From Election Day to the Ends of the Earth

Psalm 2

¹ Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?  ² The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, ³ “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”
⁴  He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. ⁵ Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, ⁶ “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”
⁷ I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. ⁸ Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. ⁹ You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
¹⁰ Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. ¹¹ Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. ¹² Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

This week, I hope you have taken solace in the sovereign authority of God over all things. Regardless of how you voted and how you feel about the outcomes of the election, the Lord Jesus remains on his throne—and the president, you, and I do not.

In Psalm 2, we see this truth demonstrated clearly. If you are like me, you may have spent some time this week meditating on this text. The kings of the earth tend to think that they are autonomous. In verses 1–3, these rulers believe they are in charge of their little kingdoms, as if God does not exist or is not on the throne. They have rebelled against his authority and do not want him or anyone else to tell them what they can do.

We see the Lord’s response to our attempts at rebellion in verse 4. He laughs. The kings of the earth are powerless against him. But the true King emerges in verses 6–9. Whether President Trump continues in office or President Biden is inaugurated in January, neither one is independent of the authority of the true king.

Verses 7–9 describe the Anointed King’s authority. He has all authority over all the earth. The ends of the earth are his possession, and he will rule them without a challenger. There are no recounts, no contested elections, no appeals. Jesus is the true king over all things.

Don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying we shouldn’t vote or involve ourselves in the political process. What I am saying is that we should not place ultimate hope and confidence in that authority. If we are, then we have put ourselves in serious danger. The reality is, at the end of the age, there are only two political options on the table: perish or take refuge in the King (v. 12). Our mission, under the authority of the risen King, Jesus, is to call the world to take refuge in him.

This means that come January—regardless of who the president is, who controls the Senate, and who the governor of your state is—the Lord Jesus will still have all authority in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and we move forward in our mission with confidence. At Bethlehem College & Seminary, we are already planning for many new initiatives in 2021. We are planning for our own presidential transition, searching for two new faculty members to join our team next fall, and actively designing the launch of our Hawaii campus, among other exciting plans.

Just yesterday morning, we had a Zoom meeting with the stakeholders of our growing number of extension sites. We are seeing students transformed as they dig deeply into the Word of God to see the glory of Christ. All of our extensions are already making plans for next school year and seeing God answer prayers in many ways in anticipation of those plans. As we heard updates about Cameroon, Memphis, Hawaii, and beyond, I was reminded that regardless of what happens in the coming months, our mission remains unchanged as we seek to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ. Please pray, support, and join us on this great mission.

Chris Bruno, Ph.D.
Associate Dean

Prayer Requests

1. Pray for the church of Jesus Christ to seek unity, justice, hope, and joy in Christ in the coming months, regardless of the final outcomes of the election.
2. Pray that we at Bethlehem College & Seminary would remain focused on our mission in the coming months, regardless of what else may be happening in our nation.
3. Pray for the Lord to provide two new professors to join our team next fall.
4. Pray for extension sites in Cameroon, Memphis, and Hawaii as they partner with local churches to equip men and women seeking unity, justice, hope, and joy in Christ; pray for wisdom in launching and considering future extension sites.