Solomon's Advice
to Barack Obama
First, a confession: this lesson was written for
its “what if?” value. What if King Solomon, that wisest of kings,
were to coach President Obama? What would he say to him? It may
surprise you to see what he would say, taken from Proverbs; it may
surprise you more what he does not say. Of course, Solomon has
nothing to say about democracy, it being unknown in his time – but
rulers were common enough. Your attention, please, Mr. President.
Citizens
We may first begin with Solomon’s advice to the
citizenry. It is not becoming for us to advise the president without
first taking advice ourselves.
Seeking his favor
Proverbs 16:14-15 NASB
The fury of a king is
like
messengers of death, But a wise man will appease it.
(15)
In the light of a king's face is life, And his favor is like a cloud
with the spring rain.
It is obvious enough that we should want to be in
favor with our rulers; any four year old can see that. But see one
good reason for retaining that favor: that the president will not
grow angry – with us, or anyone else. Tell me, does it become the
president to be angry, particularly because someone has failed in
wisdom?
Approach with humility
Proverbs 25:6-7 NASB
Do not claim honor in the presence of the king, And do not stand in
the place of great men;
(7)
For it is better that it be said to you, "Come up here," Than for
you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes
have seen.
A little respect, please. Military veterans will
remember that you “salute the uniform, not the wearer.” Whoever the
president is, he should be respected – and that includes approaching
him in humility.
Why? Because of the burden he bears. “Respect the
burden,” said Napoleon. Remember that he is loaded with cares the
likes of which you and I do not have; therefore, do not be quick to
condemn. Rather, give intelligent sympathy to his troubles.
If you happen to be in his company, do not put
yourself forward; rather, let him recognize you. He has enough
people with colossal egos; he needs the humble.
Fear the Lord, fear the king
Proverbs 24:21-22 NASB
My son, fear the LORD and the king; Do not associate with those who
are given to change,
(22)
For their calamity will rise suddenly, And who knows the ruin
that comes
from both of them?
Please remember that “change” in this context
does not mean the ordinary progress of events, but rather the sort
that changes dynasties. In our context, it would mean the overthrow
of our constitutional government. The progression is simple:
·
Rebellion – not just against the
policies of the day, but against the entire government. This
forces that government to spend its resources in dealing
with the rebellion.
·
Revolution – if the rebellion
succeeds, it’s clear that revolution must follow. After all,
didn’t we throw out one government to get a different type?
·
Ruin – when the revolutionaries
triumph, their first target is those who uphold the old
order of things.
It would be well to remember that Germany
elected Hitler.
People
We begin now with advice to the president. Our
first section concerns the matter of the people he selects to be
around him. We start with a warning.
Know your own terror
Proverbs 19:12 NASB
The king's wrath is like the roaring of a lion, But his favor is
like dew on the grass.
It is well, Mr. President, that you know that you
are clothed with great power and therefore a terror to those beneath
you. If you ask in wrath, you will get an answer designed to soothe
that wrath – which is not necessarily the truth.
Indeed, beware of the “tell him what he wants to
hear” problem. You will soon be making your decisions based on your
own opinions – which everyone around you will tell you are wisdom
itself. You know you’re not really that perfect – don’t you?
Favor the wise, crush the wicked
Proverbs 20:26 NASB
A wise king winnows the wicked, And drives the
threshing
wheel over them.
Proverbs 14:35 NASB
The king's favor is toward a servant who acts wisely, But his anger
is toward him who acts shamefully.
May we make three points?
·
It is wisdom you need, not just
knowledge. Knowledge is plentiful; wisdom is rather scarce
these days.
·
Show that the wise are
favored. Make it clear that you expect wise counsel and will
settle for nothing less.
·
Actively deal with the
wicked. Do not just “let it go;” rather, make it a point
that the corrupt are dealt with severely. You must set an
example.
Love pure and gracious speech
Proverbs 22:11 NASB
He who loves purity of heart
And
whose speech is gracious, the king is his friend.
It is said that you can always get the truth from
an American politician – once he’s given up hope of the presidency.
Your advisors need the purity of heart that comes with dedicating
themselves to their country – not to their careers. By the time they
reach your level, Mr. President, they should already be experienced
in making the choice between what’s right and what’s profitable.
Your trust should be placed in those who choose what’s right.
This is not to say, however, that you want
someone who is both honest and shooting his mouth off. Gracious
speech is not only more pleasant, it’s also much less embarrassing.
Policies
In shaping his policies, there are three things
which the president would do well to remember.
You are rendering decisions on behalf of God
Proverbs 16:10 NASB
A divine decision is in the lips of the king; His mouth should not
err in judgment.
Remember, you are the active agent of God, as
much a part of his plan for this world as any minister. Act like it;
take into account just what God’s purposes are for you and your
people. Among other things, God relies on you to provide:
·
Justice. More about this in the
last section.
·
Peace. “It is the first duty of
statesmen to eschew war” said Mr. Churchill – and I submit
he was in a position to know.
·
Security. Is the average man
secure in his person? Is his house likewise secure? Are the
streets ruled by the gangs, or are they safe for even the
elderly?
Loyalty, truth and righteousness
Proverbs 20:28 NASB
Loyalty and truth preserve the king, And he upholds his throne by
righteousness.
Loyalty, of course, we all can see. Of course you
want your staff to be loyal to you. Is it not obvious as well that
the loyalty of your people is a requirement as well? You don’t need
the agreement and support of your opposition – but you do need their
loyalty.
Truth, too, is a necessity. In our age we have
become accustomed to “spin.” We expect every communication from the
White House to be carefully crafted to cleverly sidestep the problem
but pile glory on the administration. Did you think us such fools?
Righteousness? It is the core characteristic of
great kings – and great administrations. Washington, Jefferson,
Lincoln, both Roosevelts – all these men understood this. They had
their political opponents, often bitter ones; but their character is
known to history. Mistakes are forgiven (and fewer) when the man is
known to be righteous.
Accept His guidance
Proverbs 21:1 NASB
The king's heart is
like
channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever
He wishes.
That’s how it’s supposed to be. God knows
where your actions will lead. His intent is that you be a
blessing to your people. If you will incline your heart to His
word He will see to it that what you do is blessed.
The policy is simple: find out what God wants –
and see that He gets it. And what is it that God wants from his
leaders? Justice!
Justice
Rid yourself of the wicked
Proverbs 25:5 NASB
Take away the wicked before the king, And his throne will be
established in righteousness.
Get rid of the wicked around you – work in
righteousness, not in back room dealings. How so?
·
In the criminal justice system,
is it clear that there is no tolerance for those who take a
bribe to pervert justice? Is it clear that there is one
standard of justice for both the rich and the poor?
·
Are those you appoint to high
office models of rectitude – or those who are “having a
little problem” with the IRS, for example?
·
Are you visibly intolerant of
injustice – leading by example?
Stability comes by justice
Want to get re-elected?
Proverbs 29:4 NASB
The king gives stability to the land by justice, But a man who takes
bribes overthrows it.
This obviously applies in the judicial sense – if
it’s known that justice may be subverted if you have enough money,
then that government risks complete failure. But there is also
justice in the social sense. A good example here is in the use of
racial quotas. If the people perceive that this is a correction of
injustice, then quotas bring credit to the administration. If they
see only the reward of political allies, they have no reason to
support yet another president who does everything in a smoke filled
room.
Justice for the poor
Proverbs 29:14 NASB
If a king judges the poor with truth, His throne will be established
forever.
This cuts both ways. If it is seen that the rich
(which might just be those of us in the middle class) cannot get
justice because sympathy with the poor gets in the way, we have a
problem. Think, for example, of lawsuits which result in outrageous
rewards to the plaintiff, clearly out of proportion. This results in
a cynical view of the court system – in fact, one in which the
normal citizen will give up seeking justice simply because he isn’t
politically in favor.
But if the poor get true justice, does that not
also guarantee that the rich will get the same? Who then would
refuse support for such an administration?
Justice in your eyes
Proverbs 20:8 NASB
A king who sits on the throne of justice Disperses all evil with
his eyes.
It comes down to this, Mr. President: do you, personally,
render justice in all you do? If it is known that you are
intolerant of evil and injustice, personally seeking it out to
rid yourself of it, it’s hard for the rest of us to view you as
just another cynical politician.
