Integrity In Times Like These

Integrity in Times like These

When God established an earthly monarchy for Israel, He prohibited anointing a king from outside the nation. Moses told the Hebrews in Deuteronomy 15:14-15 (NKJV):

14 “When you come to the land which the LORD your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say, ‘I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,’ 15 you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.

America used this same concept in the qualifications for President of the United States. Our presidents are not to be from outside the US. Article II, Section 1 of the US Constitution sets forth the eligibility requirements for serving as president of the United States under clause 5 (emphasis added):

No Person except a natural born Citizen or a Citizen of the United States at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

If Israel had a foreign king or if we have an outsider as president, their loyalty would likely be to their homeland rather than the nation they were ruling. Real patriotism and seeking their nation’s best interests are worthy goals for any national leader. Dr. Benjamin Rush wrote:

“Patriotism is as much a virtue as justice and is as necessary for the support of societies as natural affection is for the support of families. The Amor Patriae is both a moral and a religious duty. It comprehends not only the love of our neighbors but of millions of our fellow creatures, not only of the present but of future generations. This virtue we find constitutes a part of the first characters in history. The holy men of old, in proportion as they possessed a religion, were endowed with a public spirit. What did not Moses forsake and suffer for his countrymen? What shining examples of Patriotism do we behold in Joshua, Samuel, Maccabeus, and all the illustrious princes, captains, and prophets amongst the Jews! St. Paul almost wishes himself accursed for his countrymen and kinsmen after the flesh. Even our Savior himself gives a sanction to this virtue. He confined his miracles and gospel at first to his own country.”

So many Christian Americans believe patriotism to be a sin or at least a conflict with the kingdom of God. Our forefathers didn’t think so. They connected the country’s best interests to the stewardship of believers. On the other side of the fight for independence, we have disconnected this virtue from faith. Our government now views Patriots as terrorists, and most Christian Americans suppress their patriotic spirit, playing into the hands of the New World Order.

Having a natural-born citizen as our national leader should be a cinch for Americans. He can identify with his fellow citizens and express concern for them. He feels the pain of their circumstances as though they were his. When Ronald Reagan ran for the presidency, an older lady asked him not to forget the senior citizens when he became president. He retorted, “Forget you? I’m one of you.”

As a side note, one of the reasons Jesus came into the world in the flesh was to identify with us. God knows everything, how we feel and what we are enduring. Now that Jesus has come in the flesh to live and die as He did, we know He knows. Listen to these verses (NKJV):

Hebrews 4:15,

15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 5:2,

He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness.

Philippians 2:7-8,

7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

When King Jehoshaphat died, Jehoram succeeded him. The new king did not do what was right before God. He was a descendant of David but did not have the character of his father, grandfather, and their ancestor, David. Listen to 2 Chronicles 21:1-4 (NKJV):

And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. Then Jehoram his son reigned in his place. 2 He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azaryahu, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. 3 Their father gave them great gifts of silver and gold and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn. 4 Now when Jehoram was established over the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself and killed all his brothers with the sword, and also others of the princes of Israel.