We all want to grow the economy, and with economic development comes wealth for the rich but we still do not have fairness for the poor people, and not everyone gets to share in it. The Bible’s prophet-king ideal suggests that to achieve equitable economic growth, leaders should have fairness for all. When Israel did not have a king (as their king was not a god-like figure, but a man who governed according to God’s laws), for a certain period of time; all leaders considered economic development to be the act of taking care of everybody, and not making a killing.
King Solomon (one of the many Israelite kings), who ruled the nation of Israel during its golden age and established his reign by bringing in immense wealth to his country and expanding its empire, had been very well-loved by his subjects at first for this development of his land.
However, King Solomon, as any earthly ruler, had his faults, and he pushed his people hard, extracting immense wealth and taxing them dearly. His nation, for all of its glory and riches, was ultimately divided by his actions. The biblical prophets acted as guardians of the Israelite kings and often served as checks and balances on their power. The prophet Amos chastised the kings for permitting the wealthy to get richer while the poor were impoverished, saying “The Lord said to me, ‘I am coming soon. This wickedness will not go unheeded.'”
Amos also pointed out, “I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are my aversion.” He questioned whether God could appreciate people with fat wallets who were simultaneously neglecting the poor, asserting, “Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-ending stream!” Prophet Isaiah lamented that individuals who bought up large swathes of land leaving others destitute were “making themselves rich at the expense of the needy.”
These prophets believed economic development to be about equitable participation and well-being for all. A well-regarded biblical scholar and economist, Walter Brueggemann, believes the prophets acted as the king’s conscience and reminded the kings that they were in leadership to look after the well-being of the people and not their personal interests. This is a perspective that we can still consider in the modern era, when some view economic development not only as increasing a country’s gross national product (GNP) but as also improving the general well-being of the entire populace.
In 2001, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) recognized this and re-oriented development to not only include economic growth but also the “advancement of social and human capital,” which includes access to health, education, and social security systems.
All of this is what the prophets in the Bible championed. The prophet-king tradition offers us a good lesson on how to rule a nation. First, the leadership in power must remember that they rule the people as service, not to become rich. Secondly, the economic development policies of the leaders must ensure inclusivity and Fairness; including everyone, not only the rich. Third, leaders must be held accountable by the people.
The same ideas also lie in the sayings of Jesus Christ; when he commanded those leaders that “the greatest among you should be your servants.” [8] Jesus demonstrated the same concern as the prophets for those whose voices were ignored or suppressed. Christian theologians, like Gustavo Gutierrez, argue that one aspect of Christian faith necessitates standing up with and in solidarity with the oppressed and those who face unjust circumstances, actively transforming systems that create poverty and marginalization.
The story of the Prophet-King reminds us that, ultimately, economic development isn’t solely about amassing wealth; it’s about fostering a world where everyone, regardless of their background or financial status, is treated fairly and is afforded the opportunity to live a decent and fulfilling life. Leaders should be assessed not by the extent of their material possessions but by their compassion and commitment to the well-being of their people. If you’d like to learn more, check out Gustavo Gutierrez’s “A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics and Salvation.”
