[Please join me in praying for our nation and world on Tuesdays this year.]
“It is repulsive [to God and man] for [governmental leaders] to behave wickedly,
For a throne is established on righteousness (right standing with God).”
(Proverbs 16:12 AMP, alt.)
My Bible Recap reading plan has taken me through the Old Testament history books (Samuels, Kings, Chronicles) and several of the prophets (Obadiah, Jonah, Amos, Isaiah, Hosea). I love how the Bible tells the history of God’s interaction with his people – the people he chose through Abraham, set free from Egyptian slavery, rescued at the Red Sea, and placed within the Promised Land after they conquered the pagan tribes there. God wanted them to be his people and he to be their God. God gave them fairly simple instructions – the 10 Commandments and a few like “do not forget what I have done for you, how I brought you out of Egypt….” Yet, the people cried out for a king – which God eventually gave them in Saul, then David, and then Solomon.
Unfortunately, after Solomon the Promised Land was split into two parts – the Southern Kingdom of “Judah” and the Northern Kingdom of “Israel.” None of the kings in Israel – no, not one – is considered by the Bible to be “good.” Instead, they each did “evil in the sight of the Lord.” They worshipped idols, intermarried with pagans, did not keep God’s commands, and were eventually overtaken by enemy forces because of their disobedience, idolatry, and sin. I can only imagine God’s sadness toward the actions of these horrible leaders.
The land of Judah did some better with its leadership. Some kings were still “bad,” but several are labeled “good.” Reading through this list of kings is like teetering on a seesaw:
Rehoboam – bad – “He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.” (2 Chronicles 12:14 NIV)
Abijah – better but not great – “The people of Judah were victorious because they relied on the Lord, the God of their ancestors.” (2 Chronicles 13:18 NIV)
Asa – mostly good – “Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.” (2 Chronicles 14:2 NIV)
Jehoshaphat – pretty good – “The Lord was with Jehoshaphat [and he] sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel.” (2 Chronicles 17:3-4 NIV)
Jehoram – bad – “He passed away to no one’s regret…” (2 Chronicles 21:20 NIV)
Ahaziah – bad
Queen Mother Athaliah – bad
Joash – good
Amaziah – good
Uzziah – started good, but was bad later
Jotham – good
Ahaz – rotten
Hezekiah – good
I won’t list the last seven, but out of them only one (Josiah) is listed as “good.”
Feel like you’ve been on a see-saw?!? In almost all these cases, the father preceded the son on the throne. That means a “good” father could beget a “bad” son and vice versa. In our nation we don’t have kings whose throne has been handed down from father to son, but we do have leaders that God sees as “good” or “bad.” Either way, we are called to pray for them and for our nation. For “as the leaders go, so goes the nation.”
God,
Your Word calls us to pray for the leaders we have so that we can live in peace and righteousness. Honestly, God, I really don’t want to pray “for” the state and federal leadership we have right now because they seem so wicked. I would prefer to pray that you just smite them. I know that your ways and what you see and understand is way beyond what I can see and understand, so I ask you to soften my heart to the point I can genuinely pray for them. I know that “as the leaders go, so goes the nation” is true, so I will do my best to pray for these leaders. Your Word says “when there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability,” so we pray for wise, knowledgeable, and stable leaders. We pray that these rulers would not oppress the poor, but will hate corruption. May they be honest and trust you completely. May wickedness meet disaster so the godly can flourish. Break the power of the wicked so that no evil people will be in authority. Cause Light to shine in places of darkness in government so there is no corruption, fraud, deception, or injustice. May all those who serve in government be people with pure hearts and motives who are competent, purposeful, Constitutional, and bearing fruit in their roles. We ask all this in the strong name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, whose grace, peace, and mercy we seek for this nation. Amen.
“The power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.” (Psalm 37:17 NIV)
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5 NIV)
“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8 NRSV)
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8 NIV)
“Bear fruit in every good work.” (Colossians 1:10 NRSV)
“Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.” (1 Timothy 2:2 NLT)
“When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily.
But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability.
Evil people don’t understand justice,
but those who follow the Lord understand completely.
God detests the prayers
of a person who ignores the law.
Those who lead good people along an evil path
will fall into their own trap,
but the honest will inherit good things.
A wicked ruler is as dangerous to the poor
as a roaring lion or an attacking bear.
A ruler with no understanding will oppress his people,
but one who hates corruption will have a long life.
Greed causes fighting;
trusting the Lord leads to prosperity.
Those who trust their own insight are foolish,
but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe.
Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing,
but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed.
When the wicked take charge, people go into hiding.
When the wicked meet disaster, the godly flourish.” (Proverbs 28: 2, 5, 9, 10, 15, 16, 25, 26, 27, 28 NLT)