Tag: Dictators

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Dictators as slaves to God?

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his anointed one. “Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from slavery to God.” Psalms‬ ‭2:1-3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

​I am not a big pundit on the geopolitical landscape of our globe. However, as I see it, there is someone, somewhere that is shaking their little dictator fist at the heavens and with that little squeaky voice of a shrunken toy screaming, “I am the king!” And, with either their hand positioned over an imaginary “nukes” button or control over the flow of massive natural resources, they just rant and rave nonsense and wield unfettered power over the masses of their domain. You know who they are, I don’t need to write down any names, lest their virtual tech-terrorists turn to torture me as well.

The psalmist, in his own wisdom of his time, asks a really good question. “Why are all these Kings so angry?” And, when David say they plot against God and “his anointed” one, we see the words as the messiah or Jesus. Likely David was talking about the supernatural plans of God in choosing and using the “rulers” of this world to do His will. Just Google “world’s worst rulers,” and you’ll be shocked at who shows up on that search.

However, even the worst of them were certainly wicked smart, paranoid and eventually mental! We’re they angry? I’m sure they were. They must have figured out how they could get away with anything they wanted while in power, and could wield unfathomable fear on the masses, but they could not BE God.

Sadly, people see God through these warped lenses of being like a dictator. In every one of those men in history or current events (And, it is almost 100% men) there’s a seen struggle to break free from “slavery” to God. Why does humanity want to get away from their own creator? If you see yourself saying, “But I’m not a dictatorial leader,” or don’t you believe this selfish thread runs in your own DNA, you would be wrong. It’s in all of us, it’s sin, it’s free choice constantly choosing the wrong path, the shiny selfish route.

We all have these little voices saying, “let’s break away and free ourselves from God.” Weird huh? It takes faith and fortitude to keep looking for God options, narrow paths, tough choices, suffering over revenge, generosity over stingy, and service over power. Godly results yield a life more free of anger and definitely control. The real freedom Jesus gave me was the freedom to chose to run to God, not away from Him.

Prayer

Dad,
I am so glad you are in control and I’m not! I’m so glad that you hold all truth, justice and finality in your hands – not mine. I’m so thankful for mercy instead of what I desire. And, even though I can’t completely understand why you allow wicked men so commonly rule and cause enslavement, suffering and death for far too long, I can trust you because you are God. I trust you with my life.

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A God ordained and sanctioned coo!

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“Meanwhile, Elisha the prophet had summoned a member of the group of prophets. “Get ready to travel,” he told him, “and take this flask of olive oil with you. Go to Ramoth-gilead, and find Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi. Call him into a private room away from his friends, and pour the oil over his head. Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: I anoint you to be the king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run for your life!” 2 Kings‬ ‭9:1-3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This chapter reads like some CIA operation – Codename: Righteous Justice.

Elisha calls out one of the students in the school of the prophets and in a very clandestinely manner, gives him the assignment. Basically this young prophet was going to instigate a takeover of the country. This prophet would secretly anoint an new king, Jehu. The prophet does as Elisha says and gets Jehu alone. He doesn’t just anoint him King, he tells him that he is going to bring justice to the nation by eliminating Ahab and his wife Jezebel. And the young prophet tells Jehu how Jezebel would meet her demise! “Dogs will eat Ahab’s wife Jezebel at the plot of land in Jezreel, and no one will bury her.” Whoa. Then the young prophet did exactly what Elisha had instructed him, he opened the door and ran. Secrecy doesn’t last long and word travels fast, so this was a quick “in & out” job.

When God moves on something he does so quickly. This whole timing thing is real. It can feel like you’re waiting forever for an answer or opportunity or for justice to kick in, but it’s all about the perfect timing of God who is control of every tiny detail. Crazy thing – it all happened just as God had said it would. Jehu pulls into the palace court where flashy, trashy Jezebel is sitting in the palace window, high above the ground. After throwing some serious verbal shade on Jehu, things turn very dark for the wicked woman who had been so cruel to so many.

“When Jezebel, the queen mother, heard that Jehu had come to Jezreel, she painted her eyelids and fixed her hair and sat at a window. When Jehu entered the gate of the palace, she shouted at him, “Have you come in peace, you murderer? You’re just like Zimri, who murdered his master!” Jehu looked up and saw her at the window and shouted, “Who is on my side?” And two or three eunuchs looked out at him. “Throw her down!” Jehu yelled. So they threw her out the window, and her blood spattered against the wall and on the horses. And Jehu trampled her body under his horses’ hooves. Then Jehu went into the palace and ate and drank. Afterward he said, “Someone go and bury this cursed woman, for she is the daughter of a king.” But when they went out to bury her, they found only her skull, her feet, and her hands.” 2 Kings‬ ‭9:30-35‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Prayer:

​Dad,
Personally, I am glad this is included both in the Bible and in your storyline of how humans can really screw things up. I’m just a huge fan of justice, especially when it comes to flagrant disregard for others and their worth. These characters, Ahab and Jezebel, are a wicked duo that represents thousands of local and global leaders who so arrogantly rule over their change and do so out of a complete and utter sense of self. At any point, these two could have turned from their wickedness and repented, but there was no way they were going to break or bow. Jezebel’s last words bellowing out her perched window was proof that she believed she was untouchable and no one could do anything about it. Wow, her own bodyguards pushed her out the window.

As a leader in such a small venue of family and church, I just want to serve. I just want to do right. I don’t need to store up power, fame or fortune – I just need wisdom and mercy to lead and do my best.