SPEAKER_01
0:20 It's been great to be with you all week, especially since I know that in between podcasts, you're likely being inundated with all kinds of political messaging during this season as we march towards another important election cycle. 0:31 There's basically no escaping it. 0:33 Depending upon where you live, especially if you're anywhere that's mildly purple, you're going to get the seemingly never-ending stream of political ads on television and on radio. 0:41 You're going to see political posts all over social media, and you're even going to get stuff directly sent to your mailbox trying to sway and influence your vote. 0:48 But here's the thing: especially in a country like this, there are hundreds of millions of people that live here who have the policies dictated to them and the laws dictated to them by politicians that were elected by a relatively small fraction of the population. 1:04 And that includes Christians. 1:06 If Christians voted in unison and voted for values that align with godly morality, then we would be the most important voting block in the country. 1:17 But too many Christians have bought the lie that Christians should just stay out of politics. 1:21 And so we're going to hammer my thesis again. 1:23 It is incumbent upon Christians to vote and participate in the political sphere because faithful stewardship of God's creation is an act of worship, and the dominion mandate does not end at the ballot box. 1:34 So this week on the Daily Blade, we've looked at some tremendous examples of historical figures from the Bible and how they wielded their political influence and power. 1:42 We've studied Joseph, Nehemiah, and Nathan, and we're wrapping up the week by talking about Elijah. 1:48 So in yesterday's episode, we talked about how Nathan tricked and trapped King David, and by doing so helped King David understand the gravity of his sin as it pertained to his adultery with Bathsheba and then murdering her husband Uriah. 2:00 We talked about how that was an example of speaking truth to power, and we talked about how all of us should stand ready to speak truth to power as it pertains to our local and national magistrates, which that also includes voting, right? 2:11 Similarly, Elijah confronted King Ahab. 2:14 So Ahab had a wife named Jezebel. 2:16 There was a man named Naboth, a Jezreelite. 2:20 He had a vineyard in Jezreel. 2:22 It was beside Ahab's palace. 2:24 King Ahab asked Naboth to give him the vineyard, either in exchange for money or a better vineyard. 2:29 Naboth said no to King Ahab. 2:31 So he actually said, The Lord forbid that I give you the inheritance of my fathers. 2:36 So this made Ahab big sad. 2:38 So Jezebel took advantage of Ahab's weakness and timidity. 2:42 She concocted a plan that resulted in Naboth being stoned to death. 2:46 And so let's actually go to 1 Kings chapter 21. 2:49 We're actually going to start in verse 17. 2:51 And as soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab rose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezrelite to take possession of it. 2:59 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab, king of Israel, who is in Samaria. 3:06 Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he had gone to take possession. 3:11 And you shall say to him, Thus says the Lord, you have killed and also taken possession. 3:15 And you shall say to him, Thus says the Lord, in the place where dogs lift up the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick your own blood? 3:23 Ahab said to Elijah, Have you found me, O my enemy? 3:27 He answered, I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord. 3:32 Behold, I will bring disaster upon you, I will utterly burn you up, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free in Israel, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nibat, and like the house of Basha, the son of Ahijah, and for anger which you have provoked me, and because you have made Israel 3:52 to sin. 3:53 And of Jezebel the Lord also said, The dog shall eat, Jezebel within the walls of Jezreel. 3:59 Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city, the dog shall eat, and any one of his who dies in the open country, the birds of the heavens shall eat. 4:09 So guys, we live in a day and age where Christians worship at the altar of being nice. 4:14 And everyone treats every situation if as if, you know, there's always some room for compromise, right? 4:19 Now in many situations I'm completely okay with compromise, but two of the areas that we should never allow for compromise is as it pertains one to biblical authority and two to godly morality. 4:30 And those are, of course, interconnected. 4:32 And Elijah's response here was uncompromising. 4:35 He looked at the two most powerful human beings, really, in his local jurisdiction and said the dogs would lick the king's blood and that the queen would be devoured by dogs. 4:45 Elijah was giving Ahab and Jezebel a stark warning that political positions and power do not protect you from divine judgment. 4:53 And as, you know, a follow-up to what I said yesterday, I think that Christians should constantly remind our local and national leaders and authorities that they are under the divine watch and will experience the divine judgment of a holy and just Father God. 5:06 We must be a check on their policies and on their worldviews. 5:09 One, to make sure that they align with godly morality, and two, that they would lead to the greatest amount of human flourishing. 5:15 Now, one way to check them is to vote them out if they stray away from godly morality. 5:21 So this, by the way, isn't just some sort of pitch for the Republican Party, because as my good buddy John Cooper of Skillet said, the Republicans and Democrats are both going to take us to hell, but the Democrats are just going to get us there faster. 5:32 So literally, for the love of God, to everyone listening to this, be involved in local and national politics. 5:39 Keep up with the news, fully think through policy positions and arguments. 5:44 Vote. 5:44 Realize, as my buddy Josh Howerton said, that your vote is not a Valentine. 5:49 You're not voting for the person that you would most like to have a beer with. 5:52 You're voting for the person whose policies most align with godly morality and that will lead to the greatest amount of human flourishing. 5:59 Again, let's hit my thesis for the last time this week. 6:01 It is incumbent upon Christians to vote and participate in the political sphere because faithful stewardship of God's creation is an act of worship, and the Dominion mandate does not end at the ballot box. 6:12 Thank you all for your attention this week. 6:14 Stay sharp.