Good Morning Friends,
Israel has voted. America is about to cast the final votes. And Christians everywhere are tempted to ask the same question: What will happen next? Israel’s October 27 election has produced no governing majority. The final count gives the bloc of Benjamin Netanyahu 53 seats, his principal opposition 48, and the two Arab parties 19. Sixty-one seats are needed for a Knesset majority, so the composition of Israel’s next government remains unresolved.
Meanwhile, America’s November 3 midterm election has not happened yet. Current national polling favors Democrats, but important Senate contests remain close. Therefore, no responsible prediction can tell us with certainty what Congress will look like after the votes are counted. But Scripture permits Christians to make a different kind of prediction. And this one we can make with confidence: The Kingdom of God will survive both elections.Isaiah 40:8 says: “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” Still we ask: Which Kingdom Has Our Heart? Whose Kingdom Will Remain?
Scripture Summary
Psalm 146:3–5 warns us not to place our ultimate trust in human leaders, whose plans eventually pass away. Our true hope is in the Lord.
Isaiah 40:6–8, 23–31 reminds us that people and kingdoms are temporary, but God’s Word stands forever. God brings rulers to nothing, yet gives strength to those who hope in Him.
Daniel 2:20–22 declares that God is sovereign over history. He changes times and seasons; He raises up kings and removes them.
Romans 13:1–7 calls Christians to respect governing authorities and live as responsible citizens, recognizing that civil authority exists under God’s ultimate authority.
Philippians 3:20–21 reminds us where our deepest allegiance lies: “our citizenship is in heaven.” We await Christ, who will finally transform and restore all things.
Revelation 11:15 gives us the destination toward which history is moving: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ.”
Message: If you read scripture you know we have been here before. Israel’s history is filled with political upheaval.There was Egypt. Then Pharaoh was gone. There was Assyria. Then Assyria was gone. There was Babylon. Then Babylon was gone. There was Persia. Then Persia was gone. There was Greece. Then Rome. Kings rose. Empires marched. Armies conquered. Politicians promised. And generations asked: Who will save us?Then Isaiah spoke into the uncertainty: The nations are like a drop in a bucket. And Daniel proclaimed:God changes times and seasons; He deposes kings and raises up others. The Bible is not telling us that elections are unimportant. Quite the opposite. Government matters because people matter. Justice matters. Peace matters. The poor matter. The immigrant matters. The unborn matter. The elderly matter. The prisoner matters. Israelis matter. Palestinians matter. Republicans matter. Democrats matter. Because every one of them bears the image of God. But Scripture refuses to let us confuse something important with something ultimate.
There is a question behind every election. Israel once wanted a king. The people told Samuel, in effect: Give us a king like the nations around us. God gave them kings. Some were faithful. Some were disastrous. None was enough. David wasn’t enough. Solomon wasn’t enough. And eventually Israel found itself again in exile asking: When will the real King return? That is the great hope running through Isaiah. And then Jesus appeared proclaiming: “The kingdom of God has come near.” The surprise of the gospel is that Israel’s true King finally came. But He came riding a donkey rather than a warhorse. His crown was made of thorns. His throne was a cross. His victory was resurrection. And His command to His followers wasn’t: Take Caesar’s throne. It was: Take up your cross.
So I will make a prediction. Not about which coalition will eventually govern Israel. Not about which party will control Congress. Those are political questions whose outcomes are genuinely uncertain. Here is the Christian prediction: Someone will win. Someone will lose. Some will celebrate. Some will be frightened. Some will declare that the nation has been saved. Others will declare that the nation has been ruined. And Jesus will still be Lord. The Church will still have the same mission. The Great Commission will not have changed. Our neighbor will still need to be loved. The hungry will still need to be fed. The lonely will still need companionship. Enemies will still need forgiveness. The gospel will still need proclamation. And God’s people will still be called to seek justice, mercy, truth and reconciliation. That is the election result that Christians already know.
Perhaps elections reveal something uncomfortable about us. They reveal where we have placed our hope. If my candidate loses and I believe everything is lost, perhaps politics will become more than politics. If my candidate wins and I believe everything is now secure, perhaps politics has become an idol. Psalm 146 warns: “Do not put your trust in princes.” That doesn’t mean: Don’t vote. It means: Don’t worship your vote. Vote thoughtfully. Seek justice. Speak the truth. Hold leaders accountable. Pray for those who govern. Love your country. But never ask America, Israel, a president, prime minister, Congress, Knesset, party, or movement to carry the weight of your salvation. They cannot. Only Christ can.
And So, imagine waking up after an election and deliberately praying before checking the results. Before television. Before the phone. Before social media. Before discovering whether “our side” won. Simply pray: “Jesus Christ is Lord.” Then ask: Who can I love today? Whom have I begun treating as an enemy because of politics? Where can I become an instrument of reconciliation? How can I seek justice without surrendering love? And perhaps the hardest question: Would someone looking at my life conclude that my greatest hope is Jesus Christ, or my political party? Friends, the Christian ballot has already been cast. At baptism we made our deepest political declaration. We transferred our ultimate allegiance. Paul says: “Our citizenship is in heaven.” That doesn’t mean escaping earth. It means that heaven’s King determines how we live on earth. So participate. Vote. Think seriously. Disagree honestly. Work for a more just society. But remember who you are. You belong to a Kingdom whose King cannot be voted out. Isaiah saw Him coming. Daniel saw His Kingdom outlasting empires. The disciples saw Him crucified. Mary Magdalene saw Him alive.Paul proclaimed Him Lord. And Revelation looks toward the day when the announcement rings throughout creation:“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah.” That election will not be close.
Pray Lord Jesus that as we pray for Israel and pray for America and the leaders we admire and the leaders we distrust that You would give us wisdom in our voting. Pray also that You would give wisdom to those who govern, justice to those who judge, courage to those who speak truth, and humility to those who hold power. Pray You protect us from making politics our religion and politicians our saviors. Pray that when our candidates win,You keep us humble. Pray that when our candidates lose, You keep us hopeful. Pray that when our neighbors disagree with us, you teach us to love them. Pray that when fear tells us everything depends upon this election, You remind us of the empty tomb. Pray we realize that Kings come, Presidents go.,Coalitions rise, Empires fall, but Your Kingdom remains. Pray until every earthly kingdom gives way before Your Kingdom, that You make us faithful citizens here because we know where our ultimate citizenship lies. Pray that whatever tomorrow’s headlines announce, You let the deepest confession of our hearts remain unchanged: Jesus Christ is Lord, The King has come, The King is reigning and the King will come again.
Amen
Blessings,
John Lawson
