How did America get where it's at today? The answer in short is that she has been on a slippery slope for some time; but in reality her weak moral state was capitalized on by poor and wicked leadership. Let's allow the Bible explain why this is by starting with the simple truth that we can learn a few things about choosing very young leaders. They tend to have a lot of energy, spark, charisma and in many cases, knowledge. In other words, they are pretty smart in most cases as far as facts and book knowledge go; but they always lack one thing which is godly wisdom and experience. On the other side we as a society tend to call old guys “old” and ineffective. And in some cases, that's true, but not in most. In 2023, the seat of the presidency is held by a shell of a man; a feeble old man who is non-functional mentally speaking. But not all older people loose their cognitive ability as much as others as they age. What they bring to the table though is their wisdom. Let's take a look at some biblical wisdom to gain better clarity.
BIBLICAL DIRECTION
King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 10, “Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and your princes feast in the morning! Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility, and your princes feast at the proper time, for strength, and not for drunkenness! (Ecclesiastes 10:16-17 ESV).
In verse 16, Solomon says that an unworthy and unqualified “princes feast in the morning!” (V.16). In biblical times, during Solomon’s reign, to “feast in the morning” meant those leaders were embellishing themselves with personal enjoyment during the most productive time of the work day when they ought to have been working. In the time of Solomon, to start the day with revelry (feasting) instead of tending to official business was the epitome of reckless extravagance or wastefulness by the prince, king or president in the use of their resources and the best time of day for them to get their work done. As for us today in 2023, it has been discovered that the current Presidnet of the United States has taken more vacation time than any other president in United States history. Hence, the point is well made by Solomon in ca 935 B.C. as it is for us today.
WHAT ABOUT YOUNG-INEXPERIENCED LEADERS?
So, did America get off-track into a free-fall decent from a president who was too "young" or too "old"? In verse 16 Solomon says that we are to pity those (you and I) who have leaders so young or inexperienced that they lose control over their areas of responsibility or who spend their time banqueting into the early “morning”. When we look at the past three presidents: Obama-Trump-Biden, we can see who fits which category of youth and inexperience and what happened to America on their watch. Look for yourself without ideological-political blinders and answer the question logically for the truth and you might be surprised at your conclusion.
WHAT ABOUT USEFUL NOBLE LEADERS?
Solomon makes the point in verse 17 that useful leadership (noble leadership) expresses itself in a sense of responsibility and deference to social order. This is the opposite of defunding the police and the failure to prosecute criminals as we have seen numerous District Attorneys do in rogue counties in big U.S. cities. Social order is essential to a stable society, and God’s Word and ways are the only way to accomplish true, fair and balanced “justice”. Social order is better accomplished voluntarily as opposed to strictly law enforcement and when a society is self-regulated out of duty and principles steeped in biblical values (as was the case for the United States for 200 years), it functions well and with very low drama. Looking at verse 17, Solomon makes an argument for “propriety” or the state or quality of conforming to conventionally accepted standards of behavior morals as I just described. In other words, when true justice is administered, an imperfect human culture is more willing to follow the conventional standards set forth by government leaders simply because they trust them to do the right thing. This is a major problem and perhaps the biggest problem in American culture at present. So what can we do and how should we think about these things?
IN CONCLUSION: Solomon points out that the “proper time” four our rulers (princes) to feast is not first thing in the morning, but later and for strength to rule rightly with a stable and sober mind, and not for drunkenness. The same is true for you and I in how we run our families, companies, government, and especially our churches. In verses 16-20 Solomon gives us the third example of folly in addressing that folly is the fool’s leadership. A land with a wise, noble “king” (leader) will make sure that his subordinates work hard for the good of the land (country, company, family, neighborhood, condo-association, community, etc.). A noble leaders will use the resources at their disposal to strengthen them in and for the tasks at hand. When God’s principles of leadership are followed, such a “land” is “blessed” (v.17). In contrast a “land, whose king is a young inexperienced (and often godless) lad”-meaning someone immature and foolish (such as Obama) Solomon says “woe” to that land/country (v.16a). Such a leader eventually allows his nobles to use their resources inappropriately to “feast in the morning”, a sure sign of dissipation, or decent into drunkenness and immorality (v.16a) as we have seen culminate in our government, military and culture at large.
In the end, Solomon goes on to make clear that the foolish laziness of leaders is all about control of their subjects and eventually bring disaster on both “house” and land (v.18). WHY? Because they are too enamored with money and parties to care otherwise (v.19) They end up only squandering the resources of the land (country). And there is no relief in sight BECAUSE one (the average person) has little if any say, recourses and influence with such a foolish leader (king). As a matter of facet, to even criticize such a leader or government may come back to him in the form of censorship, punishment and grief to the complainer (v.20).
A such, my goal is not to be political in this article, but to simply point out the TRUTH in what God tells us through the Bible. In this case, what God told us through King Solomon 3000 years ago in relation to human behavior, sin, rebellion and mankind’s free will to be lazy and not make the hard decisions to keep an orderly society in tact. For you and I today, we might learn a few things about choosing very leaders; especially young charasmatic leaders. Keep in mind that such leaders tend to have a lot of energy, spark, charisma and in many cases, knowledge, but in the end, they act according to their youth and not experience and tried and true biblical wisdom. In other words, they are pretty intelligent in most cases as far as facts and book knowledge go; but they pretty much always lack one thing-wisdom and experience. We tend to call old guys “old” and ineffective, and in some case regarding cognitive decay, that’s true; but that is not always related to age. The real question is what a potential leader brings to the table though their wisdom, experience and good intentions in as much as they line up with biblical wisdom.
