An Open Letter to President Trump, America's King
Mister President, I implore you to read or listen to the reading of Three Arrogant Kings. The God referred to on our currency is One God, the maker of every living being, who shows no partiality. People vote, but God determines the outcome. For his own divine purpose, the King of Kings who reigns forever has allowed you to be America’s king at this time in history.
Sir, even a king has committed a wrong when he insults, offends, disregards, pokes fun at, humiliates, and discredits others who owe their existence to the same God who made him. Have you not heard that “Pride leads to destruction, and arrogance to downfall?” (Prov 16:18) Although you are America’s king, you are still my brother and I have a mandate to love you and to encourage you to do the right thing.
The Bible says, “My friends, if someone is caught in any kind of wrongdoing, those of you who are spiritual should set him right; but you must do it in a gentle way. And keep an eye on yourselves, so that you will not be tempted, too. Help carry one another's burdens, and in this way you will obey the law of Christ,” (Gal 6:1-2).
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Our lives begin to end the moment we become silent about things that matter." So, I will not be adjudged guilty of remaining silent when it is time to speak up.
Three Arrogant Kings
Here’s what happens when the king is arrogant:
1. He and his subjects will live in torment.
2. One day he will lament, and hopefully, repent.
3. At the proper time he will listen when people comment.
King Saul
Saul, Israel's first God-appointed king was tall and commanding in his personal appearance. He didn’t know anything about being a king, but God chose him and would have helped him to lead the people. But Saul’s disobedience led to his becoming a mad king. Saul refused to humble himself and depend on God. Instead, he tried to destroy or fire everyone he deemed to be a threat to his position. He was impulsive, jealous, stubborn, rebellious, and he demanded his own way. When his errors were pointed out, he attacked the messengers even though their message was true. He considered a lame attempt at doing the right thing to be “good enough.” He didn't understand that God demands complete obedience. He thought he could outsmart God and even secretly sought advice from a witch in a time of desperation.
Saul's character was described by inconsistency, disobedience and self-will.
Mister President, do you know anyone with these characteristics? Is it you?
Saul was thirty years old when he became king and God allowed him to reign for forty-two years. Can you imagine that? God allowed him to live a long time in torment. When under pressure from the enemy, impatient Saul resorted to following his own mind. He thought he did a good deed by offering a sacrifice to God but he failed to do it right and refused to wait on the prophet Samuel, the person who knew exactly what to say and do to make the king look good as a leader. He took matters into his own hands and lost favor with God the Creator who has a plan and purpose for each person.
In 1 Samuel 16:14, we find these words: "Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear.” His officials knew the king was mentally, emotionally, and socially challenged. They offered music to help soothe his evil spirit. But the king threw spears at David, the musician, and later threw spears at his own son Jonathan who tried to talk sense into him. Jonathan had heard about his father throwing spears, but when it happened to him he could no longer deny that his father was indeed mad.
Ultimately, arrogance cost him his life. When severely wounded in battle, Saul asked his armor bearer to kill him so his enemies would not gloat over him. The armor bearer was afraid to kill him, so Saul killed himself with his own sword to avoid humiliation.
I pray a hedge of protection around America’s king! May no man ever touch his life.
Mister President, do you know anyone who would throw spears at innocent people? Is it you?
King Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar was a foreign ruler who did as he pleased: he took people into captivity but let them keep their gods. He took the land and the riches of Jewish people and even robbed God's Temple because he feared no gods. He was a great builder of cities and quite successful in accumulating wealth. But he made the mistake of demanding that all people bow down and worship a gold statue that was ninety feet tall and nine feet wide. Three of God's faithful worshipers refused to bow to that gold statue. At the risk of their own lives they responded to the king's threat of death by blazing fire, saying, "The God whom we serve is able to rescue us from your power. But even if he doesn't, Your majesty can be sure that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up," (Dan 3:18). The King had them thrown into the fire and the Lord kept them safe. God showed Nebuchadnezzar his power to rescue his people from a ruthless leader. The king acknowledged God's greatness and power and promoted the three men he once tried to kill. But he still insisted on doing things his way, and did not worship God.
God got Nebuchadnezzar‘s attention by appearing to him in dreams that he did not understand. So God sent Daniel, one of the Jewish men in captivity, to interpret the dreams. Daniel warned, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, please listen to me. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past by being merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper," (Dan 4:27).
The king did not heed that warning. Twelve months later, he was taking a walk and admiring his kingdom, saying, "Just look at the great city of Babylon! I, by my own mighty power, have built this beautiful city as my royal residence and as an expression of my royal splendor." While he was still speaking, God spoke from heaven and pronounced judgment on him. "You are no longer ruler of this kingdom. You will be driven from human society. You will live in the fields like the wild animals and eat grass like a cow."
That very hour he was driven from human society and lived in the wild where his hair grew long like feathers and nails grew long like bird's claws. He lived that way for seven years before his sanity returned. The king lamented his past behavior and admitted that God rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses (Dan 4:30-33)
Some people see themselves as the shrewd builder, businessman, accumulator of wealth and riches, most powerful and unstoppable ruler.
Mister President, do you know anybody like that? Is it you?
On the day that God restored the king’s sanity, Nebuchadnezzar praised and worshiped the God of heaven. His advisors sought him out, cleaned him up and reestablished him as head of his kingdom with even greater honor than before. Though the king lamented his past, we’re not sure that he repented of his foolish pride. He did confess, however, "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble those who are proud," (Dan 4:37).
The king in The Emperor's New Clothes
The emperor, who could also be called king, president or ruler, loved to dress lavishly and accumulate wealth for himself. He focused on his possessions, his outer appearance, rather than the affairs of his kingdom. This king surrounded himself with “yes” men who did and said whatever would give them favor with the king. By keeping him happy, their jobs were secure.
In The Emperor’s New Clothes, Danish author Hans Christian Andersen tells a tale about two weavers who were con artists or swindlers. They managed to successfully prey on the king’s weakness for good clothes and made themselves rich in the process.
Some kings care more about themselves and their possessions than about their kingdom.
Mister President, you do know any leader like that? Is it you?
The two swindlers promised to make the king an elaborate suit of clothes that they claimed were invisible to persons who are unfit for their positions, stupid, or incompetent. Ahhhh! The magic clothes would make the king the wisest man in the land and he could weed out his incompetent subjects. Trusted members of the royal staff lied when shown the emperor’s new clothes. They pretended to see clothes out of fear of losing their jobs. Likewise, the emperor also pretended to see the invisible suit and cape the weavers had made for him. If he had admitted that he could not see his new clothes, he would have been considered unfit for his job as king, stupid or incompetent.
Finally, the day came when the king proudly flaunted his invisible new clothes in a parade before the people. To his surprise, an innocent child had the courage to speak up. The boy yelled out that the king was wearing “NO CLOTHES!” While suffering from humiliation and shame, the emperor discovered that he had been bamboozled.
Why would a king surround himself with “yes” men? How can they benefit him?
Mister President, do you know anybody who is unfit for his job, stupid or incompetent?
Is it you?
It takes courage to speak truth to power. Yet, “a time comes when silence is betrayal,” says Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Could it be that the boy who dared to speak the truth as he saw it was the most loyal person in the kingdom?
Like that little boy, I MUST speak out. The welfare of ALL people matters to me. Three arrogant kings have warned you of continued torment, lament and comment unless you repent.
All over the world people are praying that America’s king will humble himself and repent. Why? Because we know that pride leads to destruction, and arrogance to downfall. If you repent on behalf of America, God may relent and be merciful to us.
Mister President, do you know a king who would be willing to humble himself before God for the sake of his kingdom? Is it you?
May God bless America, my home, sweet home.
-Gloria Shell Mitchell
(January 2018)
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