Title: KINGDOMS COME AND KINGDOMS GO

Focus: God’s Word and kingdom directly influence our political orientation today. Christians are first and foremost citizens of God’s heavenly kingdom.

Function: To move the people to put their trust into God’s sovereign design and purposes as God unfolds his heavenly rule here on earth.

Text: Hosea 8:1-14

Most of us here are U.S. citizens by birth. You were born in this country and call it your home. Rightly so! Some of us are U.S. citizens by choice. We came to this country as immigrants or refugees. For example, I was born and raised in Holland, and emigrated to Canada in 1972, and moved to the U.S. in 1976, and became a U.S. citizen sometime in the early 90’s. Today, I may call the U.S. my home. And I’m grateful to do so.

You and I, however, have dual citizenship, especially if we claim to be Christians. For aside from being U.S. citizens, we are first and foremost citizens of the kingdom of heaven. And our dual citizenship has special ramifications for us today. For example, as U.S. citizens we may vote; we are called to make political choices; we must choose political parties—Democrats-Republicans-Independents. And we participate in the political processes of our country; we pay our taxes, uphold our laws, seek to promote justice, fight our enemies, and protect the weak in our midst.

But today our country is in political turmoil: there is anger and hostility among our political leaders; there is a huge divide between the “right and the left,” the liberals and the conservatives;” and there is a rising political movement (the Tea Party movement) that channels our political frustrations and anger into a formative block that is taking on momentum every day.

Like so many of you, I find myself questioning our president’s leadership, our congress’ decisions, and our judges’ wisdom. Sometimes, I am downright disgusted with the things we hear and see on display in the news media and internet.

As I try to sort out my feelings and my stance toward today’s politics in our country, I sometimes wonder (and yes, worry) whether I put too much trust and confidence in our country’s military and economic power. I wonder, at times, whether I equate my patriotic feelings and political views as part of what it means to be “an evangelical Christian” today.

I wonder and worry about such things, since I want to take seriously not only my U.S. citizenship, but especially my citizenship in God’s kingdom.

Hosea’s prophecy in chapter 8 leads me to focus on some of these questions today. And the Scriptures’ overall teachings remind us that God’s Word and kingdom directly affect our political orientation today.

In light of our dual citizenship, I want to encourage each one of us to put our trust in God’s sovereign design and purposes as God unfolds his heavenly rule here on earth. For whether we like it or not, earthly politics and daily events take place under the umbrella of God’s sovereign promises and design. The prophet Hosea helps us to grasp that particular truth.

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In chapter 8, the prophet Hosea comes to us with a warning. Listen: (vs. 1) “Put the trumpet to your lips!” (In other words, sound the alarm!) “An eagle is over the house of the Lord because the people have broken my covenant and rebelled against my law.” The eagle is a bird of prey, ready to attack and devour its meal. In this case, the eagle represents God’s hand of judgment upon the Israelites. God is warning his people.

Here’s why: Hosea specifies that God’s judgment is coming to his people Israel because of their sin of self-reliance. They leave God out of the picture of daily living. Listen: (v.4) “They set up kings without my consent; they choose princes without my approval.”

In other words, the Israelites weren’t consulting God about their choice of royal leaders. They relied upon their own choices. God is left out of the picture, and judgment is coming.

Here’s another reason for God’s judgment: (vs. 4b-6) “With their silver and gold they make idols for themselves to their own destruction. Throw out your calf-idol, O Samaria! My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of purity? They are from Israel! This calf—a craftsman has made it; it is not God. It will be broken in pieces, that calf of Samaria.” In other words, Israel’s idolatry and conformity to pagan worship around them have stirred up the wrath of God.

Here’s another sin of Israel exposed by Hosea: (vs. 11-13) “Though Ephraim built many altars for sin offerings, these have become altars for sinning. I wrote for them the many things of my law, but they regarded them as something alien. They offer sacrifices given to me and they eat the meat, but the Lord is not pleased with them. Now he will remember their wickedness and punish their sins: They will return to Egypt.”

In other words, God judges his people for eating from two “menus.” On the one hand, the Israelites follow the dictates of God’s Law (and they offer, therefore, sin offerings to God) but they do so on altars on high places, which are also being used to offer sacrifices to Baal. In other words, the Israelites pay lip service to Yahweh (Israel’s God), and render religious gifts to Baal (the god of the Philistines). Mixing their religious practices (called syncretism) has brought upon the Israelites God’s wrath. And God is warning them about the judgment that is to come.

In this passage we also note in particular the Israelites’ political scheming. For example: within a time frame of 13 years, the Israelites used bloody coups and political revolts working through 5 kings (as we saw from II Kings 15). When King Jeroboam II died in 748 BC, Shallum reigned for one month in Samaria; then Menahem rose to power by assassinating Shallum. Manahem reigned for 10 years. Then he died; his son, Pekahiah succeeded Manahem as king. Pekahiah reigned for two years, then he was assassinated, and Pekah succeeded him as king.

Kingdoms come, and kingdoms go. Rulers rise and rulers fall. “They set up kings without my consent; they choose princes without my approval,” said the Lord through his prophet Hosea.

Politically, Israel was in a mess.

God also brought judgment upon Israel for their alliances with Egypt and Assyria. But flirting with the powerful King of Assyria would not bring safety and security to God’s people. Thus God says (vs. 8-10) “Israel is swallowed up; now she is among the nations like a worthless thing. For they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has sold herself to lovers. Although they have sold themselves among the nations, I will now gather (these nations) together. (The Israelites) will begin to waste away under the oppression of the mighty king (of Assyria).”

In other words, instead of putting their trust in God’s promises and protection for them, the Israelites sought safety and security in an alliance with foreign rulers.

That kind of self-dependence and reliance is also seen in Israel’s trust in military might. For they built fortress cities and palaces or seats of power to boost their power. Thus Hosea cries out: (vs. 14) “Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces; Judah has fortified many towns. But I (says the Lord) will send fire upon their cities that will consume their fortresses.”

Israel’s political scheming and military self-reliance and its idolatrous practices—all lead to a warning from God: judgment is coming. Kingdoms come and go; rulers rise and fall, but in the end God will have his way. For God is sovereign King, and his kingdom will be established on earth and endure forever.

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Now how do we translate God’s warning through Hosea, so that we learn to conduct ourselves today as God’s people? How do we orientate ourselves and participate in our culture and political system, which have so many competing world views and ideologies that go against God’s Word? In light of God’s Word, I make the following observations:

1. Christians are citizens of God’s kingdom: God’s kingdom refers to God’s rule or influence. His rule is perfectly administered and obeyed in heaven; in the spiritual realms, however, Satan, and demons, and authorities hostile to God resist God’s kingdom. And we find a similar hostility toward God’s reign here on earth.

But here is the good news: When the Son of God—Jesus Christ—took on our human nature and lived in our midst—he came and ushered in God’s kingdom or influence in tangible and striking ways: he healed the sick; he cast out demons; he raised the dead; and he took our place on the cross and in the tomb, so that we may live. God exalted him as Lord of lords and King of kings. And today, the Lord Jesus rules through his Word and Spirit. His rule today is leading to that point in history when he will come again and make all things new.

Jesus has taught us to pray for the coming of God’s kingdom. And the Scriptures (Phil. 3:20) remind followers of Jesus that “…our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” Clearly, congregation, our salvation does not rest with a particular party, or politician or president; our salvation does not rest on military or economic power. As we rightfully participate in our country’s politics and culture, expressing our thoughts and concerns, let us not fall into the trap of relying upon ourselves, thinking that we are masters of our future. Christians are first and foremost citizens of God’s kingdom.

2. Christians live by God’s Story: We hear about “change,” and “hope,” and the “American Dream.” We vie for traditional values, less government, more individual freedom, etc. All of these expressions are part of competing worldviews. And as Christians we find ourselves also drawn toward these competing worldviews.

I say “competing” worldviews, because Christians must learn to live by the story of God. We live and have our being under the umbrella of God’s unfolding story, which can be captured with a few words such as: creation-fall-deliverance-recreation. Muslims, Hindus, theists, atheists, agnostics, pagans and even Satanists—these all live by a worldview that shapes them and their politics or daily conduct. Christians, however, live by the story of God as narrated in the Bible. That story shapes us and our politics. Let’s not forget it.

3. Christians are Pilgrims: I love our home, our city, our community, and our country. Perhaps you do too. Periodically, however, I must remind myself that this earth, this state, this city—is not my permanent home. I must learn NOT to cling to things too much or too deeply. Christians are pilgrims—on the move, toward a better country. That does not mean that we isolate ourselves and pretend to live in a vacuum. No, we have our being on this earth. Yet, this earth as we know it will be renewed, restored by Christ when he comes again. At that time, we will have arrived at our permanent home.

To live as pilgrims calls for deep appreciation of God’s creation. But it also calls for a loose “attachment” to the things that make up this world. Pilgrims live with a deep awareness that God unfolds all of history to realize his own design and purposes. As we participate in history, we acknowledge that we live by faith and a pilgrim’s vision such as that of Abraham and his offspring: (Hebrews 11:13ff) “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promises; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own….They were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”

God’s Word and kingdom directly affect our political orientation today. Let’s put our trust in God’s sovereign design and purposes as God unfolds his heavenly rule here on earth.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.