Who Should We Vote For
Exodus 18:21
“Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.”
This morning I have a simple goal. I hope to show you that Christ has much to say concerning the realm of politics, right down to the selection of those who rule.
Ask the typical Filipinos what they look for in a candidate, and you will get a wide variety of responses. Some look to see if he has a “good political flat-form?” Others look for “likeability.”
Still, others look to see how well he debates. How he advertise his purpose of getting involved in the political arena over the television.
Well, this morning I want to discuss some qualifications of the candidates that God is looking for. God wants us to base our choices on these Biblical qualifications in voting tomorrow morning.
I. The First Qualification is: God is looking for leaders who are ABLE
You shall select out of all the people able men…”
In 1 Chronicles 9:13, The Bible says, VERY ABLE MEN FOR THE WORK OF THE SERVICE OF THE HOUSE OF GOD.
The service of God needed men of God in that day, and it still hold true today. GOD NEED MEN OF GOD TO SERVE HIM
A chicken and a pig came upon a church building and read the advertisement on the billboard out front, which read, "Help Us Feed the Poor." Immediately the chicken suggested they help feed the poor with bacon and eggs. The pig thought for a moment and said, "There is one thing wrong with feeding bacon and eggs to the poor. For you it only requires a contribution, but for me it requires total commitment."
Many in the government today do not want to be totally committed because we put somebody in the position who are not “able men”.
What does it mean to become a “very able man for the work of God.”
A. Able means he is fit to the Position
- He must be qualified to the position he is aspiring for
B. Able means Faithful to his Work
- I Corinthians 4:2-Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
- Good and faithful servant
Why does God ask us to be faithful? Because He is faithful. I Cor. 1:9-God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Not everyone can be a President, Senator, etc, not every one can be a Pastor/ Teacher, but every one can be FAITHFUL.
Vance Hanver said, many saints prefer to be flashy comets instead of faithful stars. They go up like a rocket but come down like a rock.
II. The Second Qualification is: God is looking for leaders who FEAR Him.
”You shall select out of all the people able men who FEAR God…”
Psalm 2 reiterates the same idea…“Now therefore, O Kings, show discernment; Take warning O judges of the earth. Worship the Lord with reverence, and rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son…”
Did you notice the words, reverence, trembling, fear and homage in the verses I just read? In the Hebrew, these words convey the idea of leaders having an “exceeding dread of the Almighty” which comes as a result of realizing that they will one-day answer to Him. They are leaders who understand that God holds them to a higher standard of accountability.
Why is a fear of the Almighty so important?
#1- The “fear of God” safeguards leaders from an inordinate “fear of people.”
“He who kneels before God can stand before anyone.”
#2- The fear of God leads to great wisdom.
The Scriptures say, “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.” Today we hear a lot of talk about how smart or dumb a candidate is. Intelligence is fine but wisdom is better. How are the two different? Intelligence speaks to how much a person knows; while wisdom addresses the proper usage of that knowledge.
#3- The fear of God keeps leaders from becoming arrogant. It helps them remember that they are but “Ministers of God” sent to do His bidding.
According to James Madison…“Before any man can be considered a member [leader] of civil society, he must be considered as a subject to the Governor of the Universe.”
Application: So, as you look at a candidate, examine their beliefs. Look deeply into what they say about the Almighty. If he says he is a Christian, “Does he walk the talk?” Is he arrogant or humble? Do his campaign promises is true or just for pogi points?
These are not easy questions to answer but they must be answered, none-the-less.
The Bible said "when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice." [Prov. 29:2]
III. The Third Qualification is: God is looking for leaders that are TRUTHFUL
“…you select out of all the people…men of truth…”
Proverbs 14:34–“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”
In the Hebrew, the word “truth” can be translated as “verity” or “trustworthiness.”
Notice, the passage doesn’t say, “Do they tell the truth?” Instead, the passage says, “Are they men of truth?” I believe there is a big difference between “telling the truth” and being “men of truth.” The first focuses on “what the person does.” The second focuses on “who the person is.”
Contrary to popular opinion, God commands us to look at the personal / private world of a potential leader. As we look at a Candidates personal world, God wants us to ask questions like, does he keep his word? Do his personal stories hold “verity?” Is he genuine, or fake? Does his life ooze truth or do we just get a drop of it every now and then? Does he understand what the word, “is,” is?
Our challenge? Vote for the one who shows the greatest amount of personal integrity and trustworthiness.
Let’s move on to the last qualification…
IV. The Fourth Qualification is: God is looking for leaders who HATE DISHONEST
Let’s look one last time at Exodus 18:21… “Therefore, you shall select out of all the people able men…who hate dishonest gain.”
The phrase, “Dishonest Gain,” speaks to the one’s wealth and how it was achieved. The phrase literally means to “profit unjustly.” Therefore, God is instructing Moses to look for leaders who have not profited at the expense of others.
Reverend Chandler Robbins, addressed “profiting unjustly”, in a sermon he preached before Governor elect, John Hancock in 1791. He said, “How constantly do we find it inculcated in the sacred writings, that rulers be ‘just men—fearers of God—haters of covetousness.’ That they ‘shake their hands from holding bribes,’ because, ‘a gift blindeth the eyes of the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.’
Let me make a few points:
1. God isn’t against leaders who are wealthy.
Some would have you believe that being wealthy is a sin but it isn’t. But…
2. God is against the leader who gained his wealth in an unjust manner.
3. And…God wants us to elect individuals who will fight against those who profit unjustly.
So as you examine the lives of those running for office, ask yourself, ”Does he shake his hand from taking a bribe?” “Has he earned his money fairly?” etc.
Conclusion
Let me end this morning with some advices before voting tomorrow:
1. Get their individual information and learn from them
2. Pray
3. Make a choice
4. Vote!
Noah Webster, gave to his students in 1832. Words, we should heed today.
“When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public officers, let it be impressed upon your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers, ‘just men who rule in the fear of God.’…if the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted.”
Who should we vote for?
Exodus 18:21 “Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them…”
Quote: “The penalty that good men pay for not being interested in politics is to be governed by men worse than themselves.” ~Plato
BROTHERS AND SISTERS I ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLEASE VOTE!
