Psalm 93 is a timely passage for this divisive political season. It encourages us to see beyond the turmoil of the present world order. It challenges our tendency to place our trust in all the wrong places. The psalm also reminds us of the only worthy object of our faith: Jesus Christ.
The eternal King
First, God reigns supremely, because he is the eternal King.
That the United States is a democracy means if we no longer want a particular person in office at the end of two, four or six years, we can vote that person out. This was not the system of government in biblical times.
In biblical times, kings usually reigned from the time their fathers died until their own deaths. Voting played no part. Yet, even the biblical kings came and went. Saul had his day but was succeeded by David, who eventually died and was replaced by his son Solomon.
Psalm 93:1 says that in the face of both ancient kingdoms and modern elections, “The Lord reigns.”
The permanence of God’s rule can be hard for us to imagine, yet the psalmist proclaims of God, “Your throne has been established from the beginning; you are from eternity” (Psalm 93:2). The Lord reigns now just as always. This God—who is robed in majesty and enveloped in strength—alone is eternal.
As we reflect on our political season, we should be reminded of that truth. As we celebrate the victory, or lament the defeat, of our favored candidate, let us never forget God’s reign extends beyond any administration or presidential term. God is the eternal King.
Above all earthly authority
Second, God reigns supremely, because he is above all earthly authority.
Politics can be chaotic. Yet, Psalm 93:3 reads: “The floods have lifted up, Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their pounding waves.”
Sign up for our weekly edition and get all our headlines in your inbox on Thursdays
For the Israelites who originally sang this psalm, a flood literally presented a major threat to personal safety. Taken metaphorically, however, the floods also can represent wicked opposition to God’s law (Isaiah 57:20; Psalm 18:4).
To the psalmist, any effort to stand up against the floods surely is hopeless. But the psalmist continues: “Greater than the roar of a huge torrent—the mighty breakers of the sea—the LORD on high is majestic” (Psalm 93:4).
The psalmist felt the hostility of God’s enemies surrounding him was overwhelming. We tend to share that same anxiety about the political atmosphere in our own nation. But we must crush that fear with the awesome truth of God’s immeasurable majesty.
We can take a deep breath, because we are promised God is louder than the floods, greater than the torrents, and bigger than the breakers of the sea. Likewise, God alone is powerful over Democrats and Republicans, communists and capitalists, and even over unfortunate election outcomes.
As Psalm 93 tells us, the results of the election do not change who our God is. He is above all earthly authority.
Ultimately worthy of our faith
God alone ultimately is worthy of our faith.
The campaign trail is all about building trust. Every candidate since George Washington has worked to get people to have faith in them. Campaigning ultimately is about getting you to feel personally invested in, attached to and trusting of a candidate. And it works.
Precisely because this campaign strategy is so effective, it makes it hard on us when the candidate we know, love and trust is outvoted by someone we do not know, love and trust.
When the person we have placed our hope in for the last four years leaves office, we face a crisis of identity. It’s like someone demolishing our sandcastle at the beach. Everything we’ve precariously shaped into a sturdy-looking fortress is quickly reduced to a billion infinitesimal bits of rubble.
Campaigns sell us hope founded in nothing more than fallible humanity. But Psalm 93 calls us to a different hope. The psalmist reminds us: “LORD, your testimonies are completely reliable; holiness adorns your house for all the days to come” (Psalm 93:5).
The promises of God, unlike those of even the most motivated candidate, never will come up short. Why would we place our trust in anyone else? God alone ultimately is worthy of our faith, for he alone reigns supremely.
Conner Faught is a graduate ministry and theology student at Howard Payne University and serves as senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Gustine, Texas. Faught adapted this article from a sermon he preached at First Baptist Gustine. The views expressed are those solely of the author.
We seek to connect God’s story and God’s people around the world. To learn more about God’s story, click here.
Send comments and feedback to Eric Black, our editor. For comments to be published, please specify “letter to the editor.” Maximum length for publication is 300 words.