Pt. 3 -Samuel Would Not Have Clapped (Holy Fear in the Age of Applause)

Looking at the faith leaders aligned with the current administration gives me pause.
I can’t help but wonder what the prophet Samuel would have thought about this moment.

Samuel counseled one king and anointed another.

He walked closely with Saul, serving as God’s eyes and ears, urging him to remain aligned with God’s will. But Samuel never mistook proximity for permission. He did not trade truth for access. And when Saul stepped outside of God’s command, Samuel did not hesitate to speak.

He told the king plainly:
the kingdom would be torn from him
and given to another.

That kind of clarity feels rare today.

Instead, we see faith leaders gathered in solidarity around a national figure they clearly know is violating the Word of God. There is no rebuke. No warning. No trembling before holiness. Only applause. Laughter. Public affirmation. The so-called faith pastor of the administration even went so far as to crown him “The GOAT,” the greatest of all time.

Samuel would not have clapped.
Samuel would not have laughed.
Samuel would not have clapped—not even when a racist trope was circulated the very next morning after the Prayer Breakfast for amusement, targeting a former Black president.
Prophets do not find humor where God sees harm.

Samuel would not have confused power with divine approval.

These leaders have traded—if they ever possessed it at all—the holy fear of God for the unholy fear of man.

God could not have been clearer: “Do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Not fear donors.
Not fear access.
Not fear losing your seat at the table.

Fear God.

This warning was not symbolic.
It was not rhetorical.
And it was not optional for those who claim to speak on God’s behalf.

Yet many modern faith leaders behave as though it does not apply to them.

Like the Pharisees of Scripture, they know the language. They quote the text. They wear the titles and occupy the platforms. But they have learned how to sanctify compromise. They call access “assignment,” influence “anointing,” and silence “wisdom.”

They fear losing invitations more than losing integrity.
They fear offending power more than offending God.

Jesus saved His harshest words not for unbelievers, but for religious leaders who knew better and chose comfort anyway. “Woe to you,” He said—leaders who polished the outside while the inside decayed, who loved honor, titles, and public praise more than truth.

Holy fear has been replaced with holy branding.
Discernment has been dulled by proximity to power.
And somewhere along the way, many forgot that prophets are not called to protect kings—they are called to confront them.

History is consistent on this point:
when faith leaders refuse to speak truth to power,
God will always raise someone else who will.

Samuel knew that.
And so did Jesus.

Mama Wisdom Reflection:

“If you have to bend God’s Word to stay seated at the table, that table was never yours.”
Real authority doesn’t need applause, and real faith doesn’t panic when power walks away.
The fear of God will always cost you something—but it will never cost you your soul.
And when all the clapping dies down, it won’t matter who you stood next to.
It will matter who you stood for.