Beware The Power Brokers

Beware The Power Brokers                                      11-04-16

Being this is my last post before the election I felt moved upon to repost a blog I wrote from about the same time four years ago. However I cannot find that post anywhere so I will attempt a  reconstruction here today. Just some thoughts concerning upcoming events. Read this somewhat lengthy passage of Scripture from the Book of Judges. 

Judges 9:7-15 (ESV) ⁷  When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim and cried aloud and said to them, “Listen to me, you leaders of Shechem, that God may listen to you.
⁸  The trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’
⁹  But the olive tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my abundance, by which gods and men are honored, and go hold sway over the trees?’
¹⁰  And the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us.’
¹¹  But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit and go hold sway over the trees?’
¹²  And the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us.’
¹³  But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my wine that cheers God and men and go hold sway over the trees?’
¹⁴  Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us.’
¹⁵  And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade, but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’

Jotham's metaphor. Let me ask you a question. What is it that makes obtaining to and holding a "position" in this life such a rush? No matter your chosen vocation, what is it occupying our psyche that drives us onward and upward? Well,you might respond "it is a spirit of excellence or a passion for doing what we do that drives us." O.K. I'll buy that. You also might add "it is the financial reward that so often(but not always) accompanies success in this world. MONEY is a driving force. O.K. I will most certainly agree with the material benefit of success being a motivation.But, BUT,when one has achieved these goals...when you have risen to the top of your profession,...when you have more money than you will ever be able to spend,why the wanderlust to achieve even more? Why are you not enjoying the fruits of a lifetime of hard work and sacrifice? In other words why are you NOT floating around the Caribbean or the Mediterranean on a yacht living life to the fullest? What is it that causes you to go seeking after a position that is going to cause you nothing but headache after headache and age you by twenty or thirty years in a span of a fourth of that time? I will give you my take on that question. POWER.....POWER! It is the hunger,thirst,lust for power.And herein lieth the lesson.

In the story above the trees want to "anoint" a King over them. They inquire of two different fruit bearing trees and then a vine asking them if they would "hold sway over them," and they receive the same response. "Why would I want to leave where I am and what I do to rule and reign over you?" Notice that the trees and vine produce fruit that cheers both God and men.No need or desire to seek anything else. They are content and thriving where God has placed them. Then they come to the bramble. Ever get caught in a bramble bush? A prickly thorn bush.It is the thorn bush that desires the "anointing." The bramble agrees ON A CONDITION to take the reigns of power and hold sway over the trees.The trees must be acting in good faith. They must desire the bramble to rule over them. Be careful! You might get what you anoint or as is our case today,what you VOTE for! A bramble bush!!

Brothers and sisters,be wary of ALL those that seek for power, especially from an election podium. When that word power starts being bandied about it is not necessarily a sign to run the other way;but it is a time to exercise extreme caution.Why? Because many,many times the power that those amongst us seek is the power to control you and me. 

You see,when we put our trust into a political system,a political party,or a political candidate,we are putting our trust into earthly power brokers. Can we have a political preference?Absolutely. And I will add that this particular election year yields a clear and distinctive choice for all us "trees"out there. But, and please hear me,if we are putting our trust in a political candidate,party etc.,etc., to heal our land,then we are setting ourselves up not only for a huge letdown but for manipulation and even coercion. Let us line our choice up by what Scripture has to say on the different issues confronting us. NOT a party line or a candidate preference. You feelin'it here?

 Here's a final take on power and the authority we accord earthly rulers and a good rule of thumb to keep our perspective clear and in focus.Look at this.

John 6:15 (ESV) ¹⁵  Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

Jesus rejected this particular offer of an earthly kingdom.
For what reason? I don't know for sure. Maybe it was because His kingdom was not of this world. Folks we must occupy this world until the Lord Jesus returns, That is HIS command.But, we must never put our TRUST and CONFIDENCE in the systems or the power brokers of this world. They are doomed to failure.

Psalm 2:10-12 (ESV) ¹⁰  Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.
¹¹  Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
¹²  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.


God Bless