab – willing to speak but not act. I am becoming convinced that it really does matter who I vote for, and how I speak and confront issues in our culture. The Bible clearly points out that righteous rulers bring blessing to a nation and wicked rulers bring judgment. Our votes and involvement may determine if we get a righteous ruler.

Look at these instructions that God gave Israel about appointing civil leaders. “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the LORD your God is giving you. Deuteronomy 16:18-20

I certainly think that in the United States, locally and nationally, we have perverted justice in many ways. Isn’t the pork in our legislation (not to mention abortion, welfare, and tyrannical taxation) designed to blind the eyes of the otherwise wise person? These things make me afraid we will be losing the land God has given us.

So, I will vote. But, I will start to take a closer look at who is running for public office and vote for those I think are righteous men. I fear I am going to find very few choices. MARS has pointed out to me that the lesser of two evils is still evil.