Observations©

By Donald S. Conkey

Date: October 2, 2008 - # 8840 - Title: Greed and Fear (817)

Recently while listening to a televised interview with the mayor of Wasilla Alaska I heard her use the words “divided America” instead of the customary United America. In a recent Tribune the words greed and fear were used to describe a segment of elitist London’s society, words that could just as easily be describing America’s government today – both parties – at all levels of government, but especially Washington D.C. And neither party is exempt. How sad.

Greed has lead to corruption and this corruption has lead to the collapse of several of America’s major financial institutions to whom working Americans have entrusted their savings and retirement funds. This corruption should be prosecuted at all levels where found, be they the regulators or the regulated, because they have betrayed the people’s trust in them and have caused a fear to sweep America similar to that that caused by the stock market crash of 1929.

The 1929 stock market crash devastated America. The recession that followed caused the unemployment rate to soar to 35 percent and families were literally destroyed. Greed caused the 29 crash just as it has caused the current financial crisis. My father and grandfather were caught up in those dark days of wild speculation much as many are today. I have the payment book of the land contract they purchased in Detroit for $1700.00, making $17 monthly payments. The interest rate was six percent. Their involvement in that land speculation nearly cost grandpa his farm. It did cost dad his job, a teaching job paying $900 a year. The school board couldn’t collect enough taxes and his school closed.

            As I pondered those words - divided-America - I reflected on those twenty nations that once were prosperous but self-destructed because those charged with leadership became corrupt, greedy for the things that money could buy, for the prestige associated with elected office, and the power to rule the lives of others associated with such offices. And in nearly every case both the secular and moral laws given to Moses for all nations, as recorded in the Bible, were ignored. The secular history books are replete with these examples.

            But so are our scriptures replete with such examples of corruption and greed.

            One major biblical example of a free people corrupting themselves and losing their freedom stands out. It is of ancient Israel.  When we look closely at this example we might see a pattern of what could happen to the United States. Israel, like America, was a choice land given to a people chosen by the Lord to show the world what real freedom for the people could become. Israel became rich, very rich, and very prosperous and “other nations” were envious of it, as “other nations” are envious of America today.

            Slowly, over a period of 230 years (sound familiar), personal pride and greed crept in and the leaders became corrupt. Israel was a loose federation of the twelve tribes, but they collectively looked to the Lord’s prophet for guidance. Chapter 8 of 1^st Samuel tells the story of how Samuel’s sons became corrupt. The Israelites became fed up with the corruption and went to Samuel, their prophet then, demanding a king to rule over them.

            Samuel listened to the people then “prayed unto the Lord” who told Samuel to “hearken unto the voice (their vote) of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should reign over them.” I often wonder what the Lord would tell his prophet today about the direction many Americans want to go today – to be protected by big government.

                 The Lord counseled Samuel on what would happen if they were given a king. This counsel is recounted in verses 11 through 18. Verse 18 is powerful, it states: “And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; AND THE LORD WILL NOT HEAR YOU IN THAT DAY.” Verse 19 tells how the Israelites “refused to obey the words of Samuel; and said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.” Saul became their king and soon fulfilled the Lord’s prophecy. And within a few years the Israelites, once a proud and prosperous nation, were no more, scattered worldwide.

            This upcoming election is almost a repeat of 1^st Samuel, chapter 8 for American voters. Will the people chose to reject the Lord and His laws or choose to reject those who want to reject God’s laws and restore sanity and common sense into our government by cleansing out corruption.

            This answer will come on November 4. Prayerfully consider your choice when you enter the voting booth; the freedoms you take for granted may be on the line.