3 Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?” He answered him, “I am as you are, my people as your people. We will be with you in the war.” II Chronicles 19:3 English Standard Version
Most protestants focus on the New Testament. We direct our attention to the redeeming, grace-filled, work of Jesus, culminating at the empty tomb. His life, death, burial, and resurrection radically changed history and our understanding of who God is and what He does for His creation. But this focus, right as it is, has left us with a paucity of our rich Old Testament heritage and knowledge about God. Reading, closely reading, the Old Testament opens a window into the heart and mind of God. The Old Testament speaks volumes about the character of God, His likes and dislikes. His deep abiding love shines through, as well as His holiness.
In modern Western Christianity we tend to focus on the loving and giving nature of God, and He is loving and giving. But we avoid the justice and fear of the Lord aspects. When we do mention “the fear of the Lord,” we tend to frame it as respect. We almost never contemplate God’s stringent holiness and how that effects our relationship with Him. Reading the Old Testament helps us understand how important these things are. Recently I ran across a section of II Chronicles that stunned me with its pertinence. Allow me to summarize.
Jehoshaphat ruled Juda. He did good things and turned his people back to the Lord. He ruled during the same time that King Ahab and Queen Jezabel ruled in Israel. Ahab and Jezabel were extremely far from the heart of God. They brought idolatry and many other evils into Israel. Despite this, Jehoshaphat formed a marriage alliance with Ahab, having his son marry Ahab’s daughter. Eventually, Ahab induced Jehoshaphat into going to war with him against a mutual enemy, Ramoth-Gilead. The battle went poorly; Ahab was killed and a wounded Jehoshaphat returned to Jerusalem. And this is where the story gets pertinent to us today.
A seer, or prophet, came to Jehoshaphat and said, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the Lord.” II Chronicles 19:2b
Jehoshaphat had joined Ahab in what he felt was a politically expedient move. After all, they shared an enemy. After the dust settled, he found out how mistaken he was. Today, we do this sort of thing all the time. We join forces with a political party because we share some of the same goals. We justify this in our minds, but I wonder if God is as frustrated with us as He was with Jehoshaphat.
Aligning ourselves with a political party seems like an adroit move; however, it comes with problems that outweigh any benefits. When we identify with a party, we assume all their ideals, at least in the eyes of others. Placing a donkey or elephant sign in our yard or emblazoning our vehicles with appropriate bumper stickers tells the world something about our identity. And when our party goes down a path contrary to our faith, it drags us along with it. Even if we do not agree with it, the world assumes we do. After all, we’re members and supporters of that party. We may pr0test, but our membership outweighs our voice. We are labeled.
19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. I Corinthians 9:19-23
Born in Tarsus, a Roman citizen by birth, highly educated, and well versed in his Jewish heritage, Paul was uniquely suited to move in the Greco-Roman world. In this famous passage, the apostle Paul shows flexibility regarding his personal identity. Though he speaks of this issue as a religious one, it also informs our understanding of our personal identity. Paul kept his mission in the forefront of his mind. Paul leveraged this to reach the lost. He refused to let his affiliation with any sector of his world inhibit his witness. In a like manner, we must ground our identity in Christ.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. I Peter 2:9
As Christians, we find our identity, our affiliation, in God and what He has done for us, not some human organization. When we join political parties we imbibe in our current cultural infatuation with party-purity. We hand our identity over to worldly masters which have no alignment with our Lord and master.
I am not saying that we must eschew all political engagement. It is a blessing to exist in a time and place where we enjoy the ability to influence the direction of our government. But I fear that we are much more like Jehoshaphat than we think. When we wed ourselves to a political party the din of our political speech drowns out any words of fellowship or love.
No matter which party is in power, we need to stand up for the things of God. This task requires courage. No one in power likes to have their faults, failings, or misguided policies pointed out. But that is what we are called to do. Unfortunately, we frequently hesitate due to our party affiliation, our ability to witness and serve compromised. A determination to remain independent from worldly affiliations would serve us well.
We need not abandon political activism. Instead, we should eschew party affiliation and all the encumbrances which accompany such ties. Americans have long embraced a serious independent streak. As Christians, we ought to join in this long historical trend, bucking current party affiliation headwinds. Political independence brings great freedoms, especially the freedom to speak out for those issues that are near to the heart of God. We should not be like Jehoshaphat, who incurred God’s wrath by aligning himself with someone who truly hated God and sought to undermine goodness simply out of political expediency.
1. https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2017/08/political-party-identities-stronger-race-religion
Thought Questions:
- Are you a registered member of a political party, or are you merely a supporter?
- On a scale of 1 – 10, with one being the lowest and 10 the highest, how important is political affiliation to you?
- Do you consider your political party as more aligned with scripture and why?
- What percentage of your congregation shares your political viewpoint and why do you think that?
- What party do you think Jesus would join and why?
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