A Sobering Mercy

On the return of Donald Trump to the Presidency and its implications

The landslide so many fought and prayed for has happened. The election of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States proved to be “too big to rig,” and the results were called late on Tuesday night (the early morning hours of Wednesday morning on the east coast). It remains to be seen how large the victory will be, but the election of Donald Trump and Republican control of the Senate is assured. Trump is projected to win the popular vote in addition to capturing the Electoral College by a large majority. Pundits and analysts will be unpacking Trump’s victory for weeks (and years) to come, but the gains in almost every measurable sector are truly extraordinary.

Christians can and should thank God for the mercy he has shown to our nation. Trump may not be a godly man, but he is the right man for this moment, a figure like King Jehu, raised to power to clean out corruption and pave the way for righteous reforms and revival. But the analogy with Jehu highlights that this is a sobering mercy. Jehu destroyed the Baal cult in the northern kingdom in his day, but revival did not follow. The nation remained in the grip of idolatry, and Jehu’s administration and sons did not turn to Yahweh in truth.

Trump regained the Presidency by building a large coalition of liberals, not leftists, who recognize the threat of radical Marxist ideology. Individuals like Robert Kennedy Jr., Elon Musk, Tulsi Gabbard, and Joe Rogan are not conservatives; they are co-belligerents in the fight to save America from the destructive agenda of the progressive Left. But it remains to be seen what the future of the Republican Party, and our nation, will be.

There are deep divisions within the new Republican Party. Under Trump’s leadership, the party has become a big tent, a unity party grown and held together by a common enemy. But beneath that shared interest in survival lay profound differences in values and vision. Whether conservatives are able to control the trajectory of Trump’s second administration remains to be seen. Whether there remains a place for them in the Republican party beyond Trump is also unknown. It is entirely possible that the Democrats may learn from their defeat and withdraw from the most extreme elements of their agenda. On the other hand, it is equally possible that the Democrats will double down, more fully embrace their already strong socialist ideology, and that the Republican party will become the party of moderates and non-crazy persons, but not meaningfully conservative or moral in any way.

Trump’s election is a mercy from God, a stay of judgment, but not a pardon. The nation has not repented of its evil. Indeed, for all of the encouragement and joy of yesterday’s election, the reality is that abortion access was not only expanded but constitutionally enshrined in many states. We have blood on our hands, and rather than humbling ourselves and seeking to wash away the stain, in many places our nation doubled down and began bathing in that blood up to our armpits and necks.

Yesterday’s election should be a sobering mercy, an act for which we thank God, and a call to arms and action lest this moment of respite turn into an opportunity for further wickedness. Trump cannot save America; only Jesus can. The Great Commission is a command to disciple the nations, not merely to elect broad coalitions of not crazy people. America may be more prosperous, more free, and more friendly to Christianity under a Trump presidency, but the guilt and shame of abortion, IVF, same sex marriage, and secular pluralism remains. Indeed, the coalition by which Trump has regained power may, inadvertently, expand and solidify those evils as part of our national identity.

Today every believer should thank God for the blessings of mercy from heaven. Lift your hands in joyful song and praise the Lord who raises up kings and casts them down. A fourth Obama term, otherwise known as a Kamala Harris administration, would have been devastating to our country, a judgment from which we may not have recovered. But the Lord has not given us a David, Jehoshaphat, or Josiah to rule. He has raised up Jehu, and there remains much work to be done. It is not enough to tear down the temple of Baal; we must erect an altar to the true God of heaven and cry out for mercy and forgiveness for our many sins. We must turn to God in faith, acknowledging the Lordship of his Son, Jesus Christ. Rejoice in the mercy God has shown, then roll up your sleeves, pray earnestly, and get to work proclaiming, building, and supporting righteousness and justice on the earth.