POSTED 09 SEPTEMBER, 2008

A Time to Choose

by Mark Huey
mark@outreachisrael.net

reproduced from the McHuey Blog

Last week, as a Believer in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, I was motivated to write a blog entitled, “A Time to Fight,” for two primary reasons. First, as one who has been honed to view world and national affairs through a spiritual grid, it was patently obvious that a spiritual battle with enormous consequences for the direction of American society is taking place in the Heavenly realm, as it manifests itself in human vessels. Secondly, by the inspirational nudging of one of the speakers, those of us in the trenches of life are being exhorted, at least on some level, to serve a cause greater than self. Consequently, as I pondered these two factors, I encouraged those who read these blogs to enter the fray of spiritual warfare through fasting and prayer. However, I neglected to encourage every American adult over 18 to take their responsibility seriously, as a child of God and citizen of this country, to personally participate in the election process by voting for our leaders.

Over the weekend, as we considered Shoftim (Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9) in our weekly reading of the Torah, it dawned on me that many in the American Messianic movement may not understand their voting privilege as citizens to actually be engaged in the selection process for our leaders. Too often over the years, we have heard Messianics state that they will not vote for a variety of ill-perceived reasons. However, in the opening words of Shoftim, Moses clearly instructed the Ancient Israelites entering the Promised Land to appoint or choose impartial and righteous judicial and political leaders over them, so that order would be established and maintained:

“You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your towns which the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous. Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, that you may live and possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you” (Deuteronomy 16:18-20).

If you fast forward to the modern era, it is imperative that in the countries where Believers have the opportunity to choose their leaders, that we exercise good judgment and be involved in the process—especially when it comes to exercising our voting rights. Once again this Fall, the voting citizens of the United States have an obligation to vote for those who will have authority over us. Voting wisely is the absolute least every eligible citizen should do! Even if you are not an American, you need to vote in your own political elections when they take place.

Pondering this exhortation to physically vote, I thought more about the physical and spiritual exercises of fasting and praying—things we can also freely choose to do this Fall as this crucial election approaches.

Considering the Fall calendar immediately ahead of us, we see that the Hebrew months of Elul and Tishri are intended to prepare our hearts so we might be consecrated to celebrate the appointed times. This season of returning to the Lord is critical for our spiritual growth each year. In the spirit of the fasting and praying that many do between the Ten Days of Awe and the Day of Atonement, I was curious as to how the upcoming election debates and Election Day coincided with these commemorations. Interestingly, the debates are actually sprinkled in among the days typically set aside for reflection, consecration, and convocation.

In lieu of recognizing the peril of these times, I coupled those thoughts with the recollection that in the Book of Esther, as the Jewish people were on the verge of extermination, there was a call for three days of fasting and prayer prior to Esther’s audience before the king of Persia:

“‘For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?’ Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, ‘Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish’” (Esther 4:14-16).

With this Biblical example in mind, given the fact that others might be inspired to physically fast and pray during this season of repentance tempered with consecration, I recommend that those who are so led to fast and pray for God’s will to be done for three days prior to and during the national debates and Election Day.

As noted by the Presidential Election Commission, the scheduled debates and the American national election occur on the following days:

● Presidential Debate: September 26, Oxford, MS
● Vice-presidential Debate: October 2, St. Louis, MO
● Presidential Debate: October 7, Nashville, TN
● Presidential Debate: October 15, Hempstead, NY
● Election Day: November 4

Personally, I believe that fasting and praying for these media events and the general election are some ways that Believers can actually serve a cause greater than themselves. After all, when the different candidates are debating, the need to speak coherently and soberly is critical. Praying for clarity of thought and protection from the “father of lies,” for those who have the qualities of leadership that will exude impartiality and justice, is critical.

In the case of Esther’s time, we know that the Lord gave her favor so that the Jews were spared from Haman’s decree of annihilation. While we cannot adamantly state that the three days of fasting and prayer were responsible for God’s mercy being displayed, we do know that it was one way that God’s people physically did something to appeal to His compassion and protection from the wiles of the Devil. The results speak volumes.

During the next two months, if we are led by His Spirit to take the time to fast and pray for God’s continuing mercy on America and that His will be done, we need to implore Him to give wisdom to the electorate to choose righteous leaders that will execute justice equitably as the above Scriptures imply. Obviously, this begins with each of us voting wisely.

On the other hand, whether we fast and pray is up to willing hearts that hear His voice and choose to intercede for “such a time as this!” Moses’ successor, Joshua, put it this way to his generation regarding choosing to serve the Lord rather than self:

“Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:14-15).

The time to choose how much you will be involved this Fall is between you and the Lord. Times like this come along infrequently, therefore, choose wisely!

Mark Huey (B.A., Vanderbilt University in History and Graduate Studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University) is the Director of Outreach Israel Ministries (www.outreachisrael.net). He is the author of several books, including: TorahScope, Volumes I & II, and Counting the Omer: A Daily Devotional Toward Shavuot. He is also co-author of Hebraic Roots: An Introductory Study.