Don’t Blame the Politicians!

Reading Time: 3 Minutes

Isaiah Says

Isaiah 3.4, 5, 8, 12

4 And I will make boys their princes,
    and babes shall rule over them.
5 The people will be oppressed,
    everyone by another
    and everyone by a neighbor;
the youth will be insolent to the elder,
    and the base to the honorable.

8 For Jerusalem has stumbled
    and Judah has fallen,
because their speech and their deeds are against the Lord,
    defying his glorious presence.

12 My people—children are their oppressors,
    and women rule over them.
O my people, your leaders mislead you,
    and confuse the course of your paths.

Some Thoughts

The role of the prophet is to stand outside of the political arena and speaks to both people and power. As he fulfilled this important role, Isaiah described leaders as people who posture as great men, but who lead like children. Leaders like this are not able to lead right. Even though they are the very persons who should show people the right way, they are the very ones who cause them to go off the path.

If you embrace the Republican party, you may be tempted to see Democrats as being described in these verses.

If you lean toward the Democrats, you may be tempted to see a picture of Republicans in these verses.

However, Isaiah lays the blame for poor leadership at the feet of the people and does not use the politicians as scapegoats for the wrongdoing of the people.

Verse 8 identifies the problem. The speech and the behavior of the people is against the Lord. People, as a whole, defy God’s presence through self-serving, self-pleasing, self-sufficiency, self, self and more of self.

God’s judgment on the people is to give them leaders that reflect the behavior of the general populace. The leaders who lead to destruction are simply the self-centered, self-serving issue on a bigger stage.

Deeply spiritual people of all generations have called ordinary people like the readers of this article back to God.

I think it was the old revivalist, Billy Sunday, who drew a circle on the platform where he was preaching and said, “God, I pray that you bring a revival within this circle.” When he finished the short prayer, he stepped inside the circle, indicating his own need for personal renewal with God.

Today’s Prayer

Dear God, like Billy Sunday, I draw a circle and stand within it. I ask for revival and renewal within the circle of my own life. Then, may revival spread in our area, our state, country and the world.

Your Thoughts

Please share your prayer or a comment to encourage readers of real-voices.com to pray for the alignment of our lives with the will of God.