II Chronicles 36:23 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.
God Rules
I remember the first election that I accompanied my parents to was when Jimmy Carter was contesting the presidency of Gerald Ford. I remember graphically several years later when Reagan won his landslide in the election after that. One thing I’m reminded of when I read II Chronicles 36 and when I think about the politics of my own country is that God rules no matter which king or kingdom reigns.
In II Chronicles 36:23 the Bible says, “Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.”
Here is Cyrus, king of Persia, who realized that God was the One Who gave him his kingdom and his commission. I don’t know how he came to this recognition, but I do know that whether or not a king acknowledges or understands it, God rules.
In II Chronicles 35 another king, Necho, king of Egypt said in verse 21 to king Josiah, “What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste, forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not.” This is amazing. I don’t think Josiah believed it. God was with this pagan king of Egypt? Well, God can accomplish His purpose even through a pagan king of Egypt, and He did.
Also in II Chronicles, king Zedekiah rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar who had conquered God’s people, took the temple treasure back to his own country, and offered them to his own pagan gods as if to say, “My gods are superior and have given me victory.” Yet in Daniel 1 God makes it very clear that He gave these people to Nebuchadnezzar, that Nebuchadnezzar was His servant, and that God had given him even the temple treasures.
I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, but I do know that regardless of what king or kingdom may reign, our God rules. We ought to live in light of that truth.