When a ruler pays attention to lies, all his servants become wicked. (Proverbs 29:12 NKJV)“There we go again, getting into politics with the Bible! I thought mixing politics and religion were totally wrong and taboo!” Actually, if you read your bible, it speaks very often about correct principles to earthly rulers, and how they should rule.
If you read your bible, you may have encountered the book of Proverbs. It is a very interesting book. Harry Conn said (and if you don’t know about Harry Conn, you are truly unfortunate) that it is one of the only books of preventive psychology, and I think he was right. Most psychological problems, excepting those that arise from a physiological cause, mostly come from guilt or adherence to wrong concepts of reality. Proverbs can set us straight on much of that before we run into trouble. (It can also get us back on track if we have strayed at any point in our lives!)
Anyway, for many reasons, I have good cause to translate the Hebrew of this Proverb thus:
When a ruler sets his attention upon false philosophy, his administrators are wicked.The tense of the proverb is present, and because of the lack of a true past or future tense in the second half of the statement. The present tense is implied when no form of “to be” is lacking, and there is no other verb.
What is translated simply “lies” here is a compound word, a double noun. It literally is “word of falsehood.” The Hebrew word used here for “word” is very broad and has often to do with a topic or matter of concern rather than a spoken statement. For example, if you said in ancient Hebrew you had read the “works” of Plato, you would probably have used this word. In my opinion, there is no better way an ancient Hebrew would have stated the term “false philosophy.”
The word used for the ruler’s servants is specifically used as the term for ministering in an official position of responsibility and authority, such as the Aaronic priesthood, or a king’s administrator.
A ruler can listen to a lie, on one occasion when someone tells him a lie, perhaps, and he may make a wrong decision based on that, and even get into trouble. That does and has happened in almost any political administration.
However, this verse tells us that if a ruler pays constant attention to, or concentrates upon a false word or concept, then his administration IS (or becomes, in the process of forming it) wicked.
Let's just say you are elected to some political office. (Oh, good for you!) Who are you going to gather together with you to help you accomplish your agenda? For obviously, you have one. If you are like any other naturally minded person, you will find those who agree with you politically, morally and philosophically.
In reference to the current Presidency of the United States, what is the philosophy that our President pays attention to? If you said, Secular Humanism, you would probably be right for the most part. However, you will have to add to that, perhaps, the political and moral philosophies he absorbed into his mind in his formative years, growing up in Indonesia and Africa, etc. He did not grow up in America. You may say he was born a U.S. citizen, but he grew up without any absorption of American patriotism, 4th of July, any of that. He taught Saul Alinsky’s philosophies in his college courses. That should tell you plenty, if you are any bit aware of Saul Alinsky. He was basically an American communist.
What of all the current scandal in Obama’s administration now being exposed. Is more to come? Why is it happening? Why, because his administration is wicked.
Case in point: Hilary Clinton. She is the creme dela creme of Secular Humanists. As Secretary of State she said she would (and obviously did) direct our foreign affairs, not upon the “rigid ideology” of previous U.S. administrations, but upon pragmatism, which is the secular humanist philosophy of do what gets the results you want, the end justifies the means. (If you doubt any of this, you need to do some homework.) Where has that brought our foreign affairs?
Search out the Secular Humanist manifestos (there are three now). Find out what they say and see if you want all your elected and appointed officials believing those things. Are they compatible with the remnants of the Judeo-Christian point of view you may yet adhere to? If you believe in a true right and wrong, for example, rather than social consensus determining right and wrong, you have too much of those rigid ideologies left in you for a secular humanist activist.
What must I do?
There is one important thing I know I am going to do with every politician that vies for my vote. And things will never change in this country until we do this overall as citizens and as adherents to the rigid ideals of Judeo-Christian philosophy.
Vet his/her philosophies and religious point of view.
The first question I am going to have for each politician that asks me to vote for him/her will essentially be, “Are you a secular humanist?” It is true that the Constitution forbids a religious test for admittance into office. However, I am not the U.S. government per se. I have every right to ask a candidate what are his religious and philosophical foundations. If he doesn’t answer those questions, he won’t get my vote.
Ask that candidate, “What is the ultimate basis for determining what is right or wrong for our society?” If you want to watch someone squirm more than a worm, ask that of a politician.
