Baruch 2:24 "But we did not obey thy voice, to serve the king of Babylon; and thou hast confirmed thy words, which thou didst speak by thy servants the prophets, that the bones of our kings and the bones of our fathers would be brought out of their graves". The Jews in exile in Babylon are sending Baruch back to Jerusalem with money they have collected for the temple offerings, and with this book, in which they acknowledge their transgressions, which he is to read aloud in the house of the Lord. (Baruch 1:10-14)

The Book of Baruch shows that the people are chastened. They realize their exile was a result of their disobeying the Lord's commands. After the first successful attack on Jerusalem, God had told the people to "Bend your shoulders and serve the king of Babylon, and you will remain in the land which I gave to your fathers. But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord and will not serve the king of Babylon ... the whole land will be a desolation without inhabitants." (Baruch 2:21-23) The people did not listen to this command, they refused to acquiesce to Nebuchadnezzar's rule over Jerusalem, and so the exile eventually happened as promised.

Right now, in my country, it is a presidential election year. Each side claims that if the other wins, it will be the end of America as we know it. This acrimony and contention has been escalating for years, and it does seem that we have reached some kind of tipping point. Given the messages I have been receiving for some time, and the pattern recognition I have come to appreciate from reading the Bible, I do believe that America is on the brink of some tremendous chastisement or chastisements. I actually believe this is true for the whole world, but sticking with America, our sins are so great and so entrenched, I do not think a presidential election is going to really change anything. It might delay the effects of evil for a while, but evil does not stop, it retreats to its lair, regroups, and begins plotting anew. The only person who has ever defeated and ever will fully defeat evil is Jesus Christ Himself.

So God is in charge, as He's always been, and He is allowing leaders with very bad tendencies to be put in power all over the world. He allowed the corruption of our last election, and the rise to the presidency of a very obviously corrupt and incapable man. He allowed the lies covering up that man's corruption and incapability to be believed, until He was ready to show that they were lies (I think this was, in part, to punish the man himself). So whoever "wins" this coming US election, and/or is allowed to take office (I say "allowed" because people are staying in office even when they have been voted out, as Macron is arranging in France, so I don't think the true "winner" of an election determines who will govern anymore), is really is out of our hands. We can and should vote in the most moral and conscientious way we can, but I truly believe God is using all of this for His purposes. If our country deserves to be further punished, and I personally think it does, then the person who will accomplish that punishment in the way God intends will be the one who gains the office of presidency. Just like God let Nebuchadnezzar conquer Jerusalem in order to chastise His people, God is letting corrupt, deceitful people take power in order to chastise us.

What what can we do, then? We cannot and should not try to fight God's will, and we cannot turn aside His chastisements if they are meant to come. We can only obey him, at all times in and all things. The Fourth Commandment includes a duty to obey authority figures (as long as they are not forcing us to sin). So we should vote, but then, no matter who the president is declared to be, no matter how bad we think they are, we are to behave in such a way as to promote peace, including "bending our shoulders" to whoever our president is, even if they are corrupt, even if they are communist, even if they rule like a dictator. Although there is suffering involved (when isn't there?), God accomplishes amazing things when His people obey Him!

God told the Jews to bend their shoulders to the king of Babylon if they wanted to stay in their land. They disobeyed and they went into exile while their land was made desolate. God tells us how to act in our countries and with our leaders. We may not save America, but if we obey Him, our moral behavior will work to rebuild the Church (which is the ultimate goal), and our souls. The way to do this is to heed God's commands including obeying, as far as morally possible, the leaders He chooses to allow to be in power over us.