Proverbs 23 begins with these words:

When you sit to dine with a ruler,

note well what is before you,

2 and put a knife to your throat

if you are given to gluttony.

3 Do not crave his delicacies,

for that food is deceptive.

What is a ruler? Is a teacher a ruler? Is a Mayor a ruler? Is a King a ruler? Is a President a ruler? Of course, they are and Solomon, the author of this book, knew from experience that rulers, including teachers, Kings, and politicians, can tickle the ears. That is an old phrase and it means this:

People say or suggest things to others to please them even though what they say is untrue just for the sake of winning them over.

It’s very interesting that when I googled the three words “tickle the ears” this came up first on the page:

2 Timothy 4:3

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.

Is that possibly happening now, in this critical time, in which we find ourselves, and not for the first time? I think you know the answer to that question. We Christians cannot afford to separate our Christianity from choosing our rulers. We cannot tell ourselves that voting for a certain person the “nicer one” and our faith in God are two separate things, and we certainly cannot tell ourselves that Jesus was not a political person and would not care about who our rulers are. I totally disagree with the idea that Jesus was apolitical when he walked on this earth. No, He was the most powerful “politician” the world has ever known. He was the biggest political threat to those in power at that time. Do you not think that his death by the Romans, arranged by Pontius Pilate, at the request of the Jewish leaders and egged on by Herod, the King of Judea was not based on politics? Of course, it was. The moment the word “Kingdom” came out of the mouth of our Lord, his days were numbered in their minds. It made no difference to them that Jesus said his Kingdom was not of this earth. Politics is not just about controlling one’s physical person, but also about the mind and the heart of those they want to rule over. This was especially true of the Jewish ruling class. The Pharisees made a fortune promising the coming of the Messiah and getting people “ready” for his arrival. They had a money-changing, sacrificial animal selling business going on in the courtyards of the temple, and they were very successful at it too. Was Jesus making a political statement when he drove them out of the temple and overturned their tables while whipping their backs?

“ You have turned my Father’s house into a den of thieves!”

That sure says something about their politics if you ask me.

Don’t be fooled by the politician or person who seems to be nicer, don’t be fooled by their promises. Promises of generosity come with a price, something will be expected in return, what will it be is the question. God wants us to base our decisions on the truth, we are not obligated to support anyone who doesn’t care for His truth, and doesn’t want to hear it. We should care about the weak, and the unfortunate, we should know that God defends and looks after us based on truth rather than power or status. We should want rulers who feel the same way. Ultimately we Christians have to understand that our loyalty is to God and his Son Jesus and any ruler on this earth should feel the same way, because if that person does not, then they will not like the fact that we are aligned with God and trouble can come our way as a result. It certainly did to our Lord did it not?

Proverbs 29:2

2 When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice;

when the wicked rule, the people groan.