Biblical Greatness vs. ‘MAGA’: What the Old Testament Says

Exploring Greatness: The Old Testament

In this essay, I explore greatness in the Old Testament. I find the Old Testament’s idea of greatness conflicts with the current administration’s interpretation of “making America great again.”

During the Trump administration’s first week in office, I had trouble recognizing how the executive orders made America great again. The Old Testament reveals insights into God and God’s interpretation of greatness.

The Book of Genesis

Three relevant insights about greatness come from the Book of Genesis. The first is that people are made in God’s image and likeness. God’s Creation is good and humans are to be stewards of Creation.

Human Dignity

In the first chapter of Genesis, the biblical authors says,

God created mankind in his image;

in the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them. (Gen. 1:27, NRSVCE)

Every human being, no matter their capabilities, nationality, or actions, is made in God’s image.  Each person has human dignity and deserves respect.

Stewardship

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.” (Genesis 2:15)

The New International Version translates this as “to work it and take care of it.” Stewardship requires the steward or caretaker to deliver care as the owner would. As Americans see that the climate is changing, primarily for the worse, the Bible suggests preservation rather than exploitation.

Exodus

In the book of Exodus God’s liberates his people from slavery in Egypt. As God leads the people in the wilderness, God gives them the Ten Commandments.

God is a God of Liberation Rather Than Oppression

The early part of the book of Exodus tells of God’s efforts to convince the Egyptian Pharoah to free his people.

God sees his people’s suffering in Egypt as slaves. God says to Moses, “The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:9-10)

God Asks People to Be Faithful and Treat Others Well

God leads the people miraculously through the Red Sea. They journey in the desert for forty years with Moses as their guide. Along the way, God gives his people the Ten Commandments.

1. You shall have no other gods before me.
2. You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God
3. Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy.
4. Honor your father and mother
5. You shall not murder
6. You shall not commit adultery
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s possessions
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.

President Trump bears false witness against others regularly. As a presidential candadate, he took credit for several of Biden’s’ actions. He also told lies about immigrants, saying that they were criminals or came from insane asylums. His interpretation of the United States differs from mine.

2 Samuel

God asks the prophet Samuel to anoint a king after King Saul failed. God sends Samuel to Jesse who has many sons. Samuel first assumes that Jesse’s son Eliab is the one God wants, based solely on his looks.

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’” (2 Samuel 16:7)

People seeking attention rarely do so for their inner virtues.

The Prophets

Prophets were not people who foretold the future. Their knowledge of God led them to recognize when the people of Judah or Israel strayed from God’s covenant.

Isaiah

God speaks about his servant through the prophet Isaiah.

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be crushed
until he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his teaching. (Isaiah 42:1-4)

Greatness is closely connected to justice.

Amos

The prophet Amos is active during a spiritually dark period in Israel’s history.  God disapproves of the wealthy and powerful ignoring or cheating the poor and less powerful. God speaks through Amos.

I will not revoke the punishment;
because they sell the righteous for silver,
and the needy for a pair of sandals—
they who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth,
and push the afflicted out of the way; (Amos 2: 6-7)

Later, Amos says,

Seek good and not evil,
that you may live;
and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,
just as you have said.
Hate evil and love good,
and establish justice in the gate;
it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,
will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. (Amos 5:14-15)

Greatness in the Old Testament

Greatness in the Old Testament comes from faithfulness to God and treating people like God would. God made all people in God’s image and likeness. I have not seen the administration treat immigrants this way. Even if they must return to their native countries, immigrants do not have to be cuffed, sit in the sweltering heat, or otherwise suffer on the way home The Brazilian government had to rescue some immigrants because the conditions on the US military planes were so bad. Colombians noticed that their citizens had been physically injured in the process of being taken back. These immigrants deserve respect because of their human dignity.

God asked the first man and the first woman to care for creation. The earth was not made their possession to use as they wished. They were to be stewards of the earth. Time will tell whether the Trump administration will exploit or steward God’s creation. “Drill baby drill” does not sound like stewardship.

God does not like oppression. God liberates.

God is not interested in appearances. God looks inside the heart. The prophets call out people who do not treat the poor with justice. All of God’s people should thrive.

Justice is important to God. He calls out communities who do not treat the poor well.

Applying greatness in the Old Testament to the United States today, I would see the government doing more to close the gap between the very rich and the poor, preserving the natural world, treating immigrants with respect, and increasing the presence of justice.