Articles
Do Not Use God's Name in Vain
After the election, a meme circulated on Facebook suggesting: "To think that God ordained a filthy-minded, adulterous, wealthy man with evil in his heart to preside over a nation challenges my self-righteous understanding. But He did, and that sinful man by grace gave us the Psalms. #KingDavid." This meme, however, reflects poor theology and a misleading comparison.
God did not appoint David as king despite him being "a filthy-minded, adulterous, wealthy man." God did the opposite. Samuel told King Saul upon his usurpation of the priestly function, "...your reign will not endure. The LORD has found a man after his own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over his people, because you have not done what the LORD commanded” (1 Sam. 13:14 CSB17). The apostle Paul explained why God chose David to be king; “And when he had removed him (Saul), he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will” (Acts 13:22 ESV). After David ascended to the throne, he committed adultery. God punished him, and David repented (cf. Psalm 51). Thus, God did not ordain “a filthy-minded, adulterous, wealthy man with evil in his heart”; David’s moral failing came after his appointment.
David knew from the beginning to the end of his reign that he was ruling over God's kingdom. When he announced Solomon's ascension to the throne, David said, “And of all my sons (for the LORD has given me many sons) he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel” (1 Chron. 28:5 ESV). The only earthly kingdom over which God directly reigned was the ancient nation of Israel. Someone might object that God is in control. He is. God revealed to Nebuchadnezzar that the "Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes” (Dan. 4:25 NAS20). God may have raised Mr. Trump to rule, but he did not establish the United States as his earthly kingdom.
God promised in the days of the prophet Daniel to establish a new kingdom of Israel: “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever” (Dan. 2:44 ESV). The apostle Paul believed and taught that the church is the kingdom that shall never be destroyed. He told the Galatian churches, “And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God” (Gal. 6:16 ESV). The king over the Israel of God is Jesus Christ, not the President of the United States.
As the people of the kingdom of God, the church of Jesus Christ, we must not say of any world leader we know God's purpose for them. Throughout history, God raised leaders to accomplish His will. I remind you God raised the Pharaoh of the Exodus: “But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth” (Ex. 9:16 NIV11). Certainly, God could have elevated Mr. Trump to revive our nation, but it is also possible that he was raised for another reason. Remember God's purpose for Rehoboam and Jeroboam was to divide Israel: “So the king (Rehoboam) did not listen to the people; because it was a turn of events from the LORD, in order to establish His word which the LORD spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat” (1 Kgs. 12:15 NAS20).
I urge you to refrain from posting memes without verifying their alignment with God’s word. Sharing such content can damage your ability to share the gospel effectively. Posting this meme misuses God’s name by associating Him with something untrue, potentially leading others astray. Scripture warns, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave unpunished the one who takes His name in vain” (Deut. 5:11 NAS20).
