[Although written in the fall of 1995, the criteria used here for determining leadership comes directly from The Bible. As long as we believe the principles of The Bible are forever, this criteria can (and should) be applied to every election from now till the Second Coming.]
It is election time again. And again we must look at those who aspire to the presidency of this great nation, this One Nation Under God, to determine who is worthy to lead us. Previously, candidates have been elected who have not lived up to our high expectations nor advanced the cause of righteousness. Is it because we have not looked for the right qualifications or applied the right standards when choosing our leaders? Where should we look to discover the qualifications needed to lead this great nation? The Bible!
In Biblical times presidents did not lead the people; priests lead, guided, inspired, and directed God's great nation. The Bible lists God's standards for those priests. Should not the leaders of this great God-fearing nation meet those same high standards? Those standards are available for the whole world to see, but the world has forgotten or has chosen to look the other way. Let us open our King James Bibles to Leviticus 21:16-20. Here God is telling Moses who is qualified to approach the alter of God -- who is qualified for priesthood and for leadership of His great people:
16 - And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
17 - Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that has any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.
18 - For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous,
19 - Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded,
20 - Or crookbacked, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;
Let us now apply God's standards to those who aspire to lead us. Robert Dole, I believe, is our most obvious choice, and he has the support of the Christian Coalition. However, as I studied the qualifications, "lame" caught my eye. I was relieved to read the American Heritage Dictionary definition of lame: "Disabled so that movement, especially walking, is difficult or impossible." Mr. Dole jogs several days a week so I believe he passes this test. However, Mr. Dole's ability to grasp a felt-tipped pen in his right hand is not sufficient to pass the brokenhanded test. He has not met God's high standards. He is not worthy to lead us.
Next, let us apply God's standards to Bill Clinton. I could find nothing in the list that would hinder Mr. Clinton from continuing in the nation's highest office. But there is more criteria. We must also see how Jesus views Mr. Clinton. A look at the Clintons shows us Bill and Hillary are trained lawyers. How does Jesus feel about this? Luke 11:52 will tell us:
52 - Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
Woe unto you, Clintons! Well, that says it all. What a stinging indictment of lawyers. And not only are the Clintons lawyers, but so is Mrs. Dole. It's as if there were a conspiracy of the unrighteous lawyers to take away our key of knowledge. Are the lawyers the reason why we in America stopped looking to The Bible for the keys of knowledge of who is worthy to lead us?
Finally, let's look at Ross Perot. He is not a lawyer, or blind, or lame, or flat nosed, nor, to the best of my knowledge, does he have anything superfluous. He is not brokenfooted, or brokenhanded, or crookbacked. However, I see a problem. Is he a dwarf? I know he is small in stature and was called "the diminutive Texan" in TIME Magazine. Once again let's turn to the American Heritage Dictionary. The definition of dwarf is: "An abnormally small person, often having limbs and features not properly proportioned or formed." Well, Mr. Perot's ears make him suspect, they certainly are not properly proportioned. However, I do not think this alone is sufficient evidence to rule him out. Continuing God's list: Perot does not have a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed. And because he has at least two children, we know his stones are not broken. Mr. Perot has passed the test.
We have found the man we can support. But it won't be easy. There are wicked and deceitful men who have spoken against brother Perot. TIME Magazine said in the July 27, 1992, issue, "Perot turned out to be a liar about a lot of public matters..." And on June 29, 1992, TIME said Mr. Perot is being portrayed as a, "thin-skinned and ruthless man who tends to take his goals as holy objectives to be reached by any means available, who sees rivals as evil conspirators to be crushed, and who pursues astonishingly meanspirited vendettas against anyone who crossed him, even in petty matters."
Let us have brother Perot lead us in prayer, and let brother Perot's prayer praise God and remember those who have spoken against him. Brother Perot's prayer shall be the prayer of Psalms, Chapter 109.
Open your Bibles please:
1 - Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;
2 - For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
3 - They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.
4 - For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.
5 - And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
6 - Set thou a wicked may over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.
7 - When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.
8 - Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
9 - Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
10 - Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.
11 - Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.
12 - Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.
13 - Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.
Amen. As we spread the good news about brother Perot, let us carry the spirit of Psalms 109 in our hearts. Let the spirit of Psalms 109 shine from us, and let the world see us for who we are.
Remember, "For I am the LORD, I change not;" Malachi 3:6
A Timeless Criterion for Leadership
[Though originally written in the fall of 1995, the biblical principles outlined here remain eternal. If we believe that God's Word is unchanging, then these criteria should guide every election—until the Second Coming.]
As another election season approaches, we once again face the solemn duty of choosing a leader for this great nation—One Nation Under God. Time and again, we have elected individuals who failed to meet our high expectations or to advance the cause of righteousness. Could it be that we have not been applying the right standards when selecting our leaders? Where should we turn for guidance? The answer is clear: The Bible.
In biblical times, it was not presidents who led God’s people, but priests—men who guided, inspired, and directed the nation according to God’s laws. The Bible sets forth God’s standards for these leaders, and it is only fitting that we hold those who seek the highest office in our land to those same divine principles. But have we forgotten them? Have we, like the world, chosen to look the other way?
Let us turn to Scripture and examine the qualifications for leadership as outlined in Leviticus 21:16-20:
16 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
17 Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.
18 For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous,
19 Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded,
20 Or crookbacked, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken.
Applying God's Standards to Our Candidates
Let us now examine the candidates according to these biblical criteria.
Bob Dole
Robert Dole, a strong contender and a favorite among Christian voters, initially seems like the obvious choice. However, Scripture compels us to take a closer look. The word lame stood out to me, so I consulted the American Heritage Dictionary, which defines it as: “Disabled so that movement, especially walking, is difficult or impossible.” Mr. Dole, known for his regular jogging routine, appears to pass this test.
However, another standard caught my attention: brokenhanded. Mr. Dole’s well-documented war injury has left his right hand impaired. According to Leviticus, this disqualifies him. By God’s measure, he does not meet the high standard required for leadership.
Bill Clinton
At first glance, there is no physical ailment in Leviticus 21 that would bar President Clinton from office. However, we must look beyond the physical and examine his moral and spiritual standing.
Jesus Himself gives us further guidance in Luke 11:52:
Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
President Clinton—and his wife, Hillary—are both trained lawyers. According to Scripture, this is a serious indictment. Not only are the Clintons condemned under Jesus’ words, but even Elizabeth Dole, wife of Bob Dole, also falls into this category. Are we witnessing a conspiracy of unrighteous lawyers attempting to mislead our nation? Have they taken away our key of knowledge—leading us away from God’s truth?
Ross Perot
Ross Perot is neither a lawyer nor afflicted by any of the conditions listed in Leviticus. He is not blind, lame, flat-nosed, brokenfooted, or brokenhanded. However, one concern arises: is he a dwarf?
TIME Magazine once referred to him as “the diminutive Texan.” To verify this, I turned again to the American Heritage Dictionary, which defines dwarf as: “An abnormally small person, often having limbs and features not properly proportioned or formed.” Mr. Perot’s ears may raise suspicion, but they alone do not constitute sufficient evidence for disqualification.
Furthermore, we can confirm that Mr. Perot does not suffer from scurvy, scabs, or a blemish in his eye. And because he is a father, we can confidently say his stones are not broken.
By these biblical standards, Ross Perot is the man we can support.
Defending Our Chosen Leader
Our choice will not be without opposition. The forces of deception and wickedness will rise against Brother Perot, just as they have against many righteous men before him. TIME Magazine, in its July 27, 1992, issue, accused him of dishonesty, while its June 29, 1992, issue painted him as “thin-skinned and ruthless.”
But what does Scripture say about those who face unjust attacks? Let us turn to Psalms 109, a powerful prayer for those who are wrongfully opposed:
1 Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;
2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
3 They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.
4 For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.
5 And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
As we support Brother Perot, let us carry the spirit of Psalms 109 in our hearts. Let the world see our faithfulness, our dedication to biblical truth, and our unwavering commitment to God’s standards. May our actions reflect His will, and may our voices proclaim His righteousness.
Amen.
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