Providence and Politics

Mike Huckabee is in trouble at Red State over a statement he made recently:

Mr. Huckabee also said that Divine providence was responsible for his recent surge in the polls in Iowa, as he noted that he is the candidate with much less capital firepower than his rivals. 

First of all, Divine Providence shouldn’t be treated as arrogant or silly. If you read the words of Founding Fathers, you see that Divine Providence is credited numerous times for providing victory or prosperity, etc. As Franklin said, “God governs in the affairs of men.”

I wouldn’t be quick to credit a change in public opinion polls to God’s will, because public opinion polls are often temporary and reflect a momentary mood rather than an actual victory. God’s providence could equally be said to be involved in Steve Forbes’ 1996 rise to lead in Iowa and New Hampshire and his failure to finish in the top four in either state, or for Howard Dean’s 2004 rise and fall.

Providence is a challenging topic for Christians in politics, because God is ultimately in control of everything that happens. For some Christians this becomes an excuse for apathy and dereliction of duty, as after all, God will work it out. Of course, these folks never consider the words in the verse in Esther that proceeds the wonderful, “For such a time as this” statement:

“For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there arise respite and deliverance to the Jews from another place, but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed.”-Esther 4:14a

God’s providential will was to save His people out of the hands of those who would destroy them, but should Esther not fulfill her duty, she would face a consequence.

On the other hand is that troubling question of why people get into office that we do not like or agree with, or whose policies seem totally awful, or seem to lack character. First, God’s plans are long term. One might well look at the disastrous administration of Jimmy Carter with its high inflation and inflation, and wonder why God allowed it to happen. Yet, were it not for Jimmy Carter, there would be no Ronald Reagan. And it was through Ronald Reagan, that the Cold War ended and hundreds of millions were liberated, including millions of Christians who can now worship God freely.

There’s one other element, too. And that is that God does care what people thinks. While, he could simply force everyone to love him, he doesn’t choose to interfere with man’s free will to that degree. When the people of Israel wanted a king to reign over them instead of God, the Lord told the Prophet Samuel:

And the LORD said unto Samuel, “Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.-1 Samuel 8:7

God will not force Himself or His best on a people that does not want it. He does respect our wishes and desires, so he gives us the leaders who match the desires of our heart, even if they don’t match the desires of His heart. Sometimes, he lets our folly lead to its natural end until we at last turn to Him and plead for his help and turn our hearts towards Heaven.

Of course, divine providence is a huge topic. None of us can fathom all of the Will of God and how it works in humankind. None of us can divine what exactly it is except perhaps in hindsight. We may have a good idea of what’s best for our country as we see it, but we cannot know the plans of God for our country or the perils that lie ahead. In the end as John Quincy Adams said, “Duty is ours; results are God’s.” We must do our best for what we believe to be right, but God’s will ultimately will be done.