After the elections of last November, many of us in the United States were deeply disappointed with the outcome. Some of us, no doubt, wept tears over those results. We tremble for America. So many consequences are at stake. So many ques­tions are left — not just about the economy or the planned redistribution of wealth, but questions far more important. How will our nation’s moral character be affected? With a president-elect who has a very strong pro-abortion voting record, including unqualified support for even the grotesque procedure of partial birth abortion, what will this mean for America’s unborn over the next four years? Will the Free­dom of Choice Act be put into law as swiftly as he promised, unraveling thirty years of hard work to prohibit at least some abortions? Will a homosexual agenda make great progress in these years? What impact will that have on our society as a whole? Will Hate Crime legislation be passed and stymie attempts to inform the people of the internal machinations of government and of the biblical issues of the day? What justices will be appointed — not just to the Supreme Court, but hundreds and thousands of others to lower courts? What is God saying to America? Does God mean to destroy us? To have our nation self-destruct? Is the cup of our iniquity full in His eyes? Or, does God mean to stir up His people so that we won’t settle on our lees with a president who was against abortion and a vice-president who is a conservative evangelical Christian? Does He intend to bring us to our knees, to humble us, to bring revival in this land again?

How did God vote? If God is in control of all things, why didn’t the vote go the other way? To even begin to answer these questions, we need to consider very briefly God’s rela­tionship to government — which is a relationship of both involvement and transcendence. God is involved in and yet transcends government in five ways:

1. God determines the purpose of government⤒🔗

That pur­pose is both positive and negative. Positively, before the fall, Adam was given the assignment to name the animals, steward the creation, and exercise dominion. In a social context, that means someone has to decide whether we drive on the right side of the road or the left side, when and where to build roads and other public infrastructure, etc. Government must reflect the orderly character and personality of God. Though God Himself keeps the planets and stars in alignment in His providential rule, He has delegated to man as His image-bearer some aspects of that responsibility of order.

Negatively, the purpose of government is rooted in man’s sin. Prior to the fall, the family was the only social institu­tion required to retain peaceable order among men. After the fall, sin and our need to live to God’s glory required two additional social institutions: a religious institution that we call the church — which deals primarily with our relationship to God — and a civil institution that we call the state or government — which deals with our relationship as sinners to other sinners. The state is called to regulate sinful behavior among men. Things such as murder, lying, and cheating require a government to maintain moral order among men. The state is to superintend especially man’s violations of the fifth through ninth commandments in his relation to other people. The state must maintain civil justice; it must reflect the righteousness and justice of the throne of God itself.

2. God determines the personnel of government←⤒🔗

That was affirmed already by Nebuchadnezzar who states in Daniel 4:17 that the most High, who rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomsoever He will, can set up even the basest of men if it so pleases Him. In plain words, no matter who it is, God determines who will be in the White House, Congress, and the Supreme Court. God does this to accomplish His sovereign purposes among the nations. God transcends kings and uses them for His own purposes. Cyrus is a good case in point; God used Him for His own purpose: so that Israel could return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple.

3. God determines the policies of government←⤒🔗

God controls the decisions made by governments. Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” Here’s a case in point: The Lord thwarted the counsel of Ahithophel in order to bring calamity on Absalom.

God also controls the effects of decisions made by govern­ment. Sometimes He uses governmental decisions to bring a nation into need in order to fulfill His own redemptive purposes.

Let us never forget: God’s people — not a nation, not even Israel — are the apple of God’s eye. America is not the apple of God’s eye, but you are, if you are a child of God. As mem­bers of His kingdom, you, dear believers, are the supreme concern of God in His dealings in America.

Think of this only in relation to Jesus for just a moment. When Jesus was about to be born, Caesar Augustus gave a decree that everyone should be taxed. Why? Well, God’s transcendent purpose was to get Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem where Jesus would be born (in order to fulfill the prophecy of Micah 5:2). When Herod slaughtered the innocents, what happened? Mary and Joseph left, went to Egypt, and thereby fulfilled another prophecy. And when the time came for Jesus to be crucified, the entire political climate was precisely what the Lord determined it to be so that Jews, Romans, and Gen­tiles would co-labor for Christ’s crucifixion — a co-laboring that ultimately was engineered by the predeterminate counsel of God, such that Jesus was crucified (Acts 4:27-28). That’s why, when asked by Pilate, “Don’t you know I have authority to release you or to condemn you?” Christ responded, “You have no authority over me except what has been given you by my Father” (John 19:11). Crucifixion was totally unjust. Everyone knew it was wrong. And they were all accountable for that. Yet it was all according to the purpose of God for our salvation, dear believers.

God directs history for the good of His church. Even when it appears that our biblical perspectives are violated and our rights are being curtailed, God still transcends these for His church’s ultimate good and the glory of His name. When you see evil things happening, don’t despair, dear believer, but lift up your head, for your redemption draws nigh. All things — even elections — shall work together for the good of those who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28). The history of the world, including the outcome of elections, is unfolding to achieve the purposes of a sovereign God. Although this must never be used as an excuse for apathy or to forego responsibility — matters on which the Scriptures speak equally clearly — it provides God’s people with tremendous comfort. God brings all things to pass so that Jesus Christ will be glorified in His church — whether through a time of peace or a time of persecution.

4. God determines the providence of government←⤒🔗

We don’t know what providences are before us in the next four years. What will happen in Afghanistan and Iraq? Will there be another attack of terrorism on United States soil? What national disasters, hurricanes, and earthquakes will take place? God determines every providence — and He does so for the church, that we might serve to the glory of God.

Jesus Christ is God’s king set on His holy hill in Zion. Today and in all the tomorrows that stretch out before us, Christ exercises supreme, universal government given into His hands by His Father. He alone can say, “All authority is given to me in heaven and on earth.” Do not despair: He who loves you, dear believer, is the ruler of the kings of the earth (Rev. 5:13). His name is above every name (1 Tim. 6:15-16).

5. God is displeased by the pride of government←⤒🔗

This is a sin to which those directly involved in politics are particularly tempted, but it also is a sin to which voters are vulnerable. How easy it is for us — like the Pharisees of Luke 13 — to interpret the news events of our days in a way that makes definite conclusions and pronouncements regarding things we really are ignorant of. We are called to be obedient and faithful citizens, obeying God’s Word, seeking the peace of the city in which God has caused us to live (Jer. 29:7). We are not called to make final judgments about our leaders. In pride, we easily forget the limits of our own knowledge. As citizens, it was our duty to prayerfully evaluate the candidates that were presented for public office and to select those who seemed best suited to lead our land. We were called to do so using biblical criteria. Against this measure, they and we all fall woefully short. But focusing on ourselves, must we not admit that sometimes we succumb to the temptation to get caught up in the emotion of the moment, to elevate our judgments as being more definitive than they really are? Our conclusions are based on what the media reports and what we find out from the election propa­ganda, sources we realize have their biases. Like Samuel hav­ing to choose from among the sons of Jesse, we can only look at the outward appearance. With such a limited perspective and knowing the limitations of our own hearts, we should take care to neither lionize nor demonize candidates about whom, in spite of all of the media focus, we can only scarcely get to know. Among the many reasons for the decline of a Christian witness and voice in our culture is the sometimes smugness and arrogance with which we have communicated our judg­ments to our neighbors, judgments which in some occasions, have been proven by subsequent history to be painfully wrong. In our political communication, too, we must show something of the mind of Christ.¹

For some, the result of November’s election has been pain­ful but we must acknowledge God’s sovereignty over it. The Bible is clear that no authority is given to mankind except from God. Romans 13:2 makes plain that government is an ordinance of God; political leaders are even called ministers and servants of God (vv. 4, 6). What a solemn responsibility our newly elected president has, and how we need to pray for him — to pray for his conversion, to pray that he will be turned back at every point that he tries to bring an unbiblical and immoral policy into law, to pray that he will be given the desire and wisdom to rule this country in accord with God’s Word. We need to pray this way for all those in authority. Let us put a harness upon our tongue and give honor to whom honor is due. And let us be like Abraham as he prayed for Sodom. Let us plead for the USA.

Government is not above the church, nor below the church, but coordinate with the church. Its calling is to support the church, to give the church its peace and freedom to be faith­ful to the Word of God. Pray that this would take place in America, even under President Obama’s administration.

As Christians, we have the privilege of viewing human government from a transcendent vantage point as citizens of the kingdom of our priestly King, Jesus Christ. We know that He is the name above every name, that He is King of kings and Lord of lords, that He is the ruler of the kings of the earth. Therefore, we are at peace with His sovereign purposes being accomplished while we discharge our rightful respon­sibilities and our civic duties as unto the Lord, but much more importantly, while we strive to commend the gospel by God-fearing speaking and living, so that others will say of us, “Now, there are some credible, trustworthy people.”

Let us not put our trust in princes or horses, but in the Lord our God. And let us remember that ultimately we are citizens of a better country, even a heavenly one. Thanks be to God, the King of heaven has all His government in place. His government of glory doesn’t change every four years. His government is safe and secure.

So, how did God vote? God directed the election of 2008, in His wise, mysterious, inscrutable purposes, to fulfill His ancient, unalterable vote — His ancient choice of His people, whom He has loved with an everlasting love. He voted them into the offices of prophet, priest, and king to serve Him for­ever by means of His gracious, fatherly, eternal election. This is our comfort. This is our resting place. This is our sure hope. Even if an earthly government will bring upon us immorality, trials, and persecutions, we know that God’s eternal vote shall stand, for He has said, “I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy. I will do all my good pleasure. All things shall take place in accord with my sovereign will.”