Introduction
If our family is anything to go by, a number of Christians are having trouble processing the difference between their feelings about the presidential election and the presidential transition. Before the election, I could scarcely bear to watch Trump for more than a few minutes. I understood the entertainment value that some found there, but was not myself capable of bearing it like a man. Since the election, watching the news has become fun again. What goeth on?
The Rise of Jehu
The closest thing to our situation I can find in Scripture is the rise of Jehu, and a little reflection there might help us understand how to process all this. Things were bad in Judah and worse in Israel. The Omride dynasty had brought Baal worship into Israel in a big way. A prophet was sent by Elisha to deliver a message to a young military man named Jehu. He was given the message that he was to be king, and the young prophet anointed him and ran. When Jehu’s companions found out about it, they were all in, instantly. This indicates that the political situation was ripe for change.
A Wrecking Ball
Jehu came in a like a man on fire. He killed Joram, the king of Israel, and Ahaziah, the king of Judah, and Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, and the seventy sons of Ahab in Samaria. He then promised, where Ahab had served Baal “little,” that he would serve him much. He rounded up all the priests of Baal for a big service at the National Cathedral, and when they all came, he had them all slaughtered, and turned the whole thing into a neo-Gothic latrine.
Now there is no way that a faithful worshiper of Jehovah would be anything but delighted with what Jehu did to the institution of Baal worship in Israel. So that’s the first part.
Yeah, But
Jehu did what Elisha’s man told him to do. He went after it. He was an instrument in the hand of God to destroy some things that very much needed destroying. At the same time, all was not entirely well.
“But Jehu did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin—that is, the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan” (2 Kings 10:29, ESV).
And centuries later, the Lord had a judgment to pronounce on the house of Jehu.
“And the Lord said to him, “Call his name Jezreel, for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel”” (Hosea 1:4–5, ESV).
God used Jehu to destroy, thus fulfilling His Word. But at the same time, God judged Jehu for how he destroyed.
Political factions want everything to be a simple binary choice on the human level. You either are all in for Jezebel or all in for Jehu. What Scripture invites us to is qualified support, or perhaps qualified disapproval.Political factions want everything to be a simple binary choice on the human level. You either are all in for Jezebel or all in for Jehu. What Scripture invites us to is qualified support, or perhaps qualified disapproval. So and so was a good king, but did not remove the high places. Jehu removed much that needed to be removed, but God brought judgment on him later because he did not do all that needed to be done. Our foundational allegiance is to God and His ways, and is not to be wholly given over to any man.
At the same time, you would need to have a heart of stone not to be delighted by some of what is going down.
So Then . . .
There are elements of what is happening that delight me no end. But I do not say this because I have altered my views of Trump’s character, thinking that he should be placed in charge of any catechism classes. At the same time, it looks as though—undisciplined and erratic utterances and all—he is actually going to destroy some things that needed to go. He is likely to destroy some things that other conservatives, whose rhetoric of destruction was much more responsible and level-headed, would never get around to destroying. Now it has not happened yet, so I am not counting my chickens, but it looks as though these things are now happening. What is coming apart as a result of the capture of Jezreel? What may soon be thrown from the window and eaten by dogs? Planned Parenthood. Obamacare. The mainstream media monopoly. The politicized intelligence agencies. Common core. The EPA. Foreign oil.
Like I say, it hasn’t happened yet. But a bunch of it looks likely, and anybody who wants me to be sad about it is holding their breath over the wrong issues. At the same time, God is not mocked and a man reaps what he sows. This proverb is true in the middle of the field, it is true over on the left wing of the field, and it is true on the right wing.
So wherever you are, love God and hate sin.
Trump is Mr. Obama’s legacy. Media White House passes revoked and reporters exiled to outer darkness to wail and gnash teeth. You would have to have a heart of stone not to laugh.
A Howie Carr sound bite, if ever there was one!
And you can trust me Rob!
I’m not like the others!????????
It looks a bit like we’ve been here before. The president was an immoral rich kid who, it is rumored, suddenly found a kind of religion in civic virtue. He ended up dead, as did the man accused of killing him, and not one soul in North America actually believes the official account of how that all came to pass.
Some very powerful interests, embedded in the Deep State, view Mr. Trump as a threat. I sincerely hope and pray for his safety.
It would be wonderful if Trump used the Executive Order to undo/reverse/abolish all previous Executive Orders that created/established/enacted anything unconstitutional…and then promptly never wrote another EO again beyond changing the color of the White House carpet. Unfortunately, what seems to be transpiring is a massive bonfire for the Constitution where the flames are tinged in red instead of blue. And the same exact wig-headed folks are standing around with their roasting sticks singing campfire songs. I’m afraid it hardly amuses me to see Trump trash our Constitution just as harshly as Obama ever did…even if the results are more to… Read more »
It’s not just you, but our ilk tend to be hated by the left and right more than their supposed opponents. The vast majority of people want the government to control them more and vote that way.
http://babylonbee.com/news/obama-to-issue-executive-order-granting-himself-lifelong-supply-of-executive-orders/
Ah…the Bee. Love it!
Since he has already declared that he loves the idea of Executive Orders and only wants to use them “even better” than Obama did, and since his first act in office was writing a couple of executive orders…don’t hold your breathe.
Why do you think Trump will “trash our Constitution” any more than Jefferson, Lincoln, or FDR did?
Where did he say he thought that?
Or, another answer is, since they did it, then if he does it to any degree, he’s doing it “more” since it’s not occurred to anybody in the interim to roll the trashing back.
LOL. That’s not how power or government works.
Basically Doug is saying that Trump is the biggest tool, ever. . . and i’m inclined to agree :)
Many on this website told you so.
Romans 12:9
Love must be sincere
Hate what is evil,
Cling to what is good.
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Going with what God said, is always the best thing to go with!
Now if only I could come up with a hat even 1/2 as awesome as cap’n dweeb’s!????
Pshaw.
It is lovely and refreshing.
It does occur to me, that in the time of Jezebel, two full caucuses of baal “prophets” were executed. One full slate by Elija, and one full slate by Jehu.
Them “prophets” of baal are pesky little things ain’t they?
The main question I’ve got at this point is what happens next. Who is training the men who will jump into the blast crater left by 8 years of Trump and continue clearing the rot away until a true foundation can be discovered?
This Guy: 2 Kings 19 25 “‘Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass, that you have turned fortified cities into piles of stone. 26 Their people, drained of power, are dismayed and put to shame. They are like plants in the field, like tender green shoots, like grass sprouting on the roof, scorched before it grows up. 27 “‘But I know where you are and when you come and go and how you rage against me. 28 Because you rage against me and because… Read more »
Let’s hope so.
Meanwhile, what should be done?
By whom?
Yes, exactly.
Race Bannon, I mean Mike Pence! ; – )
Well then, let’s say, by The Church; by Christians.
The in-the-meantime answer shouldn’t be fundametally different than the answer AD (After the Demolition). The answer would either be, “Whatever we’re doing right now”, or, if that is wrong, “Whatever we should be doing and should have been doing BC (Before the Crater)”. We know where the details are found.
?? The comparison makes some sense, but how does this answer the question?
Luke 12 35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Godly people, serving and obeying as they are led and Ordained, will serve their part in God’s Plan. (even if it’s doing dishes!) Ugodly people, serving themselves, are co-opted into God’s plans, in spite of themselves. I don’t know that the New Administration… Read more »
According to the 2 Kings passage you quoted the New Administration serves it’s brief destructive purpose and then is sent back the way it came, roughly and ignominiously. Sennacherib was not a builder.
Sennacherib was a warrior and a builder, at least according to Wikipedia:
Sennacherib made Nineveh a truly magnificent city. He laid out new streets and squares and built within it the famous “palace without a rival”, the plan of which has been mostly recovered and has overall dimensions of about 503 by 242 metres (1,650 ft × 794 ft).
Beyond 2 Kings, God has ordained history to play out to His purpose.
And Lord Byron wrote a fabulous poem about him: The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold, And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold; And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea, When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee. … And there lay the rider distorted and pale, With the dew on his brow, and the rust on his mail: And the tents were all silent, the banners alone, The lances unlifted, the trumpet unblown. And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail, And the idols are broke… Read more »
“There once was a girl named Jilly…..,”
Dang! I guess I must concede that Lord Byron is a better poet than I.
I bet he also had a hat almost as cool as cap’n dweeb’s too!
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I was bemused to discover that there is a hybrid strain of pot called Jillybean. According to the dispensary information, “Jillybean is described as being an upbeat and happy hybrid, with flavors of tangy orange and mango. This strain is a top choice for creative minds and social butterflies looking for unencumbered euphoria during daytime hours.” I agree with the butterfly part as I flit from website to website.
Dude!????????
I just did a Bible Hub search and am dumbfounded to find absolutely no matching searches for the word “hat.” I can only conclude that God’s people were not intended to live in areas where hats are necessary to prevent one’s ears from freezing off.
Shades of Malchus, Batman!
Wait, wait, the plural “hats” is mentioned in Daniel 3:21, but the dudes wearing them were thrown into the fiery furnace, so…. oh my.
Nice, warm “coal hats” are also mentioned, but only as gifts!
Romans 12:19-21
19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[a] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”[b]
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Now THAT was funny!
“Hats of Coal” could be a reasonable good title for a blog post.
To your original proposition Cap’n, the “hat” we should consider, is more properly called a “crown”!????????
Me thinks your fur crown prefigures your infinite crown!????
And I eagerly await the day when I shall cast it at His feet!
In net, Sennacherib destroyed more than he built. But anyway, do you want the U.S. to be like Assyria? Yes, God has ordained history to play out to His purpose, but He does not commend all the players.
Seems like nations and empires exist within the boundaries of either conquest or commerce. The US seems more in The commerce end of the scale right now. I am guessing Assyria was more conquest based.
In any case, while I am not a huge fan, Trump has demonstrated more constructive ability than he is commonly credited for. Obama was merely a “critic” by comparison.
Whatever we or the new administration build, we know that wise men build their house upon the rock! ????????
Over and over in the OT, the exact nations that God used to exact judgment on Israel were profoundly punished for those very acts of violence. Judah comes to mind as well – served God’s purposes yet was punished for his own culpability, for he was certainly not acting out of love for God. God could use Trump’s own violence and destructive impulses to punish America, but will also certainly destroy Trump as well for his acts of destruction.
This is a good post, and much appreciated. And I agree, it’s still a little too early to be counting unhatched chickens. However…”At the same time, it looks as though—undisciplined and erratic utterances and all—he is actually going to destroy some things that needed to go…” This is exactly what many of us were saying during the election–comparing Trump to imperfect Biblical figures like Samson or Nebuchadnezzar (Jehu is an excellent one as well), and saying precisely that God may have raised him up “to destroy some things that needed to go”–BUT the NeverTrump faction wouldn’t hear of it, and… Read more »
This is because the NeverTrump faction was saying, “But…but…what about THIS guy, over here, who ALSO says we need to destroy some things that need to go, but who isn’t drunk on his own reflection?”
Pretty sure that only happened in your imagination.
Destroying Planned Parenthood and Obamacare and the EPA are actually way down the list of what our nation and culture needs. The first on the list is repentance, and a return to honoring and acknowledging God. In that respect, Trump promises to continue to take us in the wrong direction. I remember Wilson saying something about not being able to stage manage God’s judgment, so we need to be careful that we don’t find ourselves getting too excited about Trump’s ability to, well, stage manage God’s judgment. If Trump successfully makes good on “Making America Great Again, Without Any Repentance”… Read more »
Exactly.
“neo-Gothic latrine.”???
Sounds more like a proto-Gothic latrine to me. (Not that I’m any latrine “expert”.)
No one likes his character but a non-vote was a vote for Clinton. A vote for Trump may lead to a law eliminating partial birth abortion. If you had a chance to go back to November, would you at least consider voting for Trump? If not, at least in casting a vote for the Christian conservative number two on the ticket?
No. I still cannot do it. If Trump proves himself as president, I can consider voting for him in 4 years, but he did not prove himself as candidate that he would be wise, virtuous, or conservative.
That doesn’t mean I’m not thrilled Hillary lost, but I consider that God’s grace (just as I would have considered Trump’s loss the same grace).
Yeah, I’m going to hold my excitement and glee back until he gets into office and actually does something, like appoint a special commission to investigate Planned Parenthood, like take steps to defund and dissolve the EPA and the lobby institutions. I have a feeling a lot of conservatives like me will be disappointed (but not surprised) four years from now.
Because with the EPA dissolved, we could certainly trust corporations to look after our interests even more so than they have already, right?
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/10/magazine/the-lawyer-who-became-duponts-worst-nightmare.html
I think this is rather obviously a “the house is swept clean and then seven devils even more evil than the first come to occupy it” situation, with the final plight worse than the first. Out of a combination of partisan hate and political expediency, many people have abandoned any reasonable claim to say that they care about the moral orientation of leaders or their words or their plans or their hearts. They have claimed that not seeking repentance is no big deal, that openly celebrating greed is no big deal, that narcissism and unbridled pride is no big deal,… Read more »
Doug is a little on the optimistic/Pollyanna side.
Another scenario would be (since in reality both “sides” work for the same end) that some or all of Doug’s list happens which results in the liberal faction going ape s**t (revolution) which causes the man who thinks he’s KING to declare Marshall law. End result and ultimate goal of BOTH “sides” is tossing out the U.S. Constitution.
Worse case scenario, unless we turn from our evil ways and call upon the Lord and He intervenes.
“So wherever you are, love God and hate sin.”
Easy compared to loving our enemies. The Old Testemant is so inviting to pontificate over. Revenge. Punishment.
That love stuff in the New Testament. Not so much.
In I Samuel 8, the people asked for a king and God gave them Saul because they did not accept God as their sovereign leader. On this most auspicious day, we need to remind ourselves that, regardless of the man or woman who occupies the throne or office, God does as he wills and is over all things.
O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. Jeremiah 10:23