By: Dale Weckbacher
Nehemiah 1:1-3
During the month of Chislev in the twentieth
year, when I was in the fortress city of Susa, 2 Hanani, one
of my brothers, arrived with men from Judah, and I questioned them about
Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile. 3 They
said to me, “The remnant in the province, who survived the exile, are in
great trouble and disgrace. Jerusalem’s wall has been broken down, and its
gates have been burned.”
(CSB)
On June 16, 2015, then businessman and reality TV star
Donald Trump announced his candidacy for President of the United States. (1) Soon after the announcement the comedic and
even disgusting jokes and GIFs began. (2) However, despite the jokes, Donald Trump won election
to the Presidency, (3) but the end of the election did not end
the attacks on Trump and his family, with some even promising violence. (4) What we lose in all the rhetoric is why
a successful billionaire and media star would subject himself and his family
to such abuse.
I strive to maintain a Christian worldview when it comes to
current events and see a parallel in Donald Trump and Nehemiah in the
Bible. For those not familiar with
Nehemiah, there is an entire book in the Bible about how he rebuilt the wall
around Jerusalem. In the time of
Nehemiah, walls served an important function for they were a city’s defense
against foreign invaders. Today, walls
would do little to defend a city for militaries can attack from
the air. The wall, however, is not the
focal point of my view of a parallel between Donald Trump and Nehemiah but instead
is the common passion they each had for their nations.
Nehemiah
1:11 tells that Nehemiah held the important position of cup bearer to the
king. With the constant threat of
someone poisoning the king, the cup bearer was more than just a waiter serving
the king something to drink, but someone protecting the king from poisoning. (5) With this important position, the King would
insure someone he trusted held this position and make sure they were well taken
care of. Nehemiah could have spent the
remainder of his life serving the king in the palace living the good life.
However, upon hearing of the plight of the Jews in Jerusalem
and the fact that they were unprotected (Nehemiah
1:1-3) from enemies because the wall protecting the city was broken down,
he immediately sought the Lord in prayer (Nehemiah
1:4-11). Nehemiah’s fervent prayer
did not go unanswered for when Nehemiah took wine to the king, the normal function
of his job, the king noticed Nehemiah was sad (Nehemiah
2:1-2). Knowing the reason for his
sad heart and not wanting to lie to the king, Nehemiah was full of fear for he
knew he must ask the king for permission to travel to Jerusalem, a request that
could cost Nehemiah his life (Nehemiah
2:3-5). Fortunately for Nehemiah God
protected him for the king not only granted his request but also
granted safe passage to Jerusalem and building materials (Nehemiah
2:6-10).
Donald Trump shares a similar passion for the United
States. While he is a business entrepreneur
and not in the employ of someone else, his immense wealth would have been
sufficient to provide a secure comfortable life. However, Trump saw the invasion at the
unsecured southern border of the United States and like Nehemiah had a sad heart. (1) He also witnessed the plight of hard working Americans
seeing their jobs going to other countries with leadership telling them this
was the new normal in the United States.
(6)
Over the next several Saturday postings we will be engaging
in a study of the Book of Nehemiah in the Bible with the purpose of
establishing a biblical worldview of the leadership of Donald Trump. We are in no manner equating Donald Trump
with Nehemiah in the Bible but instead seek to view how we as the people of God
should react to the opposition we see occurring around Donald Trump. It is my intention for this study to provide
biblical insight as we continue to pray for needed changes in our nations. Please return next Saturday and invite your
friends.
1. DelReal, Jose A. Donald Trump announces
presidential bid. www.washingtonpost.com. [Online] The Washington Post,
June 16, 2015. [Cited: January 21, 2018.] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/06/16/donald-trump-to-announce-his-presidential-plans-today/?utm_term=.5fddcc82a600.
2. GIPHY.
Explore Donald Trump is running as a joke. giphy.com. [Online] GIPHY.
[Cited: January 21, 2018.] https://giphy.com/explore/donald-trump-is-running-as-a-joke.
3. Barbaro, Matt
Flegenheimer and Michael. Donald Trump is Elected President in Stunning
Repudiation of the Establishment. www.nytimes.com. [Online] The MNew
York Times, November 9, 2016. [Cited: January 21, 2018.]
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/09/us/politics/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-president.html.
4. Hudson, Daniel
Nussbaum & Jerome. 15 Times Celebrities Envisioned Violence Against
Trump and the GOP. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, June 14,
2017. [Cited: January 21, 2018.]
http://www.breitbart.com/big-hollywood/2017/06/14/15-times-celebrities-envisioned-violence-against-trump-and-the-gop/.
5. Jewish Virtual
Library. Encyclopedia Judaica: Cupbearer. www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. [Online]
Jewish Virtual Library. [Cited: January 21, 2018.]
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/cupbearer.
6. Hoft, Joe.
FLASHBACK: Obama Says Manufacturing Jobs Aren’t Coming Back – Then Trump Sets
Record of 40,000 Manufacturing Jobs in One Month. thegatewaypundit.com. [Online]
Gateway Pundit, December 7, 2017. [Cited: January 21, 2018.]
http://thegatewaypundit.com/2017/12/flashback-obama-says-manufacturing-jobs-arent-coming-back-trump-sets-record-highest-number-new-manufacturing-jobs-month-ever/.
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