Over 100 million dollars for a chair? Now that is a price that would make even the auction house Christie’s blush! But can you believe that several campaigns in key states met or exceeded that price to buy a few chairs last night?
Or at least, if you had just been dropped off in America and knew nothing about our politics, it might seem that way. The goal of last night, according to all the news, was to pick up a few “seats” – seats in the Senate, seats in the House of Representatives, and seats in governors’ offices and state legislatures. And they were expensive chairs!
Of course, it isn’t the chairs that people are after, but the office itself. The word “seat” is what we call a synecdoche. It means a part that represents a. So we talk about the beauty of a set of wheels when we mean the car, getting all hands on deck when we mean every person, and the power of a chair when we mean the office that it represents.
Republicans picked up 7 highly sought after “seats” last night, but I’d like for you to consider 7 important seats from the Bible that will have a far greater impact in your life:
- Matthew 23:2 – Jesus said that the Scribes & Pharisees have seated themselves in Moses’ chair. This means that they had placed themselves as lawgivers, judges, and sheriffs. Be sure, if you are going to claim to be God’s spokesman, you don’t fall into the same trap that they did: hypocrisy. Jesus said, do what they say (when they speak the law correctly) but not what they do, for their actions were sinful.
- Luke 14:9 – Don’t think more highly of yourself than you should. Jesus uses the example of a person who seats himself in the position of honor. Then the host is forced to embarrass him by asking him to move since that chair is for another.
- Acts 25:17 – This is one of many examples in the NT of the “seat” of power of men being used to hear the cases of God’s children who are being tried for their faith. We are to submit to our rulers and those in authority, recognizing that God will be glorified, despite times when we can’t understand our trials.
- Romans 14:10/ 2 Corinthians 5:10 – There is only one judgment seat of Christ. Therefore, don’t judge your brothers and sisters. Rather, remember we will all have to stand before that “seat” one day.
- James 2:3 – With God there is no partiality, so why do we give a better chair to the wealthy and lesser seats to the poor? James warns us against any such hypocrisy! Show equal love to all at the foot of the cross.
- Hebrews 9/10 – The Hebrews writer describes the mercy seat of God where He judged Israel year after year, but points out in 10:12 that Jesus’ seat is the greater chair where He now sits and atones for all who are His.
- Revelation 2:13 – If you aren’t Jesus’, you are Satan’s. There is no middle ground. Satan has his own seat – a throne that will be cast in the lake of fire.
So give consideration to these seats. The seat Jesus rules from is one that cost far greater than all others – the ultimate price – His blood.
