Bereans Corner
Bereans Corner
Iron Sharpens Iron #11: Divine Sovereignty and the Lessons of the 2024 Election
Is it possible to find peace amidst political turmoil by embracing a higher perspective? Join us for a thoughtful exploration of respect, authority, and divine sovereignty in government, inspired by recent U.S. elections. We promise to guide you through a biblical lens, drawing from the wisdom of Romans and Isaiah, to understand how believers can navigate emotional reactions to political outcomes. Reflect on the role of governing authorities, divinely appointed for God's purposes, as we encourage a faithful attitude towards leadership, even when faced with disagreements.
We also shine a spotlight on the inspiring biblical figure of Deborah, a judge of Israel, as we delve into the dynamics of leadership in times of perceived male inadequacy. What lessons can contemporary society learn from her story? With insights from J. Vernon McGee's commentary, we draw parallels between ancient Israel and today's world, emphasizing the importance of respecting those in authority. Listen in as we highlight the relevance of female leadership today and conclude with a reminder to trust in God's plans, embracing each day with love and kindness towards others.
All right, I hope you all are doing well. I am checking in on my people. It is November the 7th, the year is 2024. And for those of us in the United States we just had an election a couple of days ago chose to do a video like this. People are losing their minds, they are acting insane. They are actingly acting mentally challenged, they are acting unhinged, but of course, we don't see those people in the same family as does, because all because those of us who are in the same family understand that there is a lord, there is a god who is in control, he is sovereign, he is over all, and he says in his word that he will do all things for his good. He didn't say that it would necessarily be for your good, but it would be for his good because he has a plan, a sovereign plan, that he had from the beginning of time. He knew the end from the beginning, he knew the middle from the beginning. He knew how this thing was going to play out and how he was going to have it play out, and men and women on this earth will play a role in whatever the lord's plan is.
Speaker 1:Now, as always, I have some scriptures that I'm going to hit to uh, try to clear some of this nonsense up now. I know that those of you listening to this, you know this may not necessarily be for you, because you all are on the right side, but this will hopefully reach those who are on the other side and they don't understand how the lord's plan work. The first place I want to go is into the book of romans and you can read along with me if you want to romans, chapter one, and we are looking at the first five, five verses of romans, chapter one, about how we are to be subject to our government. Let every person be in subjection to the government, excuse me, to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are established by God. Therefore, he who resists authority has oppressed the ordinance of God, and they who have oppressed will receive condemnation upon themselves, for rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same, for it is a minister of god to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword for nothing, for it is a minister of god, an avenger, who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil, wherefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscious sake. What is being written out here, and what is it telling us? It's telling us that, no matter who is in charge, no matter who is in power, that we are to be in a subjection to them and we are supposed to be in respect of their rule. Verse one again let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. So it didn't say the ones who you picked, the ones who you like, being subject to the governing authorities. That means whoever it is, for there is no authority except from God.
Speaker 1:Do you remember when Jesus was telling Pilate? When Pilate said don't you know that I have the power to condemn you or set you free? And Jesus, what? What did jesus say to him? He said you have no power over me other than what was given to you by god. He was letting him know there, just like a lot of us need to know, that there is no authority outside of god and anyone who's in power is because of god. As I mentioned a little bit earlier. It's all for his good. He's going to put these things in place for his good. We need to remember that, and those who exist are established by God. Yes, we do go out and vote. Why? Because the Lord told us to be busy while we are on this earth. There are things we have to do on this, on this earth, things that we have to get done, but it doesn't mean that the Lord isn't sovereign in over all things.
Speaker 1:Verse two again. Therefore, he who resists authority has oppressed the ordinance of God, and they who have oppressed will receive condemnation upon them. I need people to hear this when you are, when you oppress the authority, when you oppress the ordinance, when you talk down and speak down, and then let me be very clear it doesn't mean that a leader cannot be questioned. It doesn't mean that they can't do things that you don't understand or you may not like a decision, but you have to respect the authority. Listen, uh, no matter how I feel about whoever's in, uh, my local office or whoever's in the national office, I still will give them a level of respect. Are there things that they've done that I will say you know, I don't agree with that. That wasn't best for us. That was a foolish move. I I have done that, but when it comes down to the authority, to the respect that we're supposed to give them right here, the lord tells us what to do in his word, and I'm gonna go as far as to say that if you don't like that, if that rubs you the wrong way, you need to check yourself and see if you are truly who you claim to be, if you are truly a believer because a believer, the lord just put it right here in his word he who resists authority has oppressed the ordinance of god, and they who are oppressed will receive condemnation upon themselves. You will receive a condemnation upon yourselves. So you need to think about the things that you're saying and the things that are coming out of your mouth.
Speaker 1:The next place that I would like to go to is the book of Isaiah, and the reason why we're going to go to Isaiah is because we want to look at the order of. We need to look at the order of how God wanted this thing to be. So let's go back to Isaiah and let's look at verse 3, isaiah 3. Some of you may know this scripture about authority and what the Lord has in place for us to be in authority. Isaiah 3 and verse 12 yep, as soon as I can get there. Yes, I am there. Oh, my people, their oppressors are children and women rule over them. Oh, my people, those who guide you, lead you astray and confuse the direction of your path. Well, you might be thinking, my brother, why did you just read that scripture when you just talked about people being in authority? Because I'm putting everything together women and children being in authority over men is a curse, and the lord says that oh my people, those who guide you, they lead you astray. Why? Because that's not how the Lord intended it for this to be. He intended for men to be in rulership.
Speaker 1:Now let me be very clear, because I live in a state where we have a female governor. Just because the Lord said that he didn't, that he put men in places of leadership and not women, and it is a common, it is a condemnation, a judgment on the people Doesn't mean that I won't still give my governor respect. No, I don't believe that she's the right person for the job, but I still would give her respect. If I ever saw her in person, I would address her as governor, I would. I would give her that due respect. I wouldn't throw rocks at her, I wouldn't throw harsh words at her. I would still give I still, I would still respect the authority because of what we read in romans, chapter 13. Now, do I believe this word right here when it says that women and children are not to be in charge? Yes, I do believe that word. I believe that, uh, you should never openly want a woman or a child to be in a place of authority that a man is supposed to be in. But if they are in that position like we read in Romans 13, you are still to give them that respect. But this right here is letting us know, in Isaiah, what the order is supposed to be.
Speaker 1:And then the last place that I want to go to is the book of Judges. So, turn back to the book of Judges and we are going to chapter four and it's. And I want to talk about deborah. And the reason I want to talk about her is because there are people who will try to come to you and say, well, what about her? Uh, it seemed like she was, uh, put in, she was, she was put in the place of of leadership. She was put in the place of leadership but there. But there are reasons why I believe that happened. Number one because the lord chose her.
Speaker 1:Now let me very clear, be very clear. Women are not supposed to be in the place of leadership, but it does not mean that the woman is a curse. Just because we say that it's a curse to the land when a woman, when women and children rule over them, it doesn't mean that that woman is a curse. Why? I'm gonna prove it right here.
Speaker 1:When we talk about deborah something very interesting here when we look at deborah and barack and how they delivered the canaanites judges, chapter four then the sons of israel again did evil in the sight of the lord after ehu died. Now when we those of you who are following me in our through the bible study before you know we'll be in judges and we'll be going over this very thoroughly, but for now we're going to do our reading through it. Ehu is gone and, as always, israel has done what is wrong in the sight of the lord, and the lord sold them into the hand of jabin, king of canaan, who reigned in hazer, and the commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Hereshith Hagayim, and the sons of Israel cried to the Lord, for he had nine hundred iron chariots and he oppressed the sons of Israel severely for twenty years. Okay now, deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lepidoth, was judging Israel at the the time. So how did she get in this position? The lord put her in this position. Are women supposed to be in the position of power? No, but she was in this position, and I'm going to show you why she was put in this position.
Speaker 1:She used to sit under the palm tree of the board, between ramah and bethel, in the hill country of Ephraim, and the sons of Israel came up to her for judgment. Now she sent and summoned Barak, the son of Abba Noam, from Kedesh, naphtali, and said to him Behold, the Lord, the God of Israel, has commanded go and march to Mount Tabor and take with you 10 000 men from the sons of naphtali and from the sons of zebulun. I want you to pay attention to what the board just said. She just told barack to go to war and she told him where to get the people. And I will draw out to you sasira, the commander of jabin's army, with his chariots and his many troops, to the river Kishan, and I will give him into your hand. Then Barak said to her pay attention to this. If you will go with me, then I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go. And she said I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, for the lord will sell cesara into the hands of a woman. Then the boy arose and went with barack to kettish. Now, what I want to point out there is she called her general and she sent him to war and he straight up a coward, a coward out.
Speaker 1:I want to read to you something that the great Bible teacher, j Vernon McGee, said about Barack here, and this is something that that I believe as well, and this is one of the real reasons why I believe that she was put in place. Okay, now I am reading out of j vernon mcgee's through the bible, volume 2, and I am reading on page 52. Okay, this is what he said about barack. Uh, when he says and if barack said to her if thou will go with me, then I will go, but if thou will not go with me, then I will not go. And this is what j vernon mcgee says, if there ever was a general who was a sissy, it was barack. He should have been out in the thick of the battle, but here he is, hiding behind a woman's skirt. Barack will not go into battle unless the board goes along. If this prophetess went with him, he felt he would be successful in battle.
Speaker 1:No wonder god had to use a woman in that day, and I am a believer in that as well. Why, what am I doing? Why am I tying all this together? I'm tying all this together, number one. I want to give you ease for the things that happened here recently and let you know that god is in control and he will use who he needs to use.
Speaker 1:Why did I go to the book of judges and talk about deborah, who was a judge over israel? She wasn't a king, but she was a judge. But what is the reason that the lord brought her up and used her? Is because the men were weak. In this time and in the time we live in right here in this united states of north america, the men are weak. That's why so many men were out and they wanted a woman to be put as their leader. Because the men are weak and no, none of them want to step up and be a leader, so they're looking for someone else to be their leader. They're looking for someone, a person who is not supposed to be in leadership, a person who does have a role in this society but it's not supposed to be in leadership. They were looking to her for leadership when they should have been looking to a man for leadership. And if that person would have gotten to the highest office of the land, it would. I would tell you why it wouldn't be. It wouldn't be because the lord wanted to make a certain group of people feel good. It will be because the men are weak. It will be a judgment, a condemnation, but the fact that we're not going through that right now. Let's let us know that the lord is not done with us yet.
Speaker 1:What did we learn from isaiah? We learned that when women and children rule over the nation, it is going to come to not because that is not the order that the Lord put it in. And then what did we learn in Romans 13? We learned that no matter who the authority is, they are put in charge because the Lord put them in charge. He put them in charge for his reasons. And guess what? The Lord doesn't have to reveal the reasons why he did it. He did it because he wanted to do it. He did it because it all is going to come together for some plan that he has, and we just have to accept that.
Speaker 1:We have to accept that leaders are put in place, and the ones that are put in place, we have to give them respect, the same way that Jesus, god manifests in the flesh, gave Pilate respect. Did you notice that the Lord never spoke up to Pilate? He never said hey, pilate, I don't know who you think you're talking to, but I'm the son of god, you know, I. I am the son of man, I am the, I am in the flesh. He didn't do any of that, but he gave the man his respect. He only spoke to him in regards to let him know that, to let him know that you got your power only from god and that's the only reason you have any power. So people be at ease.
Speaker 1:Guess what? The sun is going to come up every single day until the tribulation happens, when the sun will be dark, and until then, every day you wake up is a day that you get to praise the Lord. Every day that you wake up is a day you get to make it right. And every day that you wake up is a day that you get to love on other people, love each other and be kind to each other. And let me tell you something it's going to be all right something. It's going to be all right. It's going to be all right either way.
Speaker 1:You know why I say that. Well, I can give you my word on that, because what the lord said is going to happen. It's going to happen. Everything he said that's going to come to fruition. It's going to happen. So, those who are believers, you need to rest in that. Those of you who aren't believers, I pray that you get that knowledge. I pray that you get that truth, because his word is truth. And if you never do, you can't say that you never heard it from anyone.
Speaker 1:All right, people. Wherever you may be hearing this podcast on uh Apple, on Spotify, wherever you may be hearing it, give it a like and a comment over there and spread the word. Remember, bereanscornerbuzzsproutcom is my website. When you go over there and listen to the podcast, you can get a description of the page Excuse me a description of the show, and you can read along with it if you want to. And don't forget about our YouTube page, bereans Corner. You know you're in the right one when you see the guy with the praying hands. That's it for this one. I hope that everyone is doing well. Godspeed, until next time, thank you.