Evangelicals see Trump as Cyrus but Scripture describes a Pharaoh
Commentary by Patrick McCormick | FāVS News
Many American evangelicals find President Donald Trump’s character flaws and lack of religious faith troubling. However, they cling to the hope he might be a divine instrument restoring America as a Christian nation, just as the biblical Persian king Cyrus — also not a believer — liberated Israelites from their Babylonian captivity and helped them rebuild their beloved Jerusalem and its temple.
But while this optimistic reading of Trump as a flawed but useful agent of God’s plan allows religious fundamentalists to support his administration, it overlooks the fact that the Bible is deeply opposed to lawless and greedy authoritarian rulers and nationalist policies scapegoating or oppressing aliens.
Scripture does cast a favorable glance at the pagan king Cyrus, but it endlessly condemns the greed and unchecked lawlessness of corrupt kings and urges replacing nationalist bigotry against foreigners with a welcoming and protective stance. In this light the repeatedly impeached, indicted, arrested and convicted felon Donald Trump seems less like the liberator Cyrus and more like the monarchs of Israel excoriated by biblical prophets.
The president’s fearmongering politics relies on demonizing and arresting foreigners seems closer to the Egyptian pharaoh infamous for scapegoating and oppressing alien Hebrews than to the Persian king who helped the Israelites rebuild the temple.
After leading them to the Promised Land, Moses commanded the Israelites be governed by judges and the rule of law instead of a king. But within a few generations Israel’s elders became jealous of neighboring monarchies’ wealth and power and begged the prophet Samuel to anoint a strong man to rule them. Horrified that God’s people had so quickly forgotten the evils they suffered under Egypt’s pharaoh, the prophet uttered Scripture’s most searing condemnation of authoritarianism.
Samuel said, in my words, “These greedy and power-hungry strong men you wish to enthrone will take your children, chew them up in their war machines, enslave them in their palaces and plantations, steal their lands and crops and tax them into penury while enriching their own cronies.” And when the elders persisted in their demand for a king, they were rewarded with monarchs who divided them in civil war (Saul), raped other men’s wives (David) and enslaved their people through international trade (Solomon).
This was followed by a string of ever more lawless, avaricious and despotic rulers condemned by prophets from Micah to Isaiah. The Bible has a deep antipathy for the type of corrupt authoritarian rulers so hankered for by Israel’s elders in 1 Samuel and so admired and emulated by Donald Trump in our own time.
Nor does Scripture bless rulers who demonize or oppress aliens. The Hebrew Bible’s worst villain is the Egyptian pharaoh who in Exodus 1 scapegoats Hebrew foreigners as a disloyal and dangerous infestation threatening his nation’s health, wealth and security, and calls for their imprisonment, enslavement and slaughter.
Again, the former president’s diatribes against aliens and plans to arrest, imprison and strip aliens of every legal protection mirror this infamous pharaoh’s plan. They also violate Scripture’s repeated commands to welcome, protect, provide for, respect the legal and property rights of, and — yes — love the alien in our midst.
We don’t often hear it from Trump’s evangelical supporters, but Exodus 22 forbids the abuse or oppression of aliens. Leviticus 24 demands aliens receive equal treatment in the courts and before the law. Deuteronomy 5, 14, 23 and 24 require alien workers receive just wages and a Sabbath rest, alien refugees be offered sanctuary and needy aliens receive the same portion of the gleanings and tithes set aside for the native poor.
Astonishingly, Ezekiel 47 even demands aliens get an equal portion of the very Promised Land itself! While the Hebrew Bible has one command to love the neighbor, it includes 36 commands to love the stranger!
Trump’s anti-immigrant screeds and policies stand in sharp contrast to the Bible’s command to welcome, protect and provide for aliens. They also differ greatly from the inclusive policies of the Persian Cyrus, who allowed Hebrews and other peoples to flourish in his empire while respecting a range of their rights.
Donald Trump is no Cyrus the Great, and his nativist authoritarianism is profoundly unbiblical. Indeed, just over two months into his second term he has wreaked such havoc on our government, our constitution, our economy and our international relations that it is easy to see why the prophet Samuel resisted the his people’s clamoring cries for a king. You’re going to regret this, he warned them, and do we ever.
The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News. FāVS News values diverse perspectives and thoughtful analysis on matters of faith and spirituality.
