Levi Deatrick

I have mostly avoided political commentary in my writings for the last 7 or 8 years.

In a practical sense, I realized the futility of dealing with people’s logic (or lack thereof) after I wrote an article expressing concerns about Donald Trump in a couple of articles in 2016. Amazingly, I was presumed to be and accused of doing all I could to see Hillary Clinton elected to the presidency (this is the logical fallacy of bifurcation, which is presuming that there are only 2 choices).

What has impacted my thinking and alleviated political concern even more – in a spiritual sense, was the death of of my sister-in-law. As a result of watching her approach and enter eternity at the young age of 42 coupled with my own growth in the understanding of Scripture, the reality of my ultimate citizenship in heaven occupies my thinking much more than my earthly citizenship (though I’m still profoundly grateful to be a citizen of the United States of America).

I still vote about 4 times every 4 years, between primaries and general elections. However, I pray for the president, vice president, cabinet, congress, military, and my state leaders – almost every day. Praying for human government certainly provides me more peace than whoever does or may occupy the seats of government. The Scripture is clear that praying leads to internal peace (Philippians 4:6-7).

Personally, I have a certain set of criteria by which I evaluate the person or party for which I will vote. Categorized, these are in order: 1) Biblical/Spiritual/Moral issues, 2) Freedom/Liberty/Constitutional issues, 3) Economical/Practical/Personal issues. Admittedly, these will vary and are going to be interpreted differently by each individual.

I am not a Christian nationalist, yet I still love America as my previous article explains. https://levideatrick.com/2013/03/10/why-i-love-america-and-what-i-love-more/. I’m bothered by nominal Christians who show more devotion to the United States than to the Kingdom of Christ, to a president or candidate more than to the King of Kings, to a political party more than to their local church, and to the U.S. founding documents more than to the Bible.

However, we still live on this earth and in this country and we are Biblically expected to seek to influence it by prayer, preaching the gospel, and participation. As it relates to that participation, one of the vexing questions for Christians has always been, “do you vote for a person who has major moral/character flaws?” This leads to the title of this article “Supporting … Nebuchadnezzar?”

Nebuchadnezzar was the king which conquered Judah. The first deportation of Jews to Babylon (including the prophet Daniel) was in 606 B.C. When Jehoiachin revolted, Nebuchadnezzar crushed it and deported a second group of Jews (including the prophet Ezekiel) in 597 B.C. Finally, in 586 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar completely destroyed Jerusalem and took a third group of Jews to Jerusalem. This is the Nebuchadnezzar who was so furious when his wise men could not tell him his dream or its meaning that he was ready to execute them all (Daniel chapter 2). This is the king who built a 90′ statue of himself and commanded his people to fall down and worship it. When the three Hebrew young men refused, he threw them into the furnace where they were miraculously preserved by God (Daniel chapter 3). This man, though having received an explicit and divine warning about his own pride, he still walked on the ramparts of his palace overlooking Babylon admiring the kingdom which he had built. He was stricken with lycanthropy (believing he was an animal) and wondered around in that insanity for 7 years before returning to his senses and acknowledging the God of heaven (Daniel chapter 4). He was a cruel conqueror, who killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and then put out Zedekiah’s eyes so that the last thing he ever saw was the execution of his own sons (2nd Kings 25). It is reported that 9 out of 10 bricks discovered by archeologists in Babylon have the name Nebuchadnezzar stamped on them. This man was characterized by anger, cruelty, and pride.

Yet, we have a fascinating instruction given to the exiled Jews from the prophet Jeremiah. The prophet Jeremiah never went into exile in Babylon (he did end up going to Egypt), but he did send a letter to the exiled Jewish captives there and he gave them the following inspired instruction “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.” (Jeremiah 29:4-7).

It was God’s design for His people, though in a foreign land because of their own wickedness, that they would still prosper in their existence until He brought them back to their own land. He told them to build houses and to plant gardens out of which they would live and eat. He told them to continue the normal customs of marriage and the replenishing of homes with more children so that when the 70 years of captivity were completed that they had not diminished as a people. He then told them to “seek the peace of the city” (Babylon) and also to “pray unto Jehovah for it.” This is the city were the prophet Daniel was captive, yet he rose in the ranks of government and served both Chaldean and Medo-Persian Kings. This is the city where Nebuchadnezzar reigned supreme! Get that, the exiled Hebrews were instructed to seek the peace (also meaning welfare) of Babylon. They were also instructed to intercede before God on behalf of Babylon. When Babylon prospered in peace, they would also be living in peace.

The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, was even called “my servant” by Jehovah in Jeremiah 25:9 and 27:6. Nebuchadnezzar was not being commended for his spiritual life here, but rather it was an acknowledgment that God was using Nebuchadnezzar as a tool to accomplish His divine purposes.

So what is the application of these thoughts?

First: people of genuine faith should acknowledge that we are pilgrims in this land. Our eternal home and citizenship is in heaven. Just like the people of Israel were inhabitants in Babylon for a period of time, so we are inhabitants of this earth and this country only for a screenshot of time in the overall design of God.

Second: we, in simile to the people of Israel in Babylon should seek the welfare of the place where we are existing as human citizens, especially by praying for that place. I give little weight to the political polemics of a so-called “believer” who gives no evidence of praying for their leaders as God has commanded. I was preaching in a church several years ago and asked the congregation if they prayed for their president (Biden); I wasn’t really expecting a verbal response but one man blurted out proudly, “No!” He was therefore publicly confessing (and without repentance) disobedience to the Bible.

Third: the Scripture is clear that human government is ordained of God and that He is ultimately the One Who sets human leaders in place. They are His servants ordained by Him. They are His tools used to accomplish his purpose. No matter what one may feel or think about the previous election, the election was not stolen from God. God was not watching election returns and wondering what was going to happen in the United States. No matter who “wins” the election this fall, God is still in control. If your preferred candidate loses, that was the will of God and ask yourself what it is that God wants you to learn; the same is true if your candidate wins.

Fourth: who it is that represents Nebuchadnezzar in your mind is a matter of individual soul liberty. Frankly, I can see any of the three candidates that are currently running for the presidency as being like Nebuchadnezzar in one or several ways each. Above, I delineated my list of issues which determine my vote. No candidate is going to fit those perfectly (he would be unelectable). And so I have to determine which person and party is going to best support my belief system as calibrated to the Bible. I have to determine which candidate is most likely to accomplish the “peace” or “welfare” of this country in which I and my family are pilgrims. Choosing your Nebuchadnezzar does not necessarily mean that you think he is an ideal man (I doubt that many of the Hebrew people in Babylon thought much of Nebuchadnezzar). You have to be guided by your conscience. There have been times when a relative or a friend has told me the person, proposition or party for which they were voting and it simply baffled my brain. But, it is their right and their prerogative – I hope they were doing it with a Biblically calibrated conscience. I’ve also talked with people that I know have wrestled Biblically and logically through some kind of an issue and have come down on a different side than I have; in their mind they are following the instruction of God as closely as possible.

The voting philosophies of people are often logically confusing. I’ve known people who have attempted to separate politics and morality. I’ve known some who have voted for a particular party because that has been the family tradition for generations. I’ve known people who simply don’t vote. I knew a man years ago who explained his conundrum to me that “for my job, I’m better off voting for … but, as a Christian I know I should vote for…” I’ve known people that have switched parties during primaries in order to vote for (or against) another person. I’ve heard the assertion that “voting for a 3rd party is the same as voting for or against the other candidate.” Bullying and intimidation are rampant in heated elections; if you think this is something new then you haven’t read much history. Read of some of the pamphlets that were written of Adams and Jefferson, read of men burned in effigy, read of a divided nation over the election of Lincoln, read of Tammany Hall in New York, read of the Pendergast machine in Kansas City that launched Truman into politics; I could go on ad nauseam.

Here’s the conclusion, you must vote your principles and your conscience. Paul made it clear in 1st Corinthians 8-10 that some people’s conscience will permit one thing while another’s conscience will not. It is the beauty of liberty.

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