To Vote or Not to Vote in the 2020 US Presidential Election
Many Christians have been pondering this question for weeks. We keep up with the news, we pray for wisdom and discernment, we listen to trusted leaders who share our faith.
The daily deluge of conflicting information can be paralyzing. We toss around phrases like “the lesser of two evils.” We ask ourselves if our vote really matters given when we know about God’s ultimate plan for these last days.
What are we to do?
The obvious answer is to take the question to the Lord. Ask that His will be revealed, then study the scriptures for an answer.
A quick search of OpenBible.info for verses related to voting leads us to Deuteronomy 1:13:
Choose for your tribes wise, understanding, and experienced men, and I will appoint them as your heads.’ (ESV)
Also watch “Christian, You Are Free Not to Vote” on Youtube.
Good Bible teachers tell us not to consider ANY single Bible verse without first understood the context in which it was written. In the first chapter of Deuteronomy, Moses is speaking to the Israelites about their journey out of Egypt and their quest for the promised land thus far. In fact, they were on the very verge of receiving the blessing of the promised land, which was still in the possession of the Canaanite and Amorite tribes (Totally History). Because the Israelites had multiplied in number over the 40 years they’d been wandering, Moses was having a difficult time leading them. So, he tells them to choose wise and experienced men to be appointed as heads or leaders.
Much more is happening in this chapter, but we can glean from what has already been shown that the current order of things – that is, appointing and relying upon leaders – has existed since the days of Moses. Obviously not all leaders throughout history have been elected. Some were dictators, others were kings. But the fact remains: this structure has helped mankind maintain a semblance of order for centuries.
Since there’s nothing new under the sun, and since God has created and ordained all things, it’s not such a stretch to deduce that appointing a leader is, in fact, scriptural. More importantly, notice that in Deuteronomy chapter 1, God did not choose the leaders for the tribes. Rather, he led Moses to allow each tribe to decide for itself who the leader ought to be. (Perhaps they cast ballots of stone).
Considering all this, one could argue that voting is definitely something God wants his people to do. And, based on Moses’ request in Deuteronomy, we should be careful to choose the wisest and most understanding candidates. However, the purpose of this post was not to tell you which candidate should get your vote. It was to provide a reason either for or against the act of voting in this year’s contest. The rest is up to you. Take it to the Lord. Choose wisely. And remember this sage advice from the book of Proverbs:
When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan (29:2). Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people (14:34).
Wishing you the very best of luck!
Sources:
Deuteronomy Chapter 1. Totallyhistory.com. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/3e9mrOQ
John MacArthur Says True Chrisitans Vote Trump – MacArthur vs Keller on Politics. (2020, September 21). A Frisch Perspective. YouTube video. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrIeEBN3fOM
Why Pro-Life Evangelical Pastor Joel Hunter is Voting for Biden. (2020. October 15)/ Amanpour and Company. YouTube video. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/hG_wuBRsWk0.
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