What God Wants from a President

Tomorrow we see the inauguration of a new leader for our nation, the United States of America. As we think about this occurrence, one might consider what God wants from a ruler or leader of a nation. God tells us in His Word, and it might surprise you. Whatever people may say today about problems in the country or what’s wrong with leaders, what does God say about it? Not necessarily in this order, but it could be this order, one, God wants rulers to worship Him. That’s right. For the leader himself to recognize that he is not on the top of the power pyramid – it is God. Psalm 2:10-11 read: “10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.” Serve the LORD is worship the LORD and fear and trembling are the reverence and sobriety of this worship. The next verse says, “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little.” Kissing the Son here is doing homage to the Son. God says, “Don’t do that and you will perish as His wrath is kindled against you.” Psalm 72:11 says, “Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.” Every knee of every king will bend before God Almighty, and many verses in the Bible say this.

Next is righteousness. 2 Samuel 23:3 says, “The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.” “Just” is “righteous.” Many places just in Proverbs call on the ruler to live a righteous life and rule his nation in righteousness (Proverbs 14:34, 16:12, 20:28, 25:5, 29:2). These are just two: worship God and be and do right.