August 16, 2010
BY POPULAR DEMAND: CHRISTIANITY & POLITICS
Posted by Michael
Learn:
1 Samuel 8:4-21
4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” 6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. 7 And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.” 10 Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. 11He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day.” 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.” Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Everyone go back to his town.”
Main Idea:
Politics is a broad topic and when you add Christianity into the mix it doesn’t get any simpler. However, the bottom line is this: no system of government, no matter how good it is, will ever produce what we most long for. If every political policy was implemented exactly the way you think it ought to be, would it magically make you the person that you know God has called you to be? No. That does not mean we shouldn’t engage in the political process. It simply means that we put our hope in Jesus, not in a political system. The people of Israel wanted a king to rule them instead of God. They forgot everything He had done for them. And while we can’t compare ancient Israel to current America, there is a lesson to be learned. We can’t remove God from politics. We, as a nation, are accountable to God. When we disagree with others on political issues, we should put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. A difference in political thinking is never an excuse to be hateful. There is a wrong way to be right.
Know What: We should be a good citizen and be actively involved in the political process, but not put our hope in any system.
So What: Our hope is in Christ. Therefore, we should aim to be Christ-like in every area of life, including politics.
Now What: Assume the best of people who have different political views from you. Never let the passion of your opinions prevent you from loving others.
Discuss…
1. How politically knowledgeable would you consider yourself? Do you enjoy reading up on the daily political news, or are you content with just knowing the name of the current president?
2. How important do you think it is to be knowledgeable in the political arena? Have you always felt this way? How has your opinion of this changed over the years?
3. How passionate do you get over political issues? Do you find yourself getting “fired up” over certain issues, or are you more apathetic?
4. What do you think the phrase, “there is a wrong way to be right” means? Have you ever gotten so passionate about a political issue or campaign that it prevented you from treating people in a Christ-like way?
5. Have you ever been tempted to think that if just the right person was elected or the right policy was passed, it would give us a perfect system? Why is this idea so appealing? Why will this idea always lead to frustration?
6. Has there ever been a time when God has given you what you thought you wanted in order to help you figure out what you really needed (like when He gave Israel a king)? What did you learn from this experience?
7. Do you assume the best about people who have different political views from you? If not, what can you do to start putting on a “heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” when it comes to politics?
8. Does the current state of politics, and the affairs of the world in general, ever make you nervous or afraid about the future? Does having faith in Jesus help to subside these fears?
Pray
As Christians we have the responsibility to include Christ in every area of our lives, including politics. This week, pray for President Obama, Vice President Biden, all the senators, men and women in Congress, and all the people in local offices. Pray for a heart that assumes the best in everyone, and remember that Jesus is the ultimate hope for this world.
