God's Use of Power

The concept of the elite and powerful has always fascinated me.  Just the idea that there is a sub-section of the population in almost every country that can literally buy their way out of trouble, or use their status to sway any group of people to side with them is remarkable.  We saw this depicted clearly in a recent streamed television series called "Dopesick," which documented some real-life accounts of a large pharmaceutical company manipulating their way out of legal trouble again and again.  The Opioid crisis spawned several lawsuits from people addicted to painkiller medication, and this docudrama showed how the head family of the company was able to successfully avoid accountability by paying off certain people. 

Not all people in power are corrupt of course.  In the Bible we have the account of King David, for example.  In several areas the Bible refers to him as God's anointed leader, and a man after God's own heart.  But by and large, I believe it is safe to say, we ought to have a healthy skepticism regarding the super elite.

Enter in the case of the Herod family during the time of Jesus.  Many in this family line were put into positions of power, and wielded that power with force and murderous intent.  They also struggled to keep power, as the Roman government was the true authority in most first century middle eastern provinces.  

We remember the story about Herod seeking to kill the infant Jesus shortly after learning that a prophet had been born.  Matthew 2:16 says, "When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi."  

As evidenced from this Scripture (and others like it), Herod wasn't a good guy.  He was willing to use his power and office to murder children and try to kill God's son - all in an attempt to stay in power.  I wish I could say this doesn't go on today, but I believe it still does.  Take a quick look back at recent historical events like the holocaust and the civil war in Rwanda.  

The repeating trope is evident: those in power often engage in both manipulation and wickedness to stay in charge.  This unfortunate fact permeates the twentieth century as well.  The record of events from World War I all the way through recent events in Afghanistan, often depict leaders engaging in national conflict over a power grab.  This is just the way things are.

Psalm 94:20-21 says: "Can a corrupt throne be allied with you -- a throne that brings on misery by its decrees?  The wicked band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death."  This held true for Jesus as well.  He was tortured and crucified; perhaps the most innocent martyr of all time.

It is important to keep something in mind here.  The wicked will kill and destroy in order to preserve their way of life, but the righteous will fight to edify and protect.  It is two different ways of living out leadership.  The first seeks to punish and remove, the second way desires to build up and redeem.

The power of Jesus Christ is incorruptible and redemptive.  There is no need to manipulate or coerce people into trusting Him.  We are free to accept or reject His gift of salvation and grace.  This is the exact opposite of how Herod and his family used to operate.  They moved in the realm of fear and violence – and many still do today.  God, however, acts with kindness and compassion.

But make no mistake - the Lord is not weak either.  Just because He left this Earth as a silent victim doesn't mean He will return that way.  The Bible says that during the second advent, the world will see His coming in the sky from the East to the West.  There will be no way to misinterpret who is in charge.  During this one moment in history, the right person will be in charge once and for all.  Sounds good to me.

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Getting to Know God

The book of Job is nothing less than a tale of someone who survives a series of trials and pitfalls, but still remains faithful to God.  Job was blessed by God during the first part of his life; Scripture says he was considered righteous and blameless.  But as the story goes, one day the devil came to test him.  In order to do so, Satan had to ask permission from the Lord to be able to strike Job with various kinds of plagues and illnesses.  Everything from bad luck, to boils on his skin! 

People often look to this book of the Bible to help explain tragedy and suffering, and it is a good place to start.  You see, Job did not deserve any of the things that happened to him - at least not from a behavioral perspective.  Scripture says that he did what was right in the eyes of God.  So as such, this account can also help address the issue of when bad things happen to good people.  Job was a "good person" by every human account.  

What has always fascinated me about this story however, is the fact that God actually takes the time to speak with Job in a one-on-one way.  He doesn't use signs or wonders this time; He simply has a conversation.  And Job makes the mistake early on, of calling God out for all of the struggles that he is going through.  This is understandable - wouldn't you and I do the same?

Once God answers back however, Job changes his tune rather quickly.  It's not every day that the Father of Lights responds to a frail and imperfect human being.  After listening to God remind him who is actually in charge, Job says something interesting.  Job 42:5 states: "My ears had heard of you [God] but now my eyes have seen you."  

It's a short verse, but also a powerful one.  Once Job became acquainted with the real God, his perspective changed.  And I think that is a problem that many people struggle with today.  We may know about God through other peoples' stories and testimony ... but we haven't met the real Lord for ourselves.  Therefore, God can remain an academic creation or a concept, rather than a real being.  When this happens, it opens up a host of problems as it relates to our understanding of what His reality means for our lives.  After all, why be obedient if God is just a theory?

I believe this is why some people become atheists or agnostics.  They have heard about God, but never met Him for themselves (and on His terms).  They have never fallen at the foot of the cross and asked for forgiveness.  Never accepted Christ into their hearts and ached for that connection.  In short, they don't have a full understanding of who the God of the Bible really is.  

To combat this phenomenon, we must be vigilant in our study when it comes to spiritual matters.  We need to keep Scripture in front of us, so that it can edge out the distractions of this world.  For example, if we don't know that the Bible says  not to love money, it would be easy to become obsessed with wealth.  And in fact, that is what we find when we look around at many countries today.  Peoples'  comfort is a retirement account, and their god is a nice house and ornate furniture.  Creature comforts and felt needs have replaced the real God.

This is the veil that covers the face of those who do not yet know Jesus.  They are guided by status, ego, and power; truly lost spiritually.  I know this language sounds harsh, but think for a moment how far God has brought you in your own life.  If you are a believer, then you understand that the "old you" is different than the new you in many different ways.  Christ gives us a new heart and a new mission in life.  We can now glorify, evangelize, and live for Him.  My ears had heard of you Lord, but now I actually know you.  

Once Job makes this connection between the textbook version of God and the real one, he apologizes for his arrogance.  In fact, he goes so far as to say, "Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:6).  This is quite a change from the way Job was talking down to God only moments earlier.  

I think we need to strive to stay in right relationship with the real God; the God of Abraham and Jacob.  The Scriptural God of the Bible.  And the only way to do this successfully is to continue studying His Word, and to attend a faithful Bible believing church.  Otherwise, the temptation will always be to substitute something else for the real thing.  Some type of make-shift, fictional god who meets our needs but never requires us to do anything.  

The good news is that He is always there, waiting for a connection with us.  He may not need us in the same way that we need Him, but He wants us.  It is always better to be wanted than needed anyway.  We don't deserve this great mercy, but I think we should accept it as a gift.  The sooner we strike up an authentic relationship with the Lord, the faster we can begin living a life of abundance and joy.  This is what He has always wanted for us anyway.  

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