From football to presidency
A
s you are reading this article, the media is reverberating with news of the election of George Weah as President of Liberia, after beating the outgoing vice-president Joseph Boakai.
What is phenomenal is that Weah, who was sworn in on Monday, is a retired professional footballer.
Many probably expected the presidency to go to some old guard that had spent most of their time in politics, not a football legend.
Perhaps, football and politics are similar. The way a player manoeuvres with the ball is synonymous with political navigation.
But that is just an aside.
God’s thoughts are not your thoughts, he says in the book of Isaiah (55:8-9). His ways are not your ways.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts,” He says.
In the Bible, God told Isaac’s wife, Rebecca, that Esau, the elder of the twins that she was carrying, would be a servant of the younger, Jacob.
In the Letter of Paul to Romans (9:13), God said, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”
The word of God is amply clear that salvation is open to all people, including Esau. Many texts point to this fact, including Titus 2:11 which says “the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.” So does John 3:16 assure everlasting life to “whosoever believes in Jesus Christ”.
Romans 9:13 is therefore not about salvation, but the roles that God appoints people to play in the world.
God appointed Jacob, not Esau, to become the forefather of the Messiah.
In the text, ‘hate’ is the opposite of ‘prefer’.
Although Esau did no wrong, God preferred his younger brother to be the line through which the Messiah would come.
God’s plans and decisions cannot be questioned.
“For he said to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion,” reads Romans 9:15.
In the subsequent verses, Paul writes: “So then it is not of him that will nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy”.
Thus, no matter how hard Esau may have wanted it or run for it, he could not have become the progenitor of the Messiah.
God’s finger had pointed at Jacob even before the world began.
So it is with us today. Somebody may will for a position or run so hard for it, but it is God who determines who should occupy what position.
Aaron was fluent, but God chose stammering Moses to lead the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt.
Of all the children of Jesse, God chose the youngest, David, as king.
In Ecclesiastes 9, Solomon, the son of David, weighs in: “I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither is bread to the wise nor riches to men of understanding… but time and chance happen to them all.”
Probably out of envy or self-flattery, you may think you are better than someone is for that position, but God gave time and chance to His chosen people and commands everyone to support and respect those in authority. Whosoever, therefore, resists the power resists the ordinance of God.
And those who resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
Romans 13 requires us to give tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom is befitting; fear to whom fear is due; honour to whom deserves honour.”
Bravo President George Weah. n
