“Vote like our lives depend on it!” That’s what Michelle Obama said at the Democrat National Convention in 2020. So perhaps it’s no wonder that American political rhetoric has become so extreme – so many people have come to the conclusion that winning elections is a matter of life and death.

Now, the people of Ezra’s day certainly understood how people holding worldly power have the ability to further the work of God’s Kingdom. Even though the Jews were a conquered people, (Ezra 9:9), King Artaxerxes allowed Ezra the scribe to return to Jerusalem with a large group of priests and Levites. The King gave them valuable golden vessels to use in the Temple of God (Ezra 7:19, 8:27), and allowed them to collect contributions to help with their work (Ezra 7:15-16). He directed the local officials in charge of the area around Jerusalem to support the project (Ezra 7:21-22), and exempted the people who served in the Temple from having to pay taxes (Ezra 7:24). Oh yes, government support of the church can be very helpful.

But at the same time, Ezra was very careful not to place his ultimate trust in government. In spite of all the valuable treasures he and his friends were carrying with them (Ezra 8:26-27), they did not request soldiers to escort them on the long journey from Persia to Jerusalem (Ezra 8:22). Instead, they depended on God alone to protect them, fasting and praying to demonstrate their complete faith in Him (Ezra 8:21-23). And God saw them safely through on their hazardous journey (Ezra 8:31).

So, should American Christians be involved in the political process? Of course – God has given us both the freedom and the responsibility to govern ourselves through our elected representatives. But we must never look to anyone besides the Lord for our ultimate safety and prosperity. For “The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him” (Ezra 8:22). Ultimately, no matter who holds public office, it is only God on Whom our lives depend.

Ezra 8:21-31 (NASB)

21 Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions.
22 For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, “The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him.”
23 So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our entreaty.
24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers;
25 and I weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the utensils, the offering for the house of our God which the king and his counselors and his princes, and all Israel present there, had offered.
26 Thus I weighed into their hands 650 talents of silver, and silver utensils worth 100 talents, and 100 gold talents,
27 and 20 gold bowls, worth 1,000 darics; and two utensils of fine shiny bronze, precious as gold.
28 Then I said to them, “You are holy to the LORD, and the utensils are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the LORD God of your fathers.
29 “Watch and keep them until you weigh them before the leading priests, the Levites, and the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD.”
30 So the priests and the Levites accepted the weighed out silver and gold and the utensils, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.
31 Then we journeyed from the river Ahava on the twelfth of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and the hand of our God was over us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the way.