Let's be absolutely clear, there is no place as far as I can see for Ministers of Religion to engage in - far less to promote - Party politics.
It impairs their ability to minister to ALL people (the way they should) and in any event there are things that offend against God and His Word in whatever party we may personally favour.
But what the representatives of God ... His apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor-teachers have ALWAYS been forthright about is unrestrained human nature and sin against God both in His people and in national leaders ... political leaders, religious leaders, society leaders and business leaders.
Scared off
And I think THAT is something we are currently a bit scared of.
Now, Isaiah lived through a time of huge and traumatic change during the eighth century BC.
God called him to interpret for a people God had promised His protection, just exactly what was happening as God's protection and provision seemed to be swept away, and the people were conquered and devastated, then eventually carried off into Exile.
Isaiah's calling led him into all manner of personal trials and discomforts, but Isaiah was FAITHFUL, and didn't shirk it.
The roots of the reason for the hard experience of Isaiah's people at that time lay in the behaviour of its leaders and people who had lost their focus on God, including His priority of protection for the poor.
No ... it ISN'T a political point Isaiah makes, it's a point about the God of the Covenant's priorities!
The God of the Covenant's priorities
Here's how the prophet puts it in Isaiah chapter three:
"The Lord takes his place in court; he rises to judge the people."
Now, there ARE currently a number of court cases being launched against Westminster's ministers about alleged corruption in the awarding of Government contracts and the like.
A number of those cases have been successful.
But it may be worth noticing that Isaiah warns all manner of leaders against litigation in the far higher courts ... being arraigned to the High Court of God.
He continues:
"The Lord enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people:
‘It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses.
What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?’ declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty."
Isaiah 3:14-15
It's NOT just an Old Testament thing
Before anyone says that the mandate for God's people speaking truth to power is an Old Testament only phenomenon ... just check out Peter's approach to Jerusalem's leaders on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:23 and Acts 2:36, or Acts 3:17, or Acts 4:9-12 ...
Speaking God's truth to power is a Biblical, not merely an Old Testament responsibility laid on the leaders of, and on the people of God.
The Point
What's my point?
It seems to me that the church in our land at this time - and that's US - has ceded the role of speaking truth to the land into the hands of political, social and economic leaders ... and the outcome of that has historically often been not far short of disastrous.
It gets disastrous for the poor and the vulnerable.
It gets disastrous for those political, social and economic leaders.
And it gets disastrous as the country affected takes a dive.
The Lord calls His church to be salt and light in the world, proclaiming His definition of what is wrong and confronting society's ills as the precursor to (and without which there is no justification for) preaching the Good News of salvation.
The Gospel is about repentance from and forgiveness for human sin. If we lose God's definition of the former we imperil the latter.
And "grinding the faces of the poor" rides very high on God's definition of sin and of sinfulness.
It doesn't make God a One Nation Conservative nor a Socialist for Him to speak like this. It actually make Him the thrice holy God!
The Takeaway
Let's not let the world around us and its powerful leaders impose on you THEIR definitions of right and wrong, permissible and scandalous, wise and foolish.
Let's rather confront those today where they are in error, as if the Gospel were at stake if we don't ... because actually, it probably is.
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