The Nugget:
1Ch 12:32 And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.
The Question:
Mr. Smith, how do you answer a Jehovah’s Witness when they tell you that the Bible and Jesus are against voting?
My Answer:
I take them to Luke 3:14, which shows the Bible does not condemn or forbid military or political participation in government.
Erastus was a public official, the treasurer of the city of Corinth, who is mentioned throughout Paul’s ministry, with no suggestion in Scripture that he should abandon his post! (see Acts 19:22; Romans 16:23; 2 Timothy 4:20).
When asked the question about whether or not Jews should pay taxes, Jesus responded that we should render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and render to God the things that are God’s (Mark 12:17).
In 1 Timothy 2:1, 2, 3, we are commanded to pray for those in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. Surely it would only be logical, it would only be reasonable, that when we are given the opportunity to “put feet to our prayers” by obeying 1 Timothy 2:1, 2, 3, we take advantage of the privilege and right that we are given to vote to select those who will exercise authority in government in our behalf. Not to do so is a violation of James 4:17, where we are told that he that knows to do good, and does not do it, is guilty of sin.
In this election in the fall of 2016, the stakes are very high. It is crucial that everyone, particularly those who claim to be Christians, vote for the presidential candidate who best represents the values genuine Christians cherish. To be perfectly blunt, no Christian should choose to vote for Mrs. Clinton, for she has been proven time after time to be devious, untruthful, and a hazard to our national security (evidenced by how she knowingly did not properly handle classified documents related to national security and her use of a private server to hide what she was doing). Her economic program ideas are nonsensical (in the third debate she claimed her programs would not add one penny to the national debt). Her ability to relate to Russia is very questionable. Mr. Trump, on the other hand, is truthful; he has good moral character (he recently also accepted Christ as his personal Savior); his statements about Mr. Putin and Russia demonstrate that he intends to be a peacemaker; he is the only candidate who does not drink at all or smoke. He has stated repeatedly that he will stand up for Christians. He believes the Bible. He stands firmly with the nation of Israel. He said he will do what he can to undo the Johnson Amendment which restricts the free speech of our pastors (including Pastor Moss, the pastor of my Facebook friend who asked me this question) in the pulpit, so that pastors will be able to discuss moral and political issues in church in their sermons once again. Mr. Trump will also select conservative justices for the Supreme Court who will follow the Constitution, not re-write law “from the bench.” It is imperative that all Christians vote, and not give lame excuses to not do so.
An interesting verse that relates to this subject from the Old Testament is 1 Chronicles 12:32, “And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.” See the Note given in the Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury for this verse, which reads in part: “That is, as the following words indicate, intelligent men, who understood the signs of the times, well versed in political affairs, and knew what was proper to be done in all the exigencies of human life; and who now perceived that it was both the duty and political interest of Israel to advance David to the throne.”
There are some very pertinent passages in Proverbs that also apply, but I have probably shared enough Scripture with you to make the point.