This has been an election cycle for the ages! Today, January 20th, 2021 Joe Biden will be sworn in as the new president of the United States. Some are saddened, even angry, others rejoice and are hopeful. The events leading up to the election and inauguration have been filled with chaos and controversy and the nation as a whole seems to have had a carpet ripped out from under its feet. But to frame the events that have happened this year, we need to rewind, before Biden, before Trump, before Lincoln, before Washington, before the Mayflower, and even before Christ. I need to go back to the sixth century BC. The prophet Daniel warned us of all this.
I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven; He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches: Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth: Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him. This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.
Daniel 4:13-17
The king of Babylon had built an empire spanning the entire known world. He was a proud man, a wealthy man, and a godless man. Upon looking over his empire, his heart swelled with pride, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?” (Dan. 4:30) And while the word was in his mouth, God drives him away from his empire just as the dream foretold a year prior. It was the pride and the glory-seeking of the king that led him to madness and out to the wilderness to eat grass like an animal. This is a miraculous intervention and judgement from God on a godless king. Just one chapter later, God pronounces judgement on another king for the same sin of arrogance and irreverence.
Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. … They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote…And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
Daniel 5:1, 4-5, 25
This king used the consecrated dishes from the temple and used them for debauchery and praised his pagan gods for them. He was oblivious to the sins of his predecessor and gloried in his own riches and success. The writing on the wall, when interpreted says, “God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.” The pompous rebellion of Belshazzar resulted in an invasion that took the kingdom from him that night. Darius, the Persian took Babylon by night and the word of the Lord came to pass, his judgement came on the haughty king.
What started as a few hundred people fleeing religious persecution has turned into one of the most powerful empires the world has ever seen in just a few centuries, the emblem of prosperity to the world. The last four years in particular have been marked by economic growth, the likes of which we have never seen before. The upward trend seemed nearly unstoppable. Then, wham, the train-wreck that was 2020 happened. Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. A virus lead to nationwide shutdowns, causing restlessness which erupted over racial tension and injustices resulting in massive riots and burning cities. All of it seemed to calm down prior to November election day which turned into election month and then election three months. Nearly three months later, the election was not conceded, heavily contested and surrounded in just as much controversy as any of the other events of the previous year. The election process was capped off with a riot and invasion to the very governing seat of our nation. The tension and division has reached a height which seems to beg a catastrophic fall.
In America, our governing document tells us who the ruler is with the first three words, “WE THE PEOPLE.” Before I address the nature of the individuals in the spotlight, I think it is important to let this shift of power hit closer to home. We the people are the fuel that makes our constitutional republic run. We the people have not been jealous to defend our liberties. We the people have been extra eager to tout our American superiority while being largely unwilling to put in work to maintain the structural integrity of the system. We the people are Nebuchadnezzar who looked over our nation and said “look what WE built.” At the height of our wealth, we’ve watched ourselves descend into madness. We have face planted and now find ourselves crawling on all fours acting quite beastly. We the people are Belshazzar, flaunting our wealth and prosperity while disregarding the God who gave it. We rejoice in revelry and sin and to us God is clearly saying “you have been tried in the balance and been found lacking.” I only pray that we learn our lesson quickly, humble ourselves before God, and repent. Otherwise, the empire that was Christian America will perish along with all the other empires. Often the blame for such perishing is directed at the political leader, be it king, president, or parliament, but that is not always an entirely helpful approach.
It is no secret that the President has been a very boastful man. For all of his policies, economic growth, and judicial appointments, he has taken all the credit. His claim of making America great again was him looking at the tree visible to the whole earth and claimed great majesty for himself. I had said throughout this campaign cycle that he would be humbled one way or another. From the looks of it, it appears to be a mixture of both Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar. I am not here to comment on the nature of whether the election was honest or not. That is not really the point, nor is it relevant to this analysis. Many raised stark concerns around this President’s character and most were not unfounded. Character issues are significant but are only a symptom. He managed to rally a large portion of the conservative Christian base while saying the bare minimum to sound loosely Christian. Again, not here to comment on whether he is a saved man. The fact is, his public persona was marked by personal elevation.
The reason I laid out this case in the order that I have is to draw attention to an important point: regardless of political affiliation, this president has represented the culture we the people have created. I do not believe his behavior has incited violence and unrest as many have said. There has been rampant violence in our cities long before Trump came into office. While I don’t excuse the language Trump uses, I think it’s too easy to blame him for the violence and restlessness that has already existed in people’s hearts. We cannot expect our leaders to lead us to any place good when we ourselves clearly don’t want to go any place good. As pastor Douglas Wilson says, “It’s not that he doesn’t represent us well, it’s that he represents us too well. We have witnessed the sexual revolution and normalized sexual deviance. We have become a nation of show-offs flaunting our wealth and calling ourselves “influencers” while the direction our influence leads is towards destruction. Is it any wonder we would elect a leader who embodies those characteristics?
That being said, I want to close this analysis by looking toward this new presidency and offering a few observations and cautions for the road ahead. President Joe Biden is the president God has given to us, and we deserve him. Some fear a massive economic collapse, which is possible. Some see the potential for a real economic recovery, also possible. What matters here is what we do as a nation. Whether poverty or prosperity is in store for us, let us not put our hope in princes. God has already used this man to humble one king. Let us humble ourselves before God. If President Biden makes the same mistake as Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, or Donald Trump, rest assured the Most High God still rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whoever he wills. But mark yourself lest you fall into the same trap as these kings.
