Peter Allison's sermon, 'An Exemplary Civil Magistrate,' uses Job 29 as a basis to discuss the characteristics of an ideal civil leader. Job is described as a righteous and just ruler who is guided by God's word, cares for his family, is respected by peers, protects the weak, seeks justice, and acts with wisdom. Allison draws parallels between Job's leadership and the current political environment, addressing myths about voting and emphasizing the importance of choosing leaders who reflect godly principles. He critiques common misconceptions about the election process, such as the idea that only official candidates matter, and argues that voting is an act of faith, a declaration of what is true, noble, and just. Even in the absence of ideal candidates, believers are called to vote in accordance with God's standards, trusting in His sovereignty over rulers and nations. Ultimately, the sermon calls for faith in God's plan and encourages believers to act boldly and trust in His promises amidst societal challenges.

Our scripture reading this morning as we take a break from Acts is Job 29. Job 29, this is the end of the Three discourses back and forth as Job now begins his final defense. Hear God's word. Job further continued his discourse and said, Oh, that I were as in months past, as in the days when God watched over me, when his lamp shone upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness, just as I was in the days of my prime, when the friendly counsel of God was over my tent, when the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were around me, when my steps were bathed with cream, and the rock poured out rivers of oil for me. When I went out to the gate by the city, When I took my seat in the open square, the young men saw me and hid, and the aged arose and stood.

The princes refrained from talking and put their hand on their mouth. The voice of nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth. When the ear heard, then it blessed me. When the eye saw, then it approved me. Because I delivered the poor who cried out, the fatherless and the one who had no helper.

The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness and it closed me. My justice was like a robe and a turban. I was eyes to the blind and I was feet to the lame. I was a father to the poor, and I searched out the case that I did not know.

I broke the fangs of the wicked and plucked the victim from his teeth. Then I said, I shall die in my nest and multiply my days as the sand. My root is spread out to the waters, and the dew lies all night on my branch. My glory is fresh within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand. Men listened to me and waited, and kept silence for my counsel, and my words they did not speak again, and my speech subtled on them as dew.

They waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain. If I mocked at them, they did not believe it. In the light of my countenance, they did not cast down. I chose the way for them and sat as chief. So I dwelt as a king in the army, as one who comforts mourners." May the Lord redeem us from the oppression of men that we may keep these his statutes and commandments and precepts.

Heavenly Father, Your word is truth. We ask that you would impress that truth upon us. You would open our eyes to understand what is spiritually discerned. And that you would empower us to gospel obedience. I ask that you would sanctify my sinful lips that they may proclaim the riches of your grace and of your power unto salvation through Jesus Christ.

Amen. Well, this morning, Well, this morning we will jump out of our series in Acts, that gave the account of the church in the first century. We jump out of that series in light of this election season that is now upon us beginning this week. And in light of all the voices that are pulling at our arms like a gaggle of ill-behaved children crowding the body bringing their next meal. Just within the evangelical camp, just looking at evangelical Christians, we have people telling us everything from, don't vote because it's a complete waste of time and energy, to if we don't vote, then we're promoting evil.

And so which is it? And maybe more importantly, is it even worth time to think about it? How does this question help us see Jesus today? That's who we want to see. There are all sorts of myths about voting.

Myths that I believe God's Word addresses. One of the myths is that there are only two choices. And usually those two choices are between Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Well actually that's simply not true. There are many candidates on the ballot that are even recognized as official candidates.

But who says that they have to be an official candidate before we could vote for them? King David never announced his candidacy to be chosen king. What did he do? He waited until the people came to him and asked him to be the king. Another vote missed we hear is that in democracy, you choose your leaders.

Well, I regret to inform you, your civil powers have been greatly exaggerated. You don't choose your leaders. They are chosen by people who can care less about you or who you want to see as the next president. Another myth that we hear is that your vote is critical to the democratic process of choosing leaders. Well, I'll let you know that your vote will rarely, if ever, affect the outcome of an election.

Even if no one voted in this next presidential election, it probably would not change who gets put into office. Why, just a few months ago, didn't we see all the elections for one candidate completely ignored and another candidate was selected? So no, your vote is not critical to the democratic process of choosing leaders. Another myth we hear is that the vote of a good but unelectable man is actually a vote for the worst possible candidate on the ballot. I'm not sure how that one even makes any sense.

Another myth we hear is that Jesus is not on the ballot. And since Jesus is not on the ballot, there's no perfect candidate, so hold your nose and vote for the stinking candidate if it stinks less than the other guy. But actually, Jesus is on the ballot. He's on every ballot. Remember when Israel told Samuel that they wanted a king like every other nation.

Remember that? 1 Samuel 8 verse 6. Samuel, this thing really displeased Samuel when they said, give us a king to judge us. And so Samuel prayed to the Lord, that's a good thing to do when you're just pleased and troubled. And the Lord said to Samuel, he listened to the voice of the people in all that they say for you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me." They have not rejected you.

They've rejected Me. They didn't know that Jesus was on the ballot. But God says He is. And when they wanted somebody else other than Samuel, and they wanted a king like every other nation, God said they were rejecting Him. So you see, When you pick somebody on the ballot, you are either selecting or rejecting Jesus.

Just like when we minister to people. We are the hands and feet of Jesus. And remember the last day, there's the sheep and the goats, and Jesus says, enter into my rest to these people because you did all these things, you fed the poor and so on, and they say, well, when did we do that? And Jesus said, in that you did it to the least of me, you did it To the least of these, you did it to me." You see, when we vote, we are either rejecting or choosing to follow God. We are rejecting or choosing Jesus.

So He is on the ballot. So this morning, though, I really have two messages that I'm going to put together. The first one is from Job 29. What are the characteristics of an exemplary civil magistrate. Who should we be choosing so that we are not rejecting God?

And then the second message is, what do we do when there is no such person in sight. And I believe that in this second message, there is great hope and comfort for us as his people, not just in our civil situation, but also in our personal and our family situation as well. What do we do when there is no such person in sight? Well, let's look at the first question this morning from Job chapter 29. What are the characteristics of an exemplary civil magistrate?

Now this probably needs a bit of explanation. Who is Job? We're jumping in here in the middle of a lengthy book that is very tightly knit together, very tightly tied together, and you need some explanation. So who is Job, first of all? Well, Job is a man that God says was blameless and upright, one who feared God and shunned evil.

That is a very high compliment for the scripture to give, for God to give of any man. Blameless and upright, he feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters, and he was very wealthy. Very wealthy. He was in the, what we would say, in the billionaire, in the elite billionaire class.

Billionaires are getting to be pretty common. He was in the elite billionaire class. His possessions were 7, 000 sheep, 3, 000 camels, 500 yokeboxes, and 500 female donkeys in a very large household. So this man was the greatest of all the people of the East. The greatest.

The greatest. That's the superlative of all the East. And just 7, 000 sheep. Well, today, that's worth about $2 million just to buy the sheep. 3, 000 camels, that's probably about $5 million.

And these are just rough 500 Yoko Vox and that's another million and so on You can see that this guy is a is a millionaire In his day Not to mention all of the other wealth that he had. This is just his flocks. This is one aspect of his wealth. But then God takes away everything that Job had in this life. He took all his children.

All ten children died. He took all his flocks and all his herds. He took all his wealth. Gone. In an instant.

And Job's response in Job 1 is, Naked came I from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of Jehovah. But then God is not done with him. God then took his health.

He took his sleep. It's one thing to not lose all your wealth, but have your health and to be able to get a good night's rest every night. God took his health and his sleep. His wife then said, well, curse God and die. And he rebuked her.

Said she spoke as one of the unwise women. And he did not sin with his lips, but he did curse the day of his death, of his birth. See, the book of Job is concerned with why such a righteous and blameless man as Job, just in all his ways, who feared God, why he could suffer so greatly. How do you look at that? That's what the book of Job is concerned about.

Job was a righteous king of Edom, who lived some time between Esau and Moses. He's a descendant of Esau, and he probably either died just before Moses, or There may have even been some overlap. Moses is often understood to be the writer of the book of Job. In 1 Chronicles 1.43 it says, Now these were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before a king reigned over the children of Israel. Bela the son of Beor, and then the name of his city was Dinhabah.

And when Bela died, Jobab the son of Zeera of Basra reigned in his place. That Jobab is Job. There's a number of reasons for it which we won't look at this morning. If you want, you can dig into that later. But this is Job.

Job was a king of Edom, before there were any kings in Israel. And he would have lived right about just before Moses and possibly overlapped him. So when Moses is in Midian, he's right next door there, and that's where he would have had access to this history. Not that he would have had to have access, God could have rebuilt it to him otherwise. So this chapter then is Job's presentation of what he did as a king.

And it's very instructive. Remember, this is a nation that didn't have all the blessings of Israel. They didn't have the Ten Commandments given to them. They weren't part of God's covenant people. But here we have this righteous king, this Job, who's living in Edom.

He's king of Edom. And you see all of a sudden now this chapter just comes alive because you can see everything he's talking about is what a good king should do. What are the characteristics of such a king? Well, first of all, he's guided by the Word of God as the king. He's guided by the Word of God.

This is the standard of truth. Now, we might cringe today to think of the Old Testament laws as being applied today. But that's our problem. The Word of God is true. It endures forever.

Jesus said He came to establish the law. And not one jot or tittle of it would pass away until it was accomplished. He says, oh, Job is lamenting at this point. See, what has happened in Job is that these three advisors have come, actually there's a fourth one, they have come and they've convened a court. And Job, for those that know, for those that are Hebrew scholars, that tell us that, or those that are Hebrew scholars, they tell us that this book of Job is written in very high and formal language.

And if we read it in English, it just sounds very ornate to us. It sounds like there's a lot of extra words there. It could be said in a lot less words. But that's because this is a legal defense. This is a legal case that is being tried.

They are trying to accuse Job. They're trying to take his job. They're trying to remove him. It's a lot like what's going on today. Job has been accused of being unfaithful.

He's down. He's lost everything. And these people are jumping in on him in order to remove him and take his place. And Job so is in defending himself. And this is his summary of his rule as a king.

Oh, that I was in men's past as when God watched over me, when His lamp shone upon my head. His word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. And Job is saying God's word shone upon him when by his light he walked through darkness. Job is looking to the light of the Word of God to guide him as the King of Edom. Just as I was in the days of my prime, when the friendly counsel of God was over my tent." The counsel of God is His Word.

Job is taking counsel with the Scriptures, with the Word of God, which wasn't written yet. Because Moses hasn't written the Pentateuch, which are the first books yet. Almost, but not yet. But nevertheless, they have God's Word. They're not without God's Word.

And Job is walking by the Word of God. The second characteristic is that he cared for his family. Job as the king cared for his own family. He didn't say, well, that's secondary, and push them away. His children were around Him.

When the Almighty was with me, when my children were around me. He was the priest of His home. In the first chapter, when God is commending Job and telling to us how he was a righteous man, talks about his sons would go and feast in their houses. So he has ten children, seven sons and three daughters. They're married and they would invite their sisters to eat and drink with them.

Now this is a family that hangs together. This is not a family that's fighting each other. Here are ten children who love to get together. And the sons would invite their sisters, it says in verse 4, chapter 1. They would invite their sisters to get together.

And so it was when the days of feasting had run their course that Job would send and sanctify them. And he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. Thus Job did regularly." Here's the king caring for his family. He doesn't say, the needs of state are so pressing, I can't take care of my family.

Job is regularly interceding for his family. Praying for them. Praying for them. He's praying for his children every day. You see, if a man is not successful in leading his home, he can't be successful or faithful in leading a country.

Because Jesus says if you're not faithful in the little things, you're not going to be faithful in the big things. So yes, it's very relevant what a man's family looks like. It's not irrelevant. We can't say, oh, he's terrible with his family, but he'll make a good king. No.

Job cared for his family. He was the priest of his home and he prayed for them. He interceded for them. And his family was a family that reflected that care. They loved each other.

He's also able. Able. Meaning he's competent as a businessman, as an entrepreneur, a profitable business. He said, when my steps were bathed with cream and the rock poured out rivers of oil for me. The Bible says those who love oil and wine will not be rich.

Oil and wine are signs of wealth. And Job is saying he had wealth. He was successful in his business. He was able. That means he was competent.

The steps were bathed with cream and the rocks poured out rivers of oil for him. It's just a picture of business success of an able man. The fourth thing we see in verses 7 to 11 is that he is respected by the leaders of the land. Just listen to how greatly he is respected by the other rulers in the city. When I went to the gate by the city, when I took my seat in the open square, this is a description of the centers of power.

It would be like going to Austin, entering into the capital. That's what it means to go to the gate of the city to take your seat. When he went to these places of power, the young men saw him and hid. The aged arose and stood. When a well-respected man is going to go somewhere, and he's well known, what happens?

People flock to come see him. Remember when President Bush's train went from Houston to wherever it went? And there were just the wrong thousands of people that were standing by the tracks just to watch the train go by. That's what Job is describing here. Young men saw Him and hid.

The aged arose and stood. The princes refrained from talking and put their hand on their mouth. Remember when God questioned Job, that was Job's response to the wisdom of God. He put his hand on his mouth. He said, I've spoken too soon.

Job is saying that's what happened when he spoke to other men, put their hand on their mouth. Princes did this. The princes refrained from talking and put their hand on their mouth. The voice of nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth. When their ear heard, then it blessed me." They didn't curse him.

They blessed him. Why? Because he was a good man. He was respected. He was a righteous man.

You can think of some... We've had a few righteous men in our legislature. And they are respected by everybody, even those who don't agree with them, respect their integrity. They respect their honesty. They respect their character as men of God.

When they see Him, they approve of Him. There are many people who are feared, and with fear you can bring people out and make them do things, but they don't approve of you. Job is saying these people approved of him. He was respected. Fifthly, he's a protector of the weak and helpless in verses 12 and 13.

Why was he respected? One of the reasons he was respected is because as the king, he delivered the poor who cried out, the fatherless and the one who had no helper. And people approved of that. They respected that. The blessing of a perishing man came upon me and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

You know, A widow in the Scripture is someone who may not have had a lot of means, who would have been poor, who would have been dependent on others in some way, and who would have been an easy target for wicked people trying to take advantage of her. And Job didn't allow that to happen. He used his authority as a civil magistrate to protect these people. These people who weren't going to increase his power, who weren't going to give him money for the next election, who weren't going to sell his books or in some way benefit him. He used his authority to help people who could never help him back.

He caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. I'm going to jump down to verse 16 for the sixth characteristic. He is a careful investigator. Verse 16b, I searched out the case that I did not know. It is the glory of God to conceal a matter.

It is the glory of kings to search it out. Job recognized that he is not God. He didn't know everything. He didn't make rash judgments. He didn't decide matters before he'd heard it.

But he'd spent the time to investigate, to figure out what's going on. That's a very important principle for anybody in a position of authority, to make sure you understand the situation before you make a judgment. And so Job is acknowledging that he doesn't know everything, and he puts the time and work into investigation to determine the facts. Seventh characteristic is that He established justice in verse 14. You can't establish justice unless you know accurately the situation that you're dealing with.

So He put on righteousness and it closed in verse 14. My justice was like a robe in a turban. I was eyes to the blind, I was feet to the lame, I was a father to the poor." But that requires investigation. It requires knowing what the situation is. It requires getting your hands dirty with that work.

Eighth characteristic is that he is a minister of wrath to those who do evil. This is one of the main characteristics of a civil magistrate. Minister of wrath to those who do evil. He is able to wield the sword. He is able to say, no, you can't.

He says, I broke the fangs of the wicked. That's a civil magistrate who is exercising a rod of justice against those who do wickedly. He's not saying they're too powerful for me. He's not saying I can't rule against them because they funded my last election. He's breaking the fangs of the wicked and plucking the victim from their teeth.

Justice is critical. It's critical in any government, family government, church government, but it's especially critical in civil government. He is a minister of God's wrath to those who do evil. He's ordained to bring the sword. And he has to be able to do that.

To condemn the wicked. And to use force to stop them, and to justify the righteous. And ninth characteristic is that he had wisdom, the ability to apply knowledge, and he edified people with his speech. In verse 21, Men listened to me and waited and kept silence for my counsel. After my words they did not speak again, and my speech settled on them as do.

They waited for me as the rain, and they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain. That's because Job is speaking words that they want to hear. Words that help them. Words that edify them. Words that give them instruction and help them understand the situation in which they are.

Words that provide a path through a very difficult minefield. They listen to him. It's an interesting word picture there. They open their mouths wide as for the spring rain, wanting to receive the wisdom that He had. So you can say, do you learn something when you hear your civil rulers speak?

Do they open your eyes to things that you had not known or considered before? Do you find when they speak that they have wisdom? That they've thought about the problems that we face and they have real solutions for them? That they have a path through the minefield. And we talked about Samuel.

In 2 Samuel 23, God gives some basic minimum qualifications for civil magistrates. What they must be, they must be called, they must be accountable to God, they must see Scripture as the standard of truth and justice, they must see authority as limited, given by God and specific. And limit their actions to what God has authorized. They must be a Christian and fear God. They must see God as the nation's security.

They must be a male. They must be committed to righteousness. And they must go back to the Gospel, because that's the only salvation for anyone. All liberty, whether it's political liberty, economic liberty, or any other kind of liberty, flows out of the obedience of Jesus Christ. An obedience that is only imputed by faith.

Now, what if there is no one that even comes close to these standards? Then what do we do? That's the second question. What do we do? Well, this situation, first of all, we need to remember is not unique at all.

The situation in which we find ourselves is actually a fairly common one. Nations that are covenant-breaking nations always have found themselves in this situation. Look in Isaiah chapter 3. And I'd ask you to turn there. And I'll give you a chance to do that.

Because Isaiah 3 is one of those places that describes exactly our situation today. Isaiah describes what's going on in Israel. He says, the Lord of hosts, for the Lord of hosts takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stock and the store, the supplies, their commodities, the whole supply of bread and the whole supply of water. The mighty man and the man of war, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder, the captain of 50 and the honorable man, the counselor and the skilled artisan, and the expert enchanter." And we could go through each one of these and just look around us and see how this is what we're facing. The loss of the skilled artisan.

Talk to any small businessman around anywhere and they'll tell you they can't hire anybody. They can't find people to do skilled work like machinists. It's hard to find them. Nobody wants to be these things. The mighty man.

The man of valor. The counselor. Verse 4, I will give children to be their princes and babes will rule over them. The people will be oppressed. And everyone by another and everyone by his neighbor, the child will be insolent toward the elder and the base toward the honorable.

The child will be insolent toward the elder and the base toward the honorable. The child will be insolent toward those in authority, civil, family, and the base will be insolent toward the honorable." So what you're describing is a loss of leadership, a loss of skilled labor. And women and children are the rulers. Verse 12. It says, as for my people, children are their oppressors and women rule over them.

Look at all the judges for our county court. It's a law. I think there's four in Montgomery County. I think there's four in Harris County. Or maybe there's more.

Most of them are all women. And look at all the judges. Women rule over them. That's not a sign of progress. That's a sign of judgment.

Back to verse 6. When a man takes hold of his brother in the house of his father saying, you have clothing, you be our ruler, and let these ruins be under your power, in that day he will protest saying, I can't cure your ills, for in my house there is neither food nor clothing." Don't make me a ruler of the people. There is a shortage of men who are able and willing to rule. Those who are able aren't willing. Those who might be willing aren't able.

That's the picture of our situation. Of our situation. Habakkuk was another prophet in this same time frame, roughly, Generously speaking. And he wrestles with similar questions in Habakkuk chapter 1. How long, He says in verse 2, shall I cry and you won't hear?

Every cry to you, violence, and you don't save. Hebrach is looking around at the culture and there's just violence. There's injustice. And he's crying out to God and God isn't saving them. Why do you show me iniquity and cause me to see trouble?

Plundering and violence are before me. There is strife and contention. The law is powerless. The law is not restraining sin. That's the purpose of civil rulers to restrain sin.

Justice never goes forth. The wicked surround the righteous. The righteous feel like they're overwhelmed. There's nobody speaking the truth. It seems like everywhere they look, every place of power, there's this wickedness.

For the wicked surround the righteous, therefore perverse judgments proceed." Doesn't that sound so similar to where we are today? And so what's God's answer? God's answer is that He will do a work of judgment. He's going to bring The Chaldeans, he tells Habakkuk. And they're going to bring a judgment.

They're going to march through the land. They're going to be terrible. So where Habakkuk is looking around and the law is powerless, and there's this wickedness everywhere, God says, well, the Chaldeans are going to come and they're going to be strong. And they're terrible. Their judgments and their dignity proceed from themselves.

Their horses are very fast. And so on. They're very powerful. They are going to scoff at kings. They deride every stronghold.

In other words, these are strong people. And they're going to just destroy this place. They're going to destroy the wicked in this place. Well, that makes Habakkuk ask another question. Well, it seems like the cure is worse than the problem.

He says in verse 13 of chapter 1, You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and you cannot look on wickedness. Why do you look on those who dealt treacherously and hold your tongue when the wicked devours? A person more righteous than He. Lord, how can You who don't look on evil, how can You use people that are more wicked and more violent to bring some sort of justice in our land? And what is God's response to him?

Do you know? Habakkuk waits for God. He waits to see what God's answer is. He didn't get all upset and rant and rave. He said, I will wait and see and what I will answer when I am corrected.

And this is what God said, the just shall live by faith. The just shall live by faith. Now, that God is just, he's wise, and what he is doing is will accomplish his purposes. And so we can say this about our voting then. Voting is your declaration of what is true, noble, and just.

It doesn't matter if anyone counts your vote. In other words, it doesn't matter if anyone listens to what you're saying and to your declaration of what is true. It just doesn't matter. That's not the point of it. Remember, Isaiah was told to go and preach to a people who weren't going to listen, and they weren't going to hear?

How would you like to be told to go teach people who you were told from the outset weren't going to learn anything? Go and tell this people, keep on hearing and do not understand, keep on seeing but do not perceive. Make the hearts of this people dull, Their ears heavy, shut their eyes. And Isaiah says, how long? How long?

God says, until I tell you, you're done. Your vote is your declaration of what is true, noble, and just. And it doesn't matter if anybody counts it, if anybody listens to it. You are not doing it for others, you are doing it unto the Lord. Galatians 1-10, For do I now persuade men or God, or do I seek to please men?

For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bond-servant of God." Whatever you do, Paul told the Colossians, do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men. Secondly, your voting is an act of courage to publicly declare those truths. You're willing to be counted doing something different than what everybody else is doing. It's an act of courage. In World War II, Austria was going to be, Hitler wanted to annex Austria, and they had an election.

Because they were going to, Instead of invading it, if Austria voted to join Germany, then that would save a war. And nobody wanted to join Hitler. But I think the vote was 99.75% to join Hitler. Why? Because they were all afraid that if they didn't vote it against him, that they would be destroyed.

They were afraid. Georg von Trapp, you know, the von Trapp family, was one of that quarter of 1% who had the courage to vote no to something that odious. Your vote is a courage to publicly declare what is true, noble, and just. Thirdly, your vote is an act of faith in Jehovah, the sovereign God, the supreme judge of the world, the king of kings, and our heavenly Father. Our responsibility is to walk in obedience and to live by faith.

Our future is in His hands. He blesses covenant obedience and he judges covenant disobedience. And we can't expect his blessing if we're unwilling to declare what is true, noble and just. Too noble and just, unwilling to live by faith in a just and sovereign and loving God. You know, Our calling is to be obedient.

And we leave the consequences in God's hands of our obedience. Our calling is to go where God sends us. It's to do what God calls us to do. It's to be faithful where He has put us and to leave the consequences of our obedience to Him. Because we know that He is a rewarder of all those who diligently seek Him.

Fourthly, our vote is an acknowledgement that God selects our rulers according to His perfect justice and wisdom. It's an acknowledgement that God selects our rulers. It's not the burden is not on us. It's what God raises up kings. Jesus could tell Pilate you have no authority except what I gave you.

It's God who raises up kings and nations and casts others down. It's not us. And so our vote is an acknowledgement that God selects our rulers according to his perfect justice and his perfect wisdom. And so we can vote for a candidate who's not perfect. We can vote for somebody who isn't even on the ballot.

We can vote for a candidate who fears God, who meets these minimum qualifications. And I think these principles that we live by faith and we leave the consequences of our obedience in God's hands are so beautifully summed up by Habakkuk in the third chapter in verse 17. This is what he says. So remember, he's looked around, he's seen a nation that's falling apart, a nation of violence, a nation where the law is powerless, a nation where the just are condemned and the wicked are promoted, and God is saying, look, there's a judgment coming that's going to be terrible. It's the Chaldeans.

But you need to live by faith, Habakkuk. Faith in Jesus Christ. And this is what Habakkuk says. Though the fig tree may not blossom. Figs are something that is pleasant to eat.

They're sweet. They're delicious. They're dessert. Though the fig tree may not blossom. We're not going to have figs.

We're not going to have nice food. We're not going to have the wine and the oil that Job, that flowed for Job. Nor fruit beyond the vines. So food is tough to come by. May not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, though the labor of the olive may fail and the fields yield no food, though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stall, though you may not have a job, though the economy may be in shambles, though the dollar may collapse.

The flock is cut off from the fold. Can't get back to a place of safety. Your bank account is seized under the great taking. You've got to read that book by David Webb. That's what it means for the flock to be cut off from the fold.

You may have had a lot of assets, but you can't use them. They're frozen. A bank run, right? You have the bank account, but you can't get at it. The flock is cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls.

Well, you don't have any money in the bank account. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation. Jehovah God is my strength. He will make my feet like deer's feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills." That was Habakkuk's Closing answer to what He faced.

The Lord God is my strength. I will joy in the God of my salvation. And one more promise from Isaiah. We looked at Isaiah. One more promise from Isaiah.

Again, it's not a promise that we won't have affliction. It's not a promise that our life will be trouble-free. It's not a promise that there won't be pain and sorrow. But this is the promise. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.

And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned." In other words, we're going to go through a fire. When? It doesn't say if you go. It says when you go through the fire.

You won't be burned. Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Your Savior. He is with us.

He says when you go through these things, I am with you. I am your Savior. So we don't need to fear. We can go boldly forward in faith and not fear. In hope and not doubt.

Because God is with us and He's our Savior. And He is greater. Greater is He that is with us than all those who are opposed. May God comfort us, strengthen us, and equip us to walk by faith. Our Heavenly Father, we just thank You this morning at how true Your Word is.

A Word that you have preserved, though many have tried to destroy it and corrupt it and hide it and twist it and warp it. Yet it is true. Yet it endures forever. Though the grass of the field withers, though we pass away, your word endures forever. We ask, Lord, that you would strengthen our faith in your word and in the great and precious promises of Your Word, that You are with us wherever we go, that You think of us, that You know us, that You love us, that You care for us, and that You will uphold us and carry us when we cannot walk, And that You will strengthen us in our weakness and cause us to walk on our high hills.

That You will make our feet like deer's feet. Feet that jump from outcrop to outcrop, that scale the highest mountains. Because you Lord are our strength and you are able to bring joy and peace regardless of what is going on around us. So Father, we cry out to you for your Holy Spirit to empower us, for your grace to fill us and enable us to walk when it is difficult to walk when the path is dark. We ask all these things through Jesus Christ.

In His name, Amen. Amen. Amen.