The Book of Proverbs and Donald Trump

Angel Sanchez
Sep 6, 2018 · 12 min read
Solomon’s moment of truth

65% of Americans have seen Donald Trump as a tragedy since 2015; the Book of Proverbs has identified men of his lowness for 3,000 years.

King Solomon compiled and also authored the Bible’s Book of Proverbs. Solomon, as King David’s son, was actually the third king of Israel, after the failed Saul and his own legendary father, who in old age chose him as his successor. The young Solomon was daunted by the task, and sought God’s wisdom to undertake it. Having ascended to the throne, he developed an unprecedented reputation as the wisest of kings, which was epitomized in the episode of two sex workers who came to the king to resolve their dispute over a male infant both claimed as theirs; the two lived together and had both recently given birth to sons. One of the women had smothered her son to death in her sleep, and now both women adamantly asserted that a beautiful, perfectly healthy baby boy brought into the king’s midst was theirs, while the dead son was the other’s.

Back and forth went the protestations and charges, and clearly no one knew what to do. Solomon kept calm, observed the women, and finally commanded a sword be brought to split the child in two, giving each a half, inasmuch as they both claimed him to be their own son. The child’s mother instantly responded as any mother would, begging the child be spared and given to the other woman. Solomon immediately ruled the woman be given her child.

My own take on the Book of Proverbs is that of a student of the book since my twenties, of an admirer of its scope and depth, of an imperfect follower of the Almighty Creator and Father depicted in it. The beginning of knowledge is the fear of (acknowledgement of, respect for, obedience to) the Lord, says Solomon as his opening. In the first 9 chapters, he proceeds to mete out compiled passages of old, then provides his reader, “the young man”, with his own bite-size sayings — proverbs — containing wisdom for life’s endlessly diverse situations, always admonishing his student to live every moment remembering the Invisible, Eternal, All-Knowing God of Justice. This is to be done by following justice, which means giving each individual what rightfully belongs to him or her. It means thus honoring Him Who controls all things, including men’s individual destinies. To NOT do these things is to choose the life of the “wicked”, the “unjust”, the “fool”. To acknowledge God is to obey His tenets of right and wrong — from refraining from adultery; to showing mercy to the weak, such as the aged, the orphaned, the widowed; to expressing due respect to and fair transaction with the authorities that be, all other fellow human beings, and even animals; it all means to “trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding”, to love justice — to clothe oneself with justice — because God Almighty loves justice. It means — abiding by recognition of the Ultimate Authority — the counsel of a heart in peace, an industrious occupation, a life well lived. And “whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.”

These concepts are why I cherish the Book of Proverbs. Having read this book, no one can say he knows nothing about God. No one can claim God has left us without guidance in the world. No one can provide a better philosophy.

As I have explained, the Book of Proverbs lays out two paths for “the young man” to follow: Chapter 1 in particular is a dramatic call for the youth to seek a life of “instruction”, and to not consent, but to walk away from the beckoning of “sinners”, whose enticement is “cast in your lot among us”, promising illicit wealth by “shedding blood” and filling their houses “with spoil”, to “lurk secretly for the innocent without cause.” Thus, “a wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is the grief of his mother”; and “the integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them”.

In particular, the Book of Proverbs highlights the use of speech as critical to any individual’s life: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” The device of antithesis drives this point home, again and again: “The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked”; “the tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is worth little”; “the lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom.” And, even beyond this, Proverbs warns about the tending of the heart, that secret place where every human being is free to think as he pleases, and which determines his fate: “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life”; “my son, let them not depart from your eyes — keep sound wisdom and discretion; so they will be life to your soul and grace to your neck. Then you will walk safely in your way, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught.”

An excellent Solomonic proverb says: “The rich man is wise in his own eyes, but the poor who has understanding searches him out.” Rich men often suppose they are so much smarter than average folk; that they have superior genes. The cab driver, the restaurant server are expendable. But wealthy men such as themselves are indispensable. So, they must surely get a pass for mere moral failings, because, in a word, they alone can run things. Sound familiar?

Back in the ’80s, Evangelicalism was at a fever pitch. The phenomena of superchurches and televangelists emboldened these fervorously religious folk, with one mission: To impact society at large with their agenda. Their literalist interpretation of the Bible, along with no central doctrinal authority for the countless offshoot-of-offshoot small, independent churches that in the main make up Evangelicalism, meant that, upon entering the public sphere, their sincere proselytizing zeal would boil down to a few adamantly “conservative” positions: They loved Israel as “God’s chosen people” depicted in the Bible’s ancient Hebrews; abortion was abominable murder; homosexuality was a gravely wayward lifestyle; prayer and a Biblical perspective in schools were the solution to so many societal ills; leaders — religious, political and military — were raised up by God and owed unquestioned deference and admiration; war was OK if it meant raining hellfire upon the “enemies” of the “Judeo-Christian” way of life: “crazed” Arabs bent on “destroying” Israel; obscure, “lost”, “pagan” dark or yellow peoples in Latin America, Africa and Asia; thus, weapons of war were a good thing, blessed by God to protect “freedom”. So, if an Evangelical leader wanted to enter politics, he’d obviously do it as a Republican, never a “liberal” Democrat.

Pat Robertson — Evangelical television pioneer — did just that. And he aimed high: for the Presidency of the United States in 1988. After making some waves with his effervescent army, he’d soon enough join the losing candidates in the GOP primaries won by George H.W. Bush, but the template was set. Evangelicals were unleashed upon the Republican party in all their blind fanaticism, but, on the one hand, their swelling ranks were a new group to cater to for any GOP candidate, and, on the other, the money factor corrupted a sizeable number of pastors who became politicians and politicians who pretended to be pastors. As the Evangelical world itself stumbled into chaos with scandal upon scandal involving sex and money, the GOP morphed into a party unfurling the banner of God and country, but also sinking by the year and election into a mire of inconsistency, lip-service, utter and shameless hypocrisy.

What started as amusing pandering with George Bush Sr. wrapping himself up in the American flag on his way to defeating Michael Dukakis in ’88, got more and more pathological: in 2000, George W. Bush squeaked past Al Gore in crucial part because his base included an adoring Evangelical contingent that basked in his confession of “Christ” as his favorite philosopher, “because He changed my life.” Fine, but no one batted an eye when Bush without reason invaded Iraq in 2003 and set off the bloodiest — most unChristian — war of our times. It was all “support our troops”, and “God bless our President”. In 2008, John McCain gave the world the abysmally ignorant and unqualified Sarah Palin — a fiery Evangelical fanatic herself — and with this the floodgates were opened: The Tea Party came next, a doddering collection of “Why-am-I-here” extremists who for a short season dressed up like self-righteous Ben Franklins, compared President Obama to a monkey, and railed against deficits, until suddenly deficits no longer mattered even half a damn.

Enter the 2016 presidential election. It first seemed it would be a free-for-all among a wealth of appealing candidates, who garishly wore Evangelical religion on their sleeves: Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, preacher Mike Huckabee, Lindsey Graham, Rick Perry; a smorgasbord of Bible thumpers, vying for an early advantage. However, larger-than-life businessman Donald Trump — just turned 70, knowing it was his last chance to do something he’d toyed with for decades, and fueled by a small-man’s desire for revenge against President Obama — rode an escalator into the hearts of millions of Evangelicals, who suddenly saw in this juggernaut candidate the answer to their prayers: once, with the media’s indispensable help, he began knocking off one candidate after another in a 17-option field, and once it became clear he could actually win it all, fully 81% of white Evangelicals pulled the lever for a political anomaly and a non-religious boor, known as a rapist, a grifter, a draft-dodger, a liar, a sexist pig, a fondler of women, an ignorant man, a racist, an icon of materialism, a political dunce, an intemperate narcissist and big-mouth. All for one simple reason: here at last was a candidate who could once and for all defeat the fiend Hillary Clinton, make tax cuts for businessmen permanent, reverse abortion, “protect” Israel — all while playing the role of the Prodigal Son, of a repentant King David, of a redeemed Saul of Tarsus who would become the great Apostle Paul.

Average Evangelicals are taught to practically worship their leaders, who label themselves “the Lord’s anointed”. A young David refused to raise his hand against a vulnerable King Saul because he respected Saul’s position too much — no matter how evil Saul had been — famously referring to Saul as “the Lord’s anointed”. So, these pastors, most of whom today hail from a time well after the more innocent, pre-scandal early ’80s, enter the ministry on “callings” and immediately take on the mien of “the Lord’s anointed”, and their fearful flocks will thus follow them many times up to their own personal destruction and even beyond if possible. This in large part explains today’s status quo of rich megachurches. The “tithe”, giving the church 10% of one’s gross income, not including considerable additional offerings of money and time, is key to it all. This Old Testament concept is even tied to the individual’s own personal eternal salvation, to a church’s spiritual “success”, to the very Cross of Jesus Christ. In an environment of spiritual ecstasy, these preachers have mastered the art of emotional manipulation, to the point that they loom like untouchable, inaccessible colossi in the minds of their sheep, which goes a long way in explaining many outrages such as sexual assault, adultery, financial malfeasance, which somehow continue to be forgiven these men. If the “man of God” comes forth in “repentance”, all is forgiven, and he is another “limping” man, a broken vessel, who can continue to be “used mightily” by a loving God.

This is why Evangelicals are blind to Donald Trump’s crimes. So long as he mentions God, says “Merry Christmas”, continues to appoint conservative judges — including to the Supreme Court, moves the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, cuts taxes, rails against Muslims, he is God’s “imperfect servant”. There is no convincing them otherwise. They are too deluded, voluntarily manipulated to a point of no return.

Except that Donald Trump is anything but God’s servant.

The Book of Proverbs unmasks his true corruption, his uncouthness, his lack of scruples, his vulgar manipulation. This extraordinary passage: “A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth; he winks with his eyes, he shuffles his feet, he points with his fingers; perversity is in his heart, he devises evil continually, he sows discord. Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.” And, incredibly, the very next passage inProverbs says this: “These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.”

Peruse this smattering of Proverbs: “A lying tongue is but for a moment”; “the heart of fools proclaims foolishness”; “a scoffer does not listen to rebuke”; “a wicked man is loathsome and comes to shame”; “there is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing”; “by pride comes nothing but strife”; “a fool lays open his folly”; “a false witness will utter lies”; “a fool rages and is self-confident”; “he who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker”; “the mouth of fools pours out foolishness”; “he who is greedy for gain troubles his own house”; “the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil”; “better is a little with righteousness, than vast revenues without justice”; “it is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, for a throne is established by righteousness”; “pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall”; “a perverse man sows strife”; “a violent man entices his neighbor, and leads him in a way that is not good. He winks with his eyes to devise perverse things; he purses his lips and brings about evil”; “he who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord”; “a fool has no delight in understanding, but in expressing his own heart”; “when the wicked comes, contempt comes also; and with dishonor comes reproach”; “a fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calls for blows”; “a fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul”; “better is the poor who walks in his integrity than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool”; “a false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies will not escape”; “a disreputable witness scorns justice, and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity”; “most men will proclaim each his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man?”; “getting treasures by a lying tongue is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death”; “the way of a guilty man is perverse”; “a proud and haughty man — ‘Scoffer’ is his name; he acts with arrogant pride”; “he who oppresses the poor to increase his riches, and he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty”; “he who says to the wicked, ‘You are righteous’, him the people will curse; nations will abhor him”; “he who is of a proud heart stirs up strife”; “he who trusts in his own heart is a fool”; “the righteous considers the cause of the poor, but the wicked does not understand such knowledge”; “the bloodthirsty hate the blameless”; “a fool vents all his feelings”; “an unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, and he who is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked”.

Jesus Christ, Who identified Himself as One greater than Solomon, said: “By their fruits you will know them.” And: “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”. And: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

These are words anyone can understand. And the final quote is directed specifically to the hypocritical religious leaders of Jesus’s time. Yet anyone — except a blind fanatic — can understand that that Evangelical champion, Donald Trump, in committing actions of placing babes in cages; sowing racial unrest; siding with racism, fascism, dictatorship and genocide; shamelessly lying by the hour about all things great and small; bolstering his ego with empty self-aggrandizement; threatening to destroy other countries; demonizing the profession of journalism; committing treason against his own country in collusion with the world’s most dangerous strongman; refusing to listen to any counsel but his own; refusing to read, to study, to work, but instead watching TV, tweeting and playing golf all the time; in calling decent people deplorable and deplorable people decent; in calling the good bad and the bad good; in degrading the office of the Presidency in a thousand different ways, is a stain, an asterisk, an American tragedy which should never have happened, a man who must be removed immediately, before it’s too late.

Angel Sanchez

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