Mi-s’rah: Oh, the GOVERNMENT

Mi-s’rah, feminine noun (Strong’s 4951), from verb sarar (Strong’s 8323)

Root: מִשְׂרָה & שָׂרַר

Sounds like: sah-rar & mee-s’rah

Politics. It’s a hot and divisive topic. To be honest, I care very little for the subject. I do my part. I vote, but I’m really not interested in getting into heated debates about political allegiances or political issues. I justify my lack of interest by telling myself that no matter what  happens, YHWH is in control. I don’t have much power over what happens, so why get all worked up about it? 

However, I don’t ignore the topic all together. Before I vote I do take some time to understand the issues, and when I consider a politician, here’s what I hope to see: a human doing their best to bear the Image of God.

YHWH made a clear description outlining image-bearing qualities:  

Zechariah 7:9-10

This is what YHWH of armies has said: “Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.”

I know there is much more to politics than the behaviour of political candidates, but it’s a good place to start. 

Keep in mind, however, Yeshua was executed as a political insurrectionist because the politics of the Jewish religious elite and the oppressive rule of the Roman empire weren’t all that interested in imaging YHWH. They weren’t interested in practising kindness and compassion, or looking after the marginalized and needy. I suppose we could say (from our comfortable seats) that being a political insurrectionist in first century Israel was an admirable position. (If I can make a glib comparison, it’s like cheering for the rebel alliance in Star Wars.) Oppressive governments are worth standing against.

At the same time, Yeshua never promoted political rebellion. In fact He said, “Pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). His actions, alone, spoke for themself. If feeding the poor and healing the afflicted was rebellious to the order of the day then, yes, Yeshua was a rebel. The Jewish Sanhedrin and the Roman Government did not see eye to eye with Yeshua or His teachings. So what does the Bible say about this institution we call the government?

In the Hebrew Bible, mi-s’rah (government) comes from the prefix-preposition mi (meaning from/of/out of) and the verb sarar meaning “to rule” or “to govern”. Sar is the noun for “prince”, and sarah (you guessed it) means “princess” which share a root with the verb sarar.  Hyper-literally to govern is “to prince” (as if prince was a verb). 

Proverbs 8:14-17

[Wisdom:] “Advice is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine. By me kings reign, and rulers decree justice. By me princes rule [princes prince: sarim ya-soru שָׂרִ֣ים יָשֹׂ֑רוּ], and nobles, all who judge rightly. I love those who love me; and those who diligently seek me will find me.”

Here, wisdom was announcing that princes “prince”. In other words, princes do what princes do best when wisdom is at the centre of their leadership.

Princes and governors who place wisdom at the centre of their governing do well in the causes of justice and righteousness (having right-relationship with their people). For the most part, however, we see lousy leadership in the Bible and YHWH spoke through the prophets to rail against these unjust rulers:

Hosea 8:2-4

[YHWH:] They cry out to Me, “My God, we of Israel know You!”

Israel has rejected the good; the enemy will pursue him. They have set up kings, but not by Me; they have appointed officials [princes: hey-siru הֵשִׂ֖ירוּ], but I did not know it. With their silver and gold they have made idols for themselves, so that they will be eliminated.

These appointers of kings and princes did not bear the image of YHWH well. They said to God, “we of Israel know you”, but they did not, and the men they elevated and elected were not YHWH approved because they did not, in turn, approve of YHWH. They worshipped idols which means they worshipped things of no worth, and their elimination would reflect what they put their hope in… nothingness.

That is a hard lesson for us to think about today, as we are asked to appoint parliamentary members, governors and leaders who do not bear the image of YHWH very well. Many of these people (but certainly no all) make smoke-screen promises of nothingness and we ought to carefully consider our allegiances.

Yeshua is the most pristine example of what a human, bearing the image of YHWH, should look like, and humbly He said He came to be a Servant:

Luke 22:24-27

And a dispute also developed among them as to which one of them was regarded as being the greatest. And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles domineer over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ But it is not this way for you; rather, the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.”

Many politicians claim to be on the side of God, but do their actions match their words? Are they acting like the public servants they are meant to be? How does your favourite candidate rate on the humility and servitude scale?

In one of the most recognizable prophecies of the Messiah, Isaiah paints this picture:

Isaiah 9:6-7

For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; and the government [ha-mis’rah הַמִּשְׂרָ֖ה] will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace [Sar Shalom שַׂר־שָׁלֹֽום].

There will be no end to the increase of His government [ha-mis’rah הַמִּשְׂרָ֜ה] or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of YHWH of armies will accomplish this.

All the princes, and kings, and world orders will rest on the shoulders of Yeshua. It is He, alone, who will lift them up and present them before YHWH. They will be under judgement of the One who created them. The princes and princesses of His council will increase, as will the peace that His Kingdom brings. Then we will see true justice being dispensed, and compassion for the marginalized will be embraced with such sincerity that they will no longer be marginalized. We will see the truest Image Bearer bringing redemption and salvation forevermore. 

Later, in the Isaiah scroll, we read:

Isaiah 32:1-4

Behold, a king will reign righteously, and officials [and princes: u-l-sarim וּלְשָׂרִ֖ים]  will rule [ya-soru יָשֹֽׂרוּ] justly. Each will be like a refuge from the wind and a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry country, like the shade of a huge rock in an exhausted land.

Then the eyes of those who see will not be blinded, and the ears of those who hear will listen. The mind of the rash will discern the truth, and the tongue of the stammerers will hurry to speak clearly.

Isaiah 65:17-19

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create.

For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing and her people for gladness. I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; and there will no longer be heard in her the voice of weeping and the sound of crying.

There will come a day when YHWH will finish the story with a victory. All the heartache will come to an end and He will usher in the new heavens and the new earth, where the lamb will lie down with the lion and there will be no more tears of sorrow. All the so-called princes of the earth will bow down to God our King and all the vitriolic political debates and propaganda hate speeches throughout the ages will be proven to be of less worth than the pieces of paper they were written on.

We need to take the big picture into perspective when we go to the polling stations and send our single vote out into the world. No matter how disillusioned we are with the world today, in the end God wins. All we need to do is be the best imagers of God we can be, and vote with the knowledge that, whatever happens, YHWH is in control.

Next week: Salt