By Olu George

A  partisan politician, by dictionary definition, is one who by Intrigues or Maneuvres paves his/her way through party/partisan politics, to achieve his/her political ambition. A typical example in the bible, is that of Abimelech, written in JUDGES 9:1-6, and I quote, “And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying, Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem,

Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. And his mother’s brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother. And they gave him three-score and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him. And he went unto his father’s house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren, the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself. And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem”.

Abimelech was given money, taken out of the house of Baal-berith, so that he might be protected by the “god”of Baal-berith. With this demonic money he hired thugs to eliminate those who wanted to stand in his way.

In politics, there is rivalry or variance, bitter envying, strife, accusations and counter- accusations and lies to deceive the electorates. And in JOHN 8:44, it is written that all liars are of their father, the devil. The Spirit of God says in JAMES 3:16, that where there is strife and bitter envying, there is confusion and every evil work. In politics, there is every evil work and there is always confusion, hence the wisdom in politicking as written in verse 15 is sensual and devilish, and will pervert the souls of men of God, who are into partisan politics, unto their eternal condemnation.

Men of God, who are into partisan politics, should learn a lesson   from this parable of Jotham, the son of Gideon, king of Israel, which is written in JUDGES 9: 8-15, and I quote,  “The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?   And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us. But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?

Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us. And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?   Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.”

The olive tree, the fig tree and the vine tree symbolize the men of God, who are divinely called unto God’s vineyard and who recognize their divine assignment and their usefulness to God and to their flock. The bramble symbolizes any so-called men of God, with no divine calling of God upon him, even though he professes to have a call of God upon him. The brambles therefore, will not mind to entangle themselves in the political affairs of the nation. The bramble in this parable because of wickedness received the judgment of God as written in JUDGES 9:56-57, and I quote “Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech (the bramble), which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren: And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.” The stubbornness of any man of God to the doctrine of Christ which teaches separation from the world and his vain glories is as the sin of iniquity (wickedness) and idolatry as written in 1 SAMUEL 15:23.