Wednesday, November 05, 2008

I may not know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future... and it isn't Barak Obama

I know I am going from an apple pie post to this one, but my heart is heavy as I type this. I wonder if there were any Israelites who felt this way after Samuel, God's prophet, introduced Saul as the first king of Israel. I wonder if anyone asked God why He would allow it to happen. The people wanted a king. Americans seem to want a king of sorts... There are Samuels who have been warning us what it will be like, but we aren't heeding the warnings.

Just for the record, Saul was chosen by God to be king. Here is a description of Saul from the Bible that I thought was interesting - "...a choice and handsome {man,} and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people." He was also from the smallest family of the smallest tribe of Israel.
I am not really saying that Obama is like Saul... I am suggesting the situation may have similarities.

The people of Israel had rejected God's rule over them. This is true of America as well. Read below for Samuel's warnings about a king...

God told Samuel "...{the people} have rejected me, that I should not reign over them... Now, therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them."

He {Samuel} 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.

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.

He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.

He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants.

He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants.

Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use.

He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.

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."

Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, "No, but there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles."

-scriptures taken from 1 Samuel 8:7-20

So, what do we do? Maybe we should have done a little more of this prior to now, but there's no time like the present. If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. - 2 Ch 7:14

This is a great place to start. Also, pray for Barak Obama and his family. Pray he will have a very personal and meaningful encounter with the one, true Jesus Christ. Pray for the lives of the unborn. Pray for God to weigh on the hearts of all of us to protect those who are so precious and have no voice of their own.

Pray also for Israel in the days, months and years to come.

Remember, David was chosen as king after Saul! David was considered by God to be a man after God's own heart.

1 comment: