Pastor David’s rich and sobering sermon on Genesis 34 left me considering the question: how ought we as Christians relate to the political world around us? Yep, I’m going there
I see parallels in Genesis 34 to our contemporary political arena. Maybe you haven’t heard, but there is an upcoming election. If the preview is any indication, we are in store for much more than your typical election. Politics has taken on an almost religious fervor. So I ask, "What makes you angry about our political landscape? What wrongs are you convinced that your side can remedy? Who in your mind needs to be elected? How much do you despise your political opponent? In other words, do you treat political affairs of ultimate significance?"

I, for one, am guilty of idolizing politics: treating the weak kingdoms of this passing evil age as if they held eternal significance. Maybe you can sympathize. While I have my personal political inclinations, my purpose here is not to argue for them, but to point to the land beyond the Jordan, that Kingdom transcending our broken common-kingdom. So how does the text relate?

In the sermon text, Dinah was horribly sinned against. Instead of looking to the righteous judgment from the Lord of heaven and earth, Simeon and Levi ruthlessly executed judgment according to their own appetites and timelines. You might even summarize the immediacy of their judgment as an attempt to bring heaven down to earth immediately… to hasten the coming of the kingdom of God. Our contemporary political spirit might be of a similar flavor.

It’s peculiar to me that in Genesis 34 all the brothers were angry, but only Simeon and Levi took judgment into their own hands. What about the other brothers? Later in Genesis 49, Simeon and Levi are cursed for their violence. But, immediately following that curse is a blessing bestowed on Dinah’s other brother, Judah. In striking imagery, this blessing speaks of a king-priest in the figure of a lion whose scepter and staff will not depart from between his feet, who washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes (Genesis 49:8-11). Our savior Jesus Christ was descended from the tribe of Judah. He is the lion of the tribe of Judah who triumphs (Rev 5). In abstaining from Simeon and Levi’s vengeful hastening of the kingdom, Judah prefigures the wise humility of our Lord who would later descend from that very tribe.

In his first appearance, Jesus did not come in glory and judgment (a la Levi and Simeon). The day of glory and ultimate judgment is coming, but Christ first came in humility, a humility which cost him his life on a cross. In that sacrifice of his own body, he won victory. He didn’t lead a political campaign or revolution. Jesus’s victory was not won with swords because his battle wasn’t against flesh and blood, but against death itself. In his victory he saved his adversaries; he did not execute them.

Friends, we are citizens of that Kingdom of heaven right now. We are not saved by the outcome of this election or a particular party; but by the eternal lion of the tribe of Judah. While awaiting our heavenly homecoming, we are now pilgrims and sojourners in this world. We don’t hasten the coming of our ideal political kingdom. Instead, we live quietly and mind our own affairs (1 Thessalonians 4) being a sober-minded people who reflect the gentleness and humility of our king.

So loosen your grip on politics. Breathe a sigh of relief. The burden is not on you to fix everything. Jesus has already secured the fixing of all things. He rules in perfect wisdom and patience on his throne, awaiting the day to unveil the blessedness of his eternal Kingdom.

I want to clarify one point of potential confusion. First, if you think I’m talking about one political party and not another, you’re wrong. Second, this blog is not a call to disengage from temporal issues or to diminish the gravity of this specific moment. Rather, my point in this blog is that because things are very serious, we ought all the more to look to Jesus. And thus enter temporal common kingdom affairs as those whose ultimate citizenship, identity, hope, and treasure is in heaven. No matter what political unrest might await us in the months and years ahead, it’ll never compare to eternal peace and glory yet to be revealed.

~Luke Yeager