Rulers of the Days of Old and New

                    

I find it amazing how when God was in control, how good things were for the Israelites. They prospered like no other Nation before them and were envied and feared at the same time. Yet they remained at peace until God would send them out to destroy those whom He knew were of evil heart and mind, and never lost a battle when they followed His commands. It still amazes me as to why, when they had experienced God’s goodness and faithfulness, that they would turn away from Him and do their own thing and fail miserably, suffering with great losses, that they would return to God and do the same thing all over again.

God was their King and led them to prosperity when they kept His covenant. Then for some reason they decided they wanted a king of their own choosing. Even when the kings God chose for them treated them fairly and they continued to prosper, they decided they wanted to choose for themselves a king, and after consulting God or should I say arguing with God, He relented and let them have their way and make the choice themselves. Because we can’t see God or touch Him, do we think He isn’t watching over us, so we choose someone who we can see with the naked eye. Beware for God never takes His eyes from us. He is watching us 24/7. 

The primary purpose for electing a king in the first place was because they wanted someone in the physical realm, one they could see and touch. They didn’t like the fact that they couldn’t see God or touch Him. If the king they chose followed the covenant of God they prospered. If the king did not follow God they suffered greatly. 

A lesson learned for them and a lesson supposedly learned for us as to what happens when you go against the Word of God. When people prayed to God for a right king, He instilled in them the right one to choose. Each time they listened to God their elected king was great among them and they prospered. When they chose for themselves the one they wanted without praying to God first, they suffered. Mistakes were made by every ruler we have ever had in this country, bar none. The price we as the people of this country have paid for those mistakes were at times great, yet we survived and moved on to the next. When a ruler was chosen that was a follower of God we would still prosper though at times it was difficult. Not necessarily the fault of the one in charge, but mitigating circumstances that was around the decision that was made. 

This country prospered for so many years when God was at the helm guiding us in the way we should go. Then we began to take God out of control and do it our way and things began to go wrong for our country. Yet, people still haven’t seen the light and refuse to put God back in control and we are paying the price for it. We are so much like the Israelites that it is amazing to me that for those who know God and seem to follow Him that they refuse to hear Him when He is speaking so loudly to us. 

Are the rulers we elect truly men of God or are they followers of man? If we listen close enough we don’t need a rocket scientist to figure which one is or isn’t. Why when we have seen the results of choosing one who does not believe, choose them simply because they tell us what we want to hear. 

I wonder, how many followers of God will seriously pray for God’s guidance in their choosing who they want to be our ruler, or will they simply choose whom they want regardless of their beliefs even when the one they choose goes against God’s covenant. 

Do we choose to follow God or man? As Joshua said in his book chapter 24:15 “AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE WE WILL SERVE THE LORD.” 

                                                                                     Pastor Joe

 

 

 

                         

.