Will the Righteous Rule? audio

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Yesterday many voted on local issues. Candidates ran for office, state and local issues were debated, and the results affected everyone locally, state-wide, and perhaps nationally. It will not be long until another election is held, and people will be chosen to head certain offices. We all need wisdom to put the right person in the right place at the right time. Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived, received his wisdom from God (1 Kings 3:5-12). He made an observation a long time ago that is still evident today.

Proverbs 29:2: “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan.” Also, we read in Proverbs 28:12: “When the righteous rejoice, there is great glory; but when the wicked arise, men hide themselves.”

The Book of Esther is a good example. As Esther, a Jew, became queen, Haman wanted to have all the Jews killed. Mordecai found out about this plan, and soon “there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes (Esther 4:3).” Mordecai told Esther, who risked her life to appear before the king and save the lives of her people. As a result, Mordecai was honored and “the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad. The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honor (Esther 8:15-16).”

In our country today, many have ruled over cities, states, and the entire nation. When a righteous person is elected, the people rejoice! Similarly, if a wicked person is elected, many people groan. We should all do our best to be godly citizens, and choose wisely who shall rule over us. We need to keep God in charge, not man. Israel demanded a king in the days of Samuel, and he was displeased. The LORD told him, “they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them (1 Samuel 8:7).”

Let us not be ashamed of the outcome, but let us rejoice in knowing we did what God would want us to do. Remember the words of Joshua: “And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD (Joshua 24:15).”