As the U.S. presidential election draws nearer, it seems like tensions have never been higher. In our society today, many people will write you off and despise you as soon as they find out which political party you side with. They assume you’re some terrible, awful person based on which candidate you’ve chosen to vote for. Some are saying that this election is the most important and most critical election there has ever been in America, and they’re saying that if the guy from the other side wins, America as we know it will be destroyed.
In this time of extreme darkness, hatred, and negativity, I believe we, as believers, need encouragement from the Word of God. And today’s encouragement comes from the book of Daniel.
At the beginning of the book of Daniel, we find that the people of God had been exiled to Babylon. The king of Babylon was named Nebuchadnezzar, and he had commanded that some of Israel’s youth be brought to the palace and trained to serve the king. One of these youth was a young man named Daniel.
In chapter two, Nebuchadnezzar had had a terrible dream. Back in this day, dreams and their interpretations were of very high importance, so Nebuchadnezzar summoned all his magicians and sorcerers to interpret this terrible dream for him. But there was a catch. To ensure that nobody gave him a false interpretation, Nebuchadnezzar did not tell the details of his dream to anyone.
Of course, it is impossible for any man to interpret something he does not know. And the magicians and sorcerers tried to tell Nebuchadnezzar this. If only he would share the details of his dream, then they could provide an interpretation!
This infuriated Nebuchadnezzar. Instead of listening to their pleas, he decreed that all the wise men in Babylon be killed and destroyed. Daniel was one of these wise men, and when he heard of the urgent decree, he requested to speak to the king so that he may provide an interpretation.
Daniel was different from the other wise men of Babylon. Instead of relying on magical practices and false gods, he sought wisdom from the God of heaven, the God who created the entire universe. After he requested the time with the king, he met with his friends, and they prayed together that God would mercifully reveal the dream and its interpretation to Daniel. He did, and Daniel praised God, saying-
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what is in darkness, and the light dwells with Him.” Daniel 2:20-22, ESV
Then Daniel went to the king. He told Nebuchadnezzar that the task of telling and interpreting his dream was impossible for men, but that “there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries” (v. 28) who had told Daniel the dream and its interpretation. In his dream, Nebuchadnezzar had seen a great statue, an image of a man, whose head was made of gold, whose chest and arms were made of silver, whose middle and thighs were made of bronze, whose legs were made of iron, and whose feet were made of iron and clay. All of a sudden, a stone struck its feet, and the entire statue crumbled, the pieces being blown away by the wind. The stone, though, remained, and grew, and became a great mountain that filled the earth.
Each of the different parts of this statue were to represent the different kingdoms that would rule the earth. The top part, the golden head, represented Babylon, and all the other parts represented kingdoms that would rule after Babylon. We now know that the silver chest and arms represented Medo-Persia, the bronze middle and thighs represented Greece, and the iron legs represented Rome. The empire represented by the iron and clay feet is unclear. While some have argued that they represent certain periods of European history, others have argued that the feet represent the Antichrist’s kingdom.[1] The stone represented the kingdom of God that would one day come and defeat all other kingdoms.
When Daniel shared the dream and its interpretation, Nebuchadnezzar immediately realized the power, supremacy, and sovereignty of the God of Israel. He declared-
“Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” Daniel 2:47
How is this story encouraging to Christians in today’s political climate? It teaches that God is sovereign, omnipotent, and supreme. He is in control of everything that goes on in this country and in this world. Just as He knew when ancient kingdoms would rise and fall, He knows which political leaders will win and which will lose. We have no need to fear the outcome of this election because our God is sovereign over it.
As you prepare for this upcoming presidential election, I challenge you to do three things. First, read your Bible. With all the bias and deception in media sources today, it’s hard to know what to believe. The Bible is our only real source of truth, so there is no better time to read it and study it. It is only by reading the Bible that we can know the truth about God, humankind, and the world we live in.
Second, do your research. Don’t just cast your vote based on whether or not you like a candidate’s personality, how they talk, how they act. Look into what the candidates and their respective parties stand for and fight for and compare their platforms to biblical principles. Do their ideas align with biblical ideals? Of course, no candidate and no party are perfect. They are sinners just like we are. But I urge you to cast your vote for the person whose policies most agree with Scripture.
Finally, pray. Our God is a God who reveals mysteries (Daniel 2:28), and He gives wisdom generously to all who ask (James 1:5). After reading your Bible and doing your research, pray that God would reveal to you whom to vote for. Pray that He would grant you wisdom and discernment in this time of confusion. And when you call to Him, He will answer (Jeremiah 33:3).
Read your Bible. Do your research. Pray for wisdom. Vote in a way that you believe honors God and trust Him with the results. And praise the Lord as Daniel did-
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what is in darkness, and the light dwells with Him.” Daniel 2:20-22
[1] “What is the meaning of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2?,” GotQuestions.org, accessed September 7, 2020, https://www.gotquestions.org/Nebuchadnezzars-dream.html.
