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POLITICIANS HAVE NOT CHANGED IN 3000 YEARS Yes, I mention Donald Trump at the end, but first, let us start with this month’s Old Testament selections in the Office of Reading for the Liturgy of the Hours. These have been from 1st and 2nd Samuel. Many people like to say that since we are under the New Covenant of Grace and Mercy, the Old Covenant no longer matters. However, there is much wisdom to be had in studying these passages of Scripture – wisdom that nothing in the New Testament contravenes. Last night’s reading was about Absalom’s rebellion against his father, King David. Now it is important to know how this rebellion started. As usual, it began with sex. Indeed, the same is true today: either lust for sex or love of money are the two defects of character that so often trip us.  Recall that King David had several sons, including: Amnon, the eldest, by Ahinoam of JezreelAbsalom by Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur.Adonijah by Haggith, and others. In 2nd Samuel chapter 13 Amnon rapes his half-sister, Tamar, because he lusted after her. Absalom (who was full brother to Tamar) eventually murders Amnon to exact revenge and become the next in line to the throne. Initially he flees to Geshur where his grandfather rules and stays there three years. But in chapter 14 Joab, advisor to David, arranges to have a wise woman (Zeruiah) persuade David to allow Absalom to return to Jerusalem, the capital. Absalom at this point is described as an exceedingly handsome man with great charisma. But he remains exiled from the royal court for the next two years until he convinces Joab to petition David to allow his return. One would think that everything would get back to normal, but there is no normal in the House of David. In chapter 15 Absalom revolts. Attend well to how he began his program of political influence peddling and think about modern American politics: 1 After this Ab′salom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him. 2 And Ab′salom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate; and when any man had a suit to come before the king for judgment, Ab′salom would call to him, and say, “From what city are you?” And when he said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,” 3 Ab′salom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right; but there is no man deputed by the king to hear you.” 4 Ab′salom said moreover, “Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a suit or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.” 5 And whenever a man came near to do obeisance to him, he would put out his hand, and take hold of him, and kiss him. 6 Thus Ab′salom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment; so Ab′salom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. Absalom was like every politician before or since: “IF I were in charge, THEN I would be able to solve these problems. Oh, IF I were the leader, THEN I could give every man justice.” Having spent four years building up a political coalition, he asks David to allow him to go to Hebron to make sacrifice to the Lord, but what he really does is have himself declared and installed as a rival king. And then the revolution of rebellion begins (a story for a different day). Now let us put some things in perspective. David had a blind spot when it came to sex. He just had to have that next wife or concubine. Michal, Saul’s daughter, who had once loved him (1st Samuel 1:17-30) was not enough. He had to take Abigail, widow of Nabal (1st Samuel 25), and even more besides her. Then instead of being with his men fighting out in the field against the enemy, he spent his time in Jerusalem gazing across the city where he spied Bathsheba bathing in the nude, and one thing after another happened (1st Samuel 11 and 12). Even after repenting in Psalm 51, David still was unable to see straight in sexual matters. Surely, he knew what Amon his son did to his daughter Tamar (2nd Samuel 13)? Yet no rebuke issued from him, giving excuse to Absalom’s revenge.  But Sacred Scripture describes David as a man after God’s own heart. Why is that, given that David was a womanizer, an adulterer, a murderer, and a liar? Because (1) David would always repent with humility even when he failed again and again, and (2) David abhorred revenge. Remember the time when David was hiding in a cave and Saul came in to relieve himself (1st Samuel 24)? David could have killed him them, but did not, saying that it is not right to touch the Lord’s Anointed. Instead, he simply cut off a portion of Saul’s cloak. And another time when David came upon Saul and his men sleeping in the field, David again had the chance to end Saul’s hunt for him but did not (1st Samuel 26). Instead, as Saul lay sleeping, he took Saul’s spear and water jug but left Saul unharmed. Then there was the time after Saul died in battle against the Philistines (1st Samuel 31), that an Amalekite came to David to falsely brag that he had killed Saul (2nd Samuel 1). David promptly had him killed for laying his hand on the Lord’s Anointed. Finally, Saul’s son Ishbosheth was murdered by Rechab and Baanah who went to David to brag that they had rid any remaining opposition from the House of Saul (2nd Samuel 4). David had them killed for murdering a righteous man of no threat to them. Thus, we see that David had a highly refined sense of justice, and never acted out of vengeance. But when sex was involved, David could not be trusted to make a right decision. Why have I gone into such detail as this? Because I think that there is a valid comparison between Donald Trump and King David. This is a comparison that I have made on previous occasions when Trump’s detractors stated that his infidelity, and his abrasive style on Twitter and elsewhere are un-Christian (apparently a Democrat like Joe Biden murdering pre-born babies is acceptable to Trump’s critics). I agree that both men were adulterers and womanizers, having a blind spot when it came to sex. And both men were quite abrasive, King David far more so that Donald Trump because David simply had his critics executed when they bragged about killing the Lord’s Anointed and the son of the Lord’s Anointed whereas Trump would lambast his critics on Twitter (for which “crime” he is now permanently banned on that platform). But like it or not, both men do have a sense of justice that is noticeably lacking among their political rivals. And as for Absalom, he is like every liberal progressive Democrat politician who promises that if he were in charge, then he would fix everything, but his real goal is simply power for the sake of power. Yes, Republicans are hypocrites (so was King David, and the prophet Nathan called him out on the carpet for such), but they do not murder pre-born babies (just as David did not murder either the Lord’s Anointed or the sons of the King whom he succeeded). And therein lies the difference.  David was a hero, whereas Absalom was a celebrity. For whom would you vote? A hero, warts and all, or a charismatic celebrity?