Honor the King

Many Christians are unsupportive of the lifestyle and language of President Donald Trump as am I. His lewd remarks and thoughtless Tweets display character traits that no believer can admire. I have written previously that despite his character flaws, President Trump has been the best friend Christians have had in the White House since Ronald Reagan. His administration has done much to reverse the anti-Christian bias that his predecessor instituted. Trump’s selection of conservative judges at all levels of the court will have positive consequences for years to come.

Even non-believers must admit that the economic situation is vastly improved under Trump’s leadership. This makes sense, his being a consummate businessman who, regardless of the progressives’ class hatred, has amassed a personal fortune proving he knows how to make business succeed. His foreign policy positions with respect to China, Iran and North Korea have also put America back in the position of a superpower to be reckoned with rather than a weakling to be ignored. I also believe his stance with Mexico and the border are in America’s best interest in the long run. (See Pilgrim’s Progression and Man the Lifeboats)

In spite of these empirically measurable benefits to the common good, some Christians still resist the idea of supporting President Trump, many to the point of refusing to vote for a second Trump term. This is unfortunate because any selection from the contestants on the other side of the aisle would be a worse choice in almost every way. Be assured that if conservatives stay away from the polls or cast a protest vote for a non-electable candidate, a Democrat will win the White House in 2020. The coattail effect will likely shift the balance of power in the US Congress as well. Thus ends America being made great again.

Enough about politics; what about the important matters? This morning I was reading the account of King Saul’s death and soon-to-be-king David’s reaction in 2 Samuel. The background is familiar to most of my readers, but I will briefly fill it in. After King Saul directly disobeyed God with regard to the Amalekites, Samuel informed him that the kingdom would be given to another. The prophet then proceeded to anoint the shepherd boy, David, as his successor. During the many years between his anointing and ascension to the throne, David was mercilessly mistreated by Saul and hounded as a criminal worthy of death.

In spite of Saul’s despicable behavior, David remained honorable, refusing to take Saul’s life on two occasions when he could have easily done so. Then when the report of Saul’s demise reaches David (via an Amalekite, ironically), rather than rewarding the bearer of the news, he has him executed for reportedly killing God’s anointed servant, Saul. David honored God’s choice of king because of the honor due the position, not the man.

This is where I began to think of the situation with Donald Trump. Christians don’t like him. His personal habits are not admirable for the most part. Yet he is God’s “anointed” in a manner of speaking. Romans 13:1 says that the powers that be are ordained by God. If you believe as I do that even election results are within God’s sovereign control, then you have to admit that Donald Trump has been placed in power in accordance with the ultimate purpose of God, whatever that may be.

Later in Romans 13 (verse 7) Paul instructs believers to give honor to whom honor is due. Remember that the “powers” Paul referred to were the vicious, pagan Romans who persecuted Jews and Christians with social restrictions, torture and death. By comparison, Trump is a “saint.” Not that that matters, since honor is due him because he is President. In my case, I intend to honor him by voting for a second term. I would ask my fellow-believers to consider David’s relationship with King Saul and imitate his behavior. Plug your nose if you must but honor the office by voting Trump another term. The alternatives will be much more unpleasant in my opinion.