Biblical Concept: Lowliest of Rulers

Findings:

Lowliest men are used by God to rule. Humanity gets the leadership it deserves, often.

Political voting according to the standards of interpersonal Local Church Christian conduct (Ephesians 4:29-32 / et al) or Jesus’ kingdom teaching (Sermon on the Mount / et al) = political self-abuse.

Vote shrewd as a serpent.

(Not until the revolutionary Magna Charta did a populace even begin to have a say regarding their liberties versus leaders. Building on this, the New World Colonial Declaration of Independence begins with the revolutionary: “We the people.”)

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Daniel 4:17 ¹⁷ "This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers, And the decision is a command of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, And bestows it on whom He wishes, And sets over it the lowliest of men." (Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar is the lowliest ruler.) (Lowliest men are used by God to rule. Humanity gets the leadership it deserves, often.)

John 19:11 ¹¹ Jesus answered, "You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me up to you has the greater sin." (Pontius Pilate is the lowliest ruler.)

Romans 13:1 ¹ Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. (Emperor Nero at the time of Romans writing is the lowliest ruler.) (The adopted son of Claudius, a child of his fourth wife, Agrippina, He ruled from A.D. 54 to 68. His reign began well, but meddling Agrippina was murdered at his command. He depleted the public treasury and practiced various forms of confiscation to restore it. Perhaps he was behind a fire in the capital that conveniently made room for an elaborate palace--Golden House. His administration blamed Christians for the fire and a general persecution followed. His grew unpopular with the military and eventually fled Rome and ordered a servant to kill him rather than fall into the hands of his enemies. Church tradition observes that Peter and Paul died as part of the Nero persecution. Acts 25:10-12 records Paul’s appeal to Caesar—Nero. The suffering cited by Peter, in 1 Peter 4:12-16, might have been inspired by Nero’s state sponsored persecution?)

Passages like:

Ephesians 4:29-32 ²⁹ Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ³² And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Or Jesus’, Matthew 5-7 Sermon on the Mount, have little to do with voting for political leaders.

Conclusion: Political voting according to the standards of interpersonal Local Church Christian conduct (Ephesians 4:29-32 / et al) or Jesus’ kingdom teaching (Sermon on the Mount / et al) = political self-abuse.

Misc.

Luke 16:8 ⁸ "And his master praised the unrighteous steward because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. (Vote shrewd as a serpent.)

Matthew 10:16 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:5-11 ⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them, saying, "Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; ⁶ but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' ⁸ "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons; freely you received, freely give. ⁹ "Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, ¹⁰ or a bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support. ¹¹ "And into whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it; and abide there until you go away.) (This is a spiritual political context.) (Vote shrewd as a serpent.)

Ecclesiastes 8:9 ⁹ All this I have seen and applied my mind to every deed that has been done under the sun wherein a man has exercised authority over another man to his hurt. (Vote shrewd as a serpent.)

Post Christian era considerations? (Vote shrewd as a serpent.)

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