No Politics In The Pulpit!
From the earliest days of Israel’s existence, the people of God were never meant to withdraw into silent isolation, ignoring the corruption of the nations around them. Instead, they were called to be a light to the Gentiles, a witness of holiness, and a voice declaring the truth of the living God in the midst of paganism. This often required calling out the sins of the nations where they lived or those with whom they interacted.
Consider the prophets: Isaiah lifted his voice not only against Judah and Israel but also against Babylon, Moab, Assyria, Egypt, and Edom. His scroll includes whole sections pronouncing “woes” and “burdens” against foreign nations (Isaiah 13–23). Jeremiah did the same, denouncing Egypt, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, Elam, and Babylon (Jeremiah 46–51). These prophetic oracles prove that God held pagan nations accountable for their pride, cruelty, idolatry, and injustice, and He commanded His prophets to speak boldly against them. Amos likewise cried out against Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Judah, and Israel (Amos 1–2), showing that Yahweh’s standards were not limited to His covenant people but applied to all the nations.
Even within pagan empires, God’s servants bore witness. Daniel, though serving in Babylon’s court, confronted King Nebuchadnezzar directly: “Break off your sins by righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor” (Daniel 4:27). Later, he rebuked Belshazzar for his arrogance and idolatry the night Babylon fell (Daniel 5:22–23). These moments demonstrate that even when God’s people were under foreign rule, they did not shrink from proclaiming His authority over kings and kingdoms.
The New Testament continues this prophetic pattern. John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, confronted King Herod for his adultery and lawlessness (Luke 3:19–20), a bold act that ultimately cost him his life. Jesus Himself denounced entire cities—Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum—for their unbelief despite witnessing His mighty works (Matthew 11:20–24). Paul stood before Felix, Festus, Agrippa, and even the philosophers at Athens, reasoning with them about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come (Acts 24:25; Acts 17:22–31). These examples show that the proclamation of truth is not bound to the ekklesia alone but extends into the political, cultural, and intellectual life of nations.
Underlying all of this is the truth that the nations themselves are not autonomous. Scripture is emphatic that every nation belongs to God. Psalm 22:28 declares, “For the kingdom is the Lord’s, and He rules over the nations.” Deuteronomy 32:8 reveals that when the Most High divided the nations, He did so according to His sovereign plan. Psalm 47:8 says plainly, “God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne.” The prophets affirm the same truth: “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance” (Isaiah 40:15). And Paul proclaimed in Athens that God “made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place” (Acts 17:26).
Taken together, these passages confirm that no nation stands outside of God’s authority. Every kingdom is subject to His judgment, every ruler is accountable to His law, and every people is called to acknowledge His sovereignty. Israel’s prophets, Christ's
forerunner, and the apostles all bore witness against the sins of the nations, reminding them that Yahweh is not merely a tribal god of Israel but the King of all the earth.
Thus, when the people of God today speak against the sins of their nation, they are not engaging in political activism for its own sake. They are continuing the prophetic tradition of declaring that the earth belongs to the Lord, that rulers are accountable to His standards, and that nations rise or fall at His command. Silence in the face of national sin is not faithfulness; it is compromise. The testimony of Scripture calls us to proclaim, without fear, that “the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He will” (Daniel 4:32).