PARDONED?
By: BILL CLOUD
In spite of his statement that, “No one is above the law” and vowing on multiple occasions that he would not do so, President Biden Biden issued a “full and unconditional” pardon for his son Hunter Biden.
The pardon gives Hunter Biden a pass on any crimes committed between Jan. 1, 2014, and Dec. 1, 2024. This 10-year window not only lets him off the hook for his felony conviction on gun charges and tax offenses, but also covers the time when his associations with a Ukrainian company, Chinese organizations and other questionable foreign entities — you know, all the stuff surrounding the infamous laptop.
The brazenness and breadth of the pardon has stunned critics and allies alike, prompting some to describe it as “extraordinary” and “unprecedented.” It pretty much clears Hunter Biden for offenses against the U.S. that he has committed or may have committed in that 10-year period.
“From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted…. It is clear that Hunter was treated differently.”
“I have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction — mistakes that have been exploited to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political sport…. I will never take the clemency I have been given today for granted and will devote the life I have rebuilt to helping those who are still sick and suffering.”
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said the president “has lied from start to finish about his family’s corrupt influence peddling activities. … The charges Hunter faced were just the tip of the iceberg in the blatant corruption that President Biden and the Biden Crime Family have lied about to the American people. Rather than coming clean about their decades of wrongdoing, President Biden and his family continue to do everything they can to avoid accountability.”
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) wrote on social media: “The most lawless administration in history.”
CNN said the pardon “deepened an entanglement of politics and the rule of law that has tarnished faith in American justice.”
President Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter has also sparked criticism from some of his fellow Democrats.
Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio said, “As a father, I get it. But as someone who wants people to believe in public service again, it’s a setback,”
Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., said, “President Biden’s decision put personal interest ahead of duty and further erodes Americans’ faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all.”
Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz. “This wasn’t a politically-motivated prosecution. Hunter committed felonies, and was convicted by a jury of his peers.”
Jared Polis, the Democratic governor of Colorado, said:
“I am disappointed that he put his family ahead of the country…. Hunter brought the legal trouble he faced on himself, and one can sympathize with his struggles while also acknowledging that no one is above the law, not a President and not a President’s son.”
Nate Silver, a notable pollster who definitely has Democratic leanings said, “Don’t vote for any Democrat in 2028 who doesn’t repudiate the pardon within 48 hours.”
As you might imagine, some Democratic allies are pushing back against the criticism even as they wipe the egg off of their face. For instance, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who had repeatedly insisted that the President Biden had no plans to pardon his son, now says that Biden did not lie and pardoned Hunter because he was “singled out politically.”
Former White House press secretary and MSNBC host, Jen Psaki, had previously claimed that Biden would not pardon his son because “his decision not to pardon his son is an expression of … principle…. If that doesn’t tell you who Joe Biden is, I don’t really know what does. Joe Biden’s character as a public servant is what drove him to make clear that the law applies to everyone.”
Upon hearing the news, one MSNBC contributor was visibly dumbfounded and speechless.
I could go on and on with the different reactions and responses — and I won’t — but this decision has clearly upset a great number of people, accentuating the belief among many Americans that we are held to a different standard than the political elite. Again, “Rules for thee, not for me.”
I’m not here to offer an opinion as to whether this pardon was right or wrong or whether Hunter Biden is guilty of all he’s been accused of — or for that matter, that Joe Biden is guilty of everything he’s suspected of. I will say this decision certainly cemented the notion in the minds of many that Biden is the stereotypical self-serving politician — but he’s not the first and he won’t be the last.
This matter has reminded me of a tragic situation recorded in Scripture in 1 Samuel 1-4. This was in the days when the Tabernacle was in Shiloh, when Eli served as High Priest with his sons Hophni and Pinchas — men described in the Bible as “sons of Belial” and sons who “did not know the Lord.” These two men used their lofty positions to commit grievous sins, including forcing people to give them what rightfully belonged to God — in essence they were guilty of theft and extortion.
They also committed unlawful acts with the women who came to His Sanctuary. Perhaps the greatest consequence of their blatant sins was to cause the people of God to despise the offerings of the Lord. You might say that, seeing these powerful men seemingly getting away with corrupt activities caused people to lose faith in something that was supposed to be holy and above reproach.
As for the father, his response was to rebuke them — a rebuke they refused to heed — but Eli did not remove them from their position. Consequently, an unnamed man of God came to him and said,
“Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling place, and honor your sons
more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of
all the offerings of Israel My people?”
1 Samuel 2:29
“This shall be a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them. Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind.”
1 Samuel 2:34-35
There is a bit of good news in all of this: throughout this dark time and the fiasco that marked the end of Eli and his sons, Samuel the prophet — the one who would anoint David to be king — was being prepared for his ministry.
But I want us to focus on this: it may seem that corrupt men don’t have to answer for their actions; it may seem that powerful people can get away with wrongdoing, and in this life, they may. However, there is day of reckoning.
While we may be able to avoid accountability for a while; we may avoid it to some degree in this life — but we will all be held accountable. All, great and small, will stand before the Almighty and give an account of our actions, and on that day, no government agency or legal loophole will insulate us from God’s justice.
As it is written,
“There is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.”
Luke 12:2-3
Men may be pardoned by other men but only a pardon that comes from the Creator can absolve us from the guilt of our wrongdoing. And so it is incumbent upon us to acknowledge our shortcomings and seek His forgiveness. As it is written, “Pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance” (Exodus 34:9); “O Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it is great” (Psalm 25:11).
And as the prophet wrote:
“Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”
Isaiah 55:6-7
And that being so, it behooves us to seek Him while He may be found and obtain the pardon that really matters — not one that comes from an earthly father with limited power; but a pardon from the One who is all-powerful, and thankfully, eternally merciful.
For more great content, check out these other articles from Bill Cloud!
Like what you’ve seen so far? Click below to watch the Weekly Scroll!
Watch the original video below.
About Bill Cloud
BILL CLOUD
Soon thereafter, Bill began learning Hebrew under the tutelage of a local rabbi and has since spent many hours studying, not only the Hebrew text, but the Hebraic roots of Christianity as well. This interest in the language is tied to Bill’s desire to unlock the hidden treasures within the Word of God and to teach them, along with our Hebraic roots, to believers in Messiah. Furthermore, this insight has allowed Bill to better understand the prophetic element of Scripture. As a result of this study, Bill has developed a variety of media resources dealing with prophetic themes as well as teachings related to our lost Hebraic heritage.
Bill is a featured speaker in venues throughout the country and has appeared with notable teachers such as Perry Stone, Jonathan Cahn, Joel Richardson and Hal Lindsay. He has also made several appearances on a variety of television broadcasts seen on different Christian networks throughout the world. Recently Bill, along with his wife, Beth, and their children started a fellowship in the Cleveland TN area.
Through Shoreshim Ministries, Bill and his family strive to re-introduce Christians to the Jewish Yeshua and to educate believers in the Hebraic roots of their faith. As a result of this information, disciples of the Messiah can more accurately interpret end-time events and better discern our role in these last days.
Bill and his family reside in Cleveland, Tennessee.