thanks RB.... this seems to be happening more than usual.
Grift by public officials has been going on since Bible times and before.
BRAVE AI:
The Bible consistently condemns crooked public officials, defining their corruption as bribery, favoritism, exploitation of the vulnerable, and the abuse of power for personal gain. Scripture teaches that such leaders bring divine judgment and cause public suffering, as they pervert justice and fail their duty to protect the poor, widows, and orphans.
Biblical Condemnation and Consequences
Systemic Injustice: Verses like Micah 7:3 and Isaiah 1:23 describe leaders who conspire to demand bribes and ignore the causes of the fatherless and widow. Proverbs 29:2 states, “When the wicked rule, the people groan,” linking corrupt authority directly to societal decay.
Blind Justice: Deuteronomy 16:19 and Exodus 23:8 warn that bribes “blind the eyes of the wise” and twist the words of the innocent, destroying the integrity of the legal system.
Divine Retribution: Leaders are held accountable to God. Psalm 94:20 questions how wicked rulers can ally with God, promising that He will bring back their iniquity. Jeremiah 23:1-2 pronounces woe on “shepherds who destroy and scatter” God’s flock.
Biblical Examples of Corrupt Leadership
King Ahab and Jezebel: Notorious for orchestrating the murder of Naboth to seize his vineyard, exemplifying the use of state power for illicit property acquisition (1 Kings 21).
The Pharisees and Sadducees: Jesus condemned these religious authorities for hypocrisy, noting they “devour widows’ houses” while making lengthy prayers for show (Matthew 23, Mark 12).
King Saul: His reign deteriorated into paranoia and violence, leading to his rejection by God due to disobedience and unjust actions (1 Samuel 15).
The Biblical Standard for Leaders
The Bible establishes that government is intended to be God’s servant for good, rewarding right conduct and punishing wrong (Romans 13:1-4). However, this authority is conditional on righteousness. When officials fail, the Bible calls for discernment and justice, citing Acts 5:29 (”We must obey God rather than men”) to indicate that obedience to corrupt human laws is not absolute when they contradict divine moral law.