“What if I can’t find a qualified E18 candidate to vote for? What am I to do?”
This is the big question and it will take both posts 9 and 10 to give my full take on the solution. This post (part 9) is the long term strategic answer (IMHO) and part 10 is what I endeavor to do immediately as I approach the voting booth (for your consideration).
Before we can answer the questions of, “Who do we vote for when no E18 candidate appears to exist?” and “Is not voting an option (or even sin)?”, it might serve us well to explore the process of election (selection) and analyze what it means to vote.
Few Christians have stopped long enough to consider whether or not the Bible has anything to say about “voting”. While it is partially true that the “how” of selecting leaders is never explicitly mentioned, the assumption is that since most of the Scripture was written under the concept of monarchies and dictators that there is nothing to be learned with regards to the election of leaders in a democratic-republic. Nothing could be further from the truth. If the Scriptures are indeed the blueprint for all of life then it should be assumed that there will be, at the very least, some precepts that would be applicable to the way a believer approaches voting.
The last standard Jethro tells Moses to identify for civic leadership is that those who are selected must be men of “truth”. The Hebrew word is EMETH and like most Hebrew words has a variety of meanings and nuances. It certainly communicates the character of one who doesn’t lie, but it also gives the vibe of firmness and faithfulness. Truth doesn’t change. It is reliable and objective. There isn’t a spectrum of truth. Truth is never subjective and tied to one’s feelings or the prevailing deceptions of the era. Truth in Hebrew is trustworthiness. God is always reliable. He can be trusted to always be exactly what He says He will be and do what He says He will do. That’s the living, personal character of truth.
The third character quality that God unveils through Jethro is the hate of “dishonest gain”. For clarity’s sake, I want to insert the caveat that God is not against prospering, even for civic officials. The key to understanding prosperity is not the amount of money made, but rather the way one makes that money.
ABLE is the second civic leadership expectation that Jethro gives to Moses. CHAYIL is the Hebrew word used for “able”. I had always read that word as synonymous with “competent”, in other words, “people who could do the job” or “an experienced person”. These concepts may certainly be derived from CHAYIL, but the better sense is “courageous”. Willing to fight for and stand for what is right. It has military overtones. Like David’s mighty men, these are people of valor, willing and fearless to lay their life down for the righteous cause.
