ECONOMY 15 – Bribes & Corruption

ECONOMY 15 – BRIBES & CORRUPTION

Need for integrity and character in political leaders

Ex 18:21-22    You should also look for able men among all the people, men who fear God, are trustworthy and hate dishonest gain; set such men over them as officers over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Let them sit as judges for the people.

De 1:13         Choose for teach of your tribes individuals who are wise, discerning and reputable to be your leaders

Pr 29:4        By justice a king gives stability to the land, but one who makes heavy exactions (gifts, bribes) ruins it.

  • Desperate need for integrity in political leaders
  • corrupt, greedy leaders > partiality > injustice > ruins the land … it’s not harmless but a destructive system

Need for integrity, character, fearlessness in judges

De 1:16-17    I charged your judges at that time: “Give the members of your community a fair hearing, and judge rightly between one person and another, whether citizen or resident alien. 17 You must not be partial in judging: hear out the small and the great alike; you shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgement is God’s…

De 16:18-20   You must not distort justice, you must not show partiality; and you must not accept bribes, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of those who are in the right. 20 Justice, and only justice you shall pursue, so that you may live and occupy the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

Ex 23:6-8      You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in their lawsuits. 7 Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and those in the right, for I will not acquit the guilty. 8 take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the officials, and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.

2 Ch 19:4-7  He (King Jehoshaphat of Judah) appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, 6 and said to the judges, “Consider what you are doing, for you judge not on behalf of human beings but but on the LORD’s behalf; he is with you in giving judgement. 7 Now, let the fear of the LORD be upon you take care what you do, for there is no perversion of justice with the LORD our God, or partiality, or taking of bribes.”

  • Desperate need for integrity, fearlessness, un-pressurability in judges
  • To take a bribe is to pervert justice, to cause injustice, to thwart or even kill the innocent … to take a bribe is therefore evil, destructive, condemned, sin
  • Here the effect of bribing is most sorely felt
  • Jehoshaphat’s reforms are re-teaching, re-establishing the law and will of God for Judah … importance of reforms, influence of a leader

Ultimate ground for integrity: God's character

De 10:17-18     For the LORD you God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, 18
who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

  • Ultimate ground, reason, justification, source of the demand for integrity and the prohibition of corruption and bribes is God’s character
  • God will not do injustice, he will not be corrupted, he will never break his own law, he is absolute integrity, word-faithfulness

Concerning demanding or taking of bribes

De 27:25      “Cursed be anyone who takes a bribe to shed innocent blood.” All the people shall say, “Amen!’’

Ps 15:1-5     O LORD, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill? 2 Those who … 5 do not lend money at interest, and do not take a bribe against the innocent.

Ps 26:9-10   Do not sweep me away with sinners, nor my lift with the blood thirsty, 10 those in whose hands are evil devices, and whose right hands are full of bribes.

Pr 17:23      The wicked accept a concealed bribe to pervert the ways of justice

Ec 7:7         Surely oppression makes the wise foolish, and a bribe corrupts the heart.

  • taking bribes is cursed, condemned by God, prevents access to God
  • bribes corrupts heart of the recipient … it’s a sin, a criminal act, an act against conscience, greed indulged, encouragement in wrong doing
  • bribes corrupt the heart of the giver (?) … thinking himself, smart, able to cheat the system, makes him think “there is no other way”, makes him defend it, makes him feel vulnerable, dishonors him, discourages him

Is 1:23       God accuses: Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not defend the orphan, and the widow’s cause does not come before them.

Is 5:22-23  God accuses: Ah, you … 23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of their rights!

Mi 3:11     God accuses: Its rulers give judgement for a bribe, its priests teach for a price, its prophets give oracles for money; yet the lean upon the LORD and say, “Surely the LORD is with us! No harm shall come upon us.”

Mi 7:3      God accuses: Their hands are skilled to do evil; the official and the judge ask for a bribe, and the powerful dictate what they desire; thus they pervert justice.

  • God accuses Israel’s leaders (political and spiritual) of breaking his law, of being “buyable”, of greed, of abuse of power, of injustice, of misrepresenting God
  • God is serious about this, accusing Israel (among other things)

Pr 15:27         greed > family trouble, hating bribes > life

Those who are greedy for unjust gain make trouble for their households, but those who hate bribes will live.

  • unjust gain > trouble for family, we say: unjust gain > family happy, luxury possible, better lifestyle, family grateful, …
  • children cannot deeply respect a father who got rich on corruption, a mother who demands luxury
  • those hating bribes will live, not strictly: those who don’t give, but those who hate it, not thinking ourselves smart while giving it, not ‘I know how to play the game’?
  • Example: Stefan Blanc, after 2 ½ years of fight paying a bribe crying
  • What is behind greed? God didn’t provide enough, unbelief, dissatisfaction … therefore I will scheme, do whatever to provide for myself, …
  • What is ‘sharing a need’, what is ‘manipulating to give’? What is a favor rendered to a leader, what is a ‘trying to win brownie points? Judging my own heart’s motivation difficult, judging other’s motivation even more so.

How about giving bribes or gifts?

Act 24:26-27     At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul, and for that reason he used to send for him very often and converse with him. 27 After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by P. Festus

  • Paul refuses to give a bribe.
  • We would argue that Paul is too valuable / his calling too important / his work too efficient to leave him in prison for 2+ years.
  • Paul could have raised the money, maybe others volunteered to raise it for him, but he refuses to give a bribe (far less take one).

Pr 17:8          A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of those who give it; wherever they turn they prosper.

  • bribes seem to be effective in the eye of the giver, inflation: the more you give them the more you defend them, and you will never know what would have happened if you hadn’t given, so your opinion is proven over and over again in your eyes.
  • feeling smart in giving bribes, ‘knowing the game’, ‘knowing how to achieve my goal’, ‘being smart / calak’, self-congratulation in it, rather than grieving at the giving

Pr 18:16       A gift opens doors; it gives access to the great.

  • like 17:8, it seems to work. But it also introduces you on very weak terms: you perceive yourself as inferior, you are manipulatable, you are willing to do whatever > invitation to use / vulnerable to power games

Pr 19:6        Many seek the favor of the generous, and everyone is a friend to a giver of gifts.

  • generosity is good and pleasing, but introduces possible ulterior motives

Pr 22:16     “Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself, and giving to the rich, will lead only to loss.”

  • gain by injustice > loss
  • giving to the rich > loss … Why would I? to gain something (access, favors, security, help, importance) … but actually I put myself in a very weak spot, rich are not that impressed with my gift (don’t need it, don’t appreciate it, don’t value it) but to me it is a loss (what should I have done with the money instead?)

Ac 8:18-19  Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s gift with money! 21 You have to part of share in this for your heart is not rights before God. 22 Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.”

  • Mt 10:8 …(Jesus to disciples:) You received without payment, give without payment … Peter obeys this here.
  • Peter ruthlessly deals with greed here, he diagnoses Simon’s evil intention, wickedness, bitterness, lust for power

Summary

  • Can’t bribe your way to heaven. God cannot be manipulated. God will not accept merit (or would if there were any true merit). God cannot be bought. God cannot be ‘buttered up’.
  • Why are bribes unacceptable? bribes >> blindness >> partiality >> injustice
  • Why are bribes forbidden? God says that all people are equal, bribes favor the rich over the poor, the strong over the weak > inequality & injustice
  • Bribes are a powerful thing … blinding the eyes of the wise (even!)
  • taking bribes is clearly forbidden, giving bribes is not as strictly forbidden, but strongly discouraged, and must be hated.
  • To the degree you have power in a situation (including knowledge), to that degree you are responsible … the less power or options you have, the less responsible you are for giving bribes (taking is strictly forbidden).
  • To obtain a service that is due you by law but is refused, a bribe is less serious than for manipulating a decision in your favor against the law.
  • Ask God for specific guidance, ask the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom in dealing with bribe situations, what to say, asking for receipts, pre-empting asking of bribes, declaring that you will not influence or do something which hurts the weak in the land, …
  • What is a fee? a service charge? a gift? a bribe?
ECONOMY