POLITICS AND PRINCES
Princes also sit and speak against me, but Your servant meditates on Your statutes.
Psalm 119:23
TAKING IT IN
We find ourselves in an election year and a critical one at that. There is much at stake as it relates to what we believe about marriage, the sanctity of life and the Christian values we seek to protect. Our vote is to be aligned with our biblical worldview and our voice exercised in government.
With that said, every time we turn the news on, we witness those who sit in places of authority actively seeking to destroy our Christian heritage and remove the Name of God whenever possible. Who ever dreamed there would be a day when a school district and its teachers would purposely take a song like, “God bless the USA” and change it to, “We bless the USA”.
The Psalmist is not unfamiliar with our plight. He continues his thought of being the object of reproach and contempt. And as we looked at verse 22 last week we considered those fiery darts of slander we have each encountered personally in our lives. But we discover this week that there were “princes” who spoke against him.
It is important we consider this word “prince” and its meaning as it relates to our passage. The word is defined as a sovereign ruler, a monarch or a king; one who has the chief authority; a ruler, commander, governor, president; also, the head man, chief, or leader of a tribe. A prince can refer to anyone in authority in any sphere of influence.
So the church today, like the author of Psalm 119, is being spoken against by those who sit in authority; those who are using the power of their office to come against the godly and the righteous.
Nothing has changed really.
The ultimate example of this took place when the religious and political rulers of the Jews used their authority to speak against a sinless man, our Lord Jesus Christ.
The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ.
Acts 4:6
MAKING IT MEANINGFUL
Although reproached and spoken against even by princes, our psalmist meditated on God’s statutes. He found in God’s Word, comfort, strength, and refuge when those who should have been his protectors became his persecutors instead.
Matthew Henry so wisely points out:
He found that when they spoke against him, the word of God spoke for him.
We find that when we come to the Scriptures we are not alone when we are reproached for our faith. We are in the company of the saints and we find fellowship with the suffering of Christ. While “princes” may appear to be getting away with evil, the Word tells us that we will be vindicated!
WORKING IT INTO MY HEART
Jesus certainly had an impact on the political world. He would not have been crucified otherwise. But he did not focus on political action. His mission was introducing broken people to the redeeming love and reigning power of God. Among his closest disciples were a former Zealot revolutionary against Rome and a former tax collector. He must have asked his disciples to keep their focus on His kingdom mission and off of politics.
Jesus understood that what people most need is a living relationship with a loving and reigning God. When they have that, God will guide and empower them to make good moral choices.
Society does not have rewards and punishments that can compare in influence to the transforming power of God. When the church gets involved in politics, it obscures its most powerful tool for change (the gospel) in exchange for highlighting a less effective one (legislation). The politically partisan church undermines the power of its own message that we can be born anew through faith in Jesus Christ.
(Thorncrown Journal)
Rather than focusing on what the princes are saying against us, we want to focus on what God says. The Psalmist did not envy the princes and spend his time fretting over what they were doing. Instead he meditated in God’s law. We want to be doing the same — how much better off we will be if we spend more time and energy meditating in the Word of God than meditating on the unrighteous decrees of our wicked princes.
As we seek to be revived, let us not be “distracted” by the political climate of our country and its princes, let’s meditate on the Word of God and be bold in sharing the gospel!
Start this week pondering the awesome truths of Psalm 94!
