Daily Tidbits 11/3/26 – Warren G. Harding

On this date, 11/3/1865, Warren G. Harding was born. In the Presidents Code, Warren Harding’s Presidency displays the time of Israel dwelling in Goshen during the days of Joseph. The Presidents Code is a parable based upon the name meanings of the U.S. Presidents. Their name meanings tell the story of the Biblical text, from the beginning of creation unto the days of Christ. Based upon the premise of this code, it is seen that the very characters of the Presidents, from their personal characters to the events that occurred during their Presidencies reveal in parable form the exact same events of the Biblical narrative of which their name meanings describe. In other words, the history of the United States is displaying a giant parable of the Word of God.

President Warren G. Harding
Republican 3/4/1921-8/2/1923

The 1920 Election saw Warren Harding win in a landslide against Democrat James Cox. Harding won the election by 26% which was the biggest landslide to that point in history. He received 60% of the vote, the largest amount of the 4th Party era.

Theodore Roosevelt was the frontrunner for the Republican nomination but he died in 1919. The Republican Party turned to Charles Evans Hughes who was the nominee in 1916 but he refused as his daughter died in 1920. This led to dark horse candidate Warren Harding gaining the nomination as he was from the swing state of Ohio and had the support of the Republican “establishment.” Woodrow Wilson sought a third term but due to his health issues gained little support. As a result, James Cox gained the Democratic nomination on the 44th ballot defeating Wilson’s son-in-law, William Gibbs McAdoo. Both Harding and Cox were newspaper editors from Ohio.

Ohio has the name meaning of great river. In the parable, this points to the Nile River in Egypt (Genesis 15:18). In the Bible, “news” means a report, a message. The Hebrew word for newspaper is עיתון ‘eyton’ from the word עט ‘et’ which pictographically displays a bird of prey as one who “sees and contains.” The word for pen in Hebrew is also עט ‘et,’ possibly pointing to the talons of a bird of prey. This foreshadows Israel who would be delivered by God as an eagle (Exodus 19:4), leading Moses to write with “pen” the Word of the Gospel, the good news.

Israel was the army of the Lord who “published” His good news. Their message was associated with music (Psalm 68:25) which is seen in Wilson‘s parable related to the radio. The 1920 Election was the first in which candidates were heard on the radio.

Psa 68:11 The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.

At the time of the election, the country was in an economic recession after World War I. Harding was the candidate that stood against the Progressive movement of Wilson, promising a “return to normalcy” which the country desired. The nation had just gone through the Progressive Era, World War I and the Spanish Flu. The Treaty of Versailles which ended World War I and the League of Nations pushed by Wilson was highly unpopular. Harding’s landslide victory over Cox also led to Franklin Roosevelt gaining notoriety, ultimately leading to his Presidency in 1933.

Warren Harding’s name is speaking of Israel going down into Egypt to dwell as shepherds in the land of Goshen, the best of the land of Egypt.

Warren comes from a Norman French word ‘warrene’ meaning an animal enclosure. This points to the land of Goshen, where Israel dwelt as shepherds with their sheep (Genesis 45:10; 46:28; 47:27).

Gamaliel means the ‘benefit or reward of God.’ The land of Goshen was the best of the land of Egypt, ‘the reward of God.’

Genesis 46:2 And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.
Genesis 46:3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:
Genesis 47:5 And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:
Genesis 47:6 The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.
Genesis 47:27 And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.

Harding comes from the Old English name ‘Heard’ which means brave or hardy.

The Hebrew word for bravery is אמץ ‘amatz’ which means strength. This is linked with putting on the helmet of salvation (1 Corinthians 16:13; Ephesians 6:10-18) of which Jacob sought during the days of the famine. This hope in Him is pointing to the time of Jacob blessing his children in Egypt (Genesis 49:18) which corresponds to the time period of which Harding’s Presidency refers to.

Harding’s Presidency is strongly connected to William Howard Taft whose name was a picture of Joseph, the shepherd who fed the nations and in particular Jacob and his family. This aspect of Joseph’s life is a picture of the Messiah, the Good Shepherd. Harding gave Taft’s Presidential nomination speech in 1912 and when he became President appointed Taft as Chief Justice.

Warren G. Harding’s Presidency was defined by his promise of a return to ‘normalcy.’ The three previous Presidents were Progressives who sought to transform society. Harding wanted to return to the days of old where the government was not active in as many aspects of a person’s life. This return to normalcy is speaking of Israel’s acclimation to life in the land of Egypt. Jacob and his family lived with Laban as shepherds were he defrauded them (Genesis 31:37), they fled and had to face the threat of Esau (Genesis 32-33). They then dwelt in Shechem were Levi and Simeon slaughtered the people of the land and they had to worry about retribution from the inhabitants of Canaan (Genesis 34). Then, they had to worry about famine in Canaan (Genesis 42). Living in Egypt, with Joseph providing for them (Genesis 45:10-11), they grew in multitude and strength (Genesis 46:3; 47:27).

After Harding’s Presidency the Teapot Dome scandal was brought to light which has tarnished his Presidency in the eyes of following generations. This corresponds to the Biblical narrative of the end of Jacob’s life where he makes Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, his, as a result of Reuben and Simeon’s scandalous behavior (Genesis 47:28-31; 48:1-22). Further connecting Harding to Ephraim and Manasseh are the name meanings of Joseph’s sons. Manasseh means to ‘forget’ (Genesis 41:51) as Joseph was caused to forget his toil and his father’s house while in Egypt. This connects with Harding’s ‘return to normalcy’ where the country would ‘forget’ the Progressive movement of the previous Presidents, albeit only for a short period just as Joseph would only be able to ‘forget’ his family for a short period before they were reunited.

Ephraim means ‘doubly fruitful’ which speaks of Joseph’s blessing in becoming ruler of Egypt and Israel’s blessed state while dwelling in Goshen. This connects to Harding’s Presidency where the U.S. was brought out of the Depression of 1920-21 and led to the prosperity of the Coolidge administration that lasted throughout the rest of the decade. While the rest of Egypt were enslaved to Pharaoh in order to obtain grain (Genesis 47:13-25), Israel was free in Goshen where they grew and multiplied exceedingly (Genesis 47:27).

Further linking these concepts is that the economy of the 20’s led into the Great Depression, just as the blessed state of Israel in Goshen led to their slavery.

Harding was the sixth president to die in office, the third of natural causes. Harding was only 57 years old. This connects to Jacob’s comments to Pharaoh when they met in Genesis 47. He appeared old but was yet young.

Genesis 47:9 And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.

Further connecting Harding’s death to Jacob’s death is the reaction of the people. After Harding died it was said the entire nation mourned and felt a ‘personal loss.’ This corresponds to the great mourning of Jacob by both his family and the entire nation of Egypt (Genesis 50:1-13).

Harding died while on a speaking tour in 1923 called the “Voyage of Understanding.” Harding was obviously sick during this time, just as the Patriarch Jacob knew his death was near (Genesis 47:29). This points to Genesis 49 where Jacob blesses his children and gives them understanding of what would befall them in the “last days.”

Warren Harding’s Inaugural address is one of the more impressive ones in the country’s history. Throughout the speech he rededicated the country to the vision of the Founders of America being the light of the world, to glorify our Heavenly Father (Matthew 5:14-16). Harding’s mother gave him the middle name Gamaliel in hopes that he would be a ‘teachers of God’s people’ just as Gamaliel taught the Apostle Paul (Acts 22:3). Harding did not become a preacher or evangelist but in his Inaugural address he fulfilled, at least in part, his mother’s wishes.

A further connection to Harding and the Gospel is the fact that his occupation throughout most of his life was that of a newspaper publisher. The Hebrew word for Gospel is בסר ‘basar’ which literally means to spread the news, in particular good news.

In Harding’s Inaugural speech he spoke of his belief in the divine inspiration of the Founding Fathers.

“Standing in this presence, mindful of the solemnity of this occasion, feeling the emotions which no one may know until he senses the great weight of responsibility for himself, I must utter my belief in the divine inspiration of the founding fathers. Surely there must have been God’s intent in the making of this new-world Republic. Ours is an organic law which had but one ambiguity, and we saw that effaced in a baptism of sacrifice and blood, with union maintained, the Nation supreme, and its concord inspiring. We have seen the world rivet its hopeful gaze on the great truths on which the founders wrought. We have seen civil, human, and religious liberty verified and glorified. In the beginning the Old World scoffed at our experiment; today our foundations of political and social belief stand unshaken, a precious inheritance to ourselves, an inspiring example of freedom and civilization to all mankind. Let us express renewed and strengthened devotion, in grateful reverence for the immortal beginning, and utter our confidence in the supreme fulfillment.”

This connects to God’s reassurance to Jacob that although he was going down into Egypt, he would return to the land promised to him where he would receive the promise of Abraham.

This is a reiteration of the promise to the ‘founding father’ Abraham when God cut the covenant with him in Genesis 15.

Genesis 15:12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
Genesis 15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
Genesis 15:14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
Genesis 15:15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
Genesis 15:16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

Continuing his Inaugural address, Harding spoke of the wisdom of the Founders of not getting entangled in alliances with other nations. World War I had brought the United States into league with the rest of the world but Harding was opposed to the League of Nations which Woodrow Wilson promoted. America was to be involved but yet separate from the nations, just as Israel was in Egypt yet separate from the nation (Genesis 42:32; 46:32; Exodus 8:26).

“The recorded progress of our Republic, materially and spiritually, in itself proves the wisdom of the inherited policy of noninvolvement in Old World affairs. Confident of our ability to work out our own destiny, and jealously guarding our right to do so, we seek no part in directing the destinies of the Old World. We do not mean to be entangled. We will accept no responsibility except as our own conscience and judgment, in each instance, may determine.

Our eyes never will be blind to a developing menace, our ears never deaf to the call of civilization. We recognize the new order in the world, with the closer contacts which progress has wrought. We sense the call of the human heart for fellowship, fraternity, and cooperation. We crave friendship and harbor no hate. But America, our America, the America builded on the foundation laid by the inspired fathers, can be a party to no permanent military alliance. It can enter into no political commitments, nor assume any economic obligations which will subject our decisions to any other than our own authority.”

“We are ready to associate ourselves with the nations of the world, great and small, for conference, for counsel…but every commitment must be made in the exercise of our national sovereignty. Since freedom impelled, and independence inspired, and nationality exalted, a world supergovernment is contrary to everything we cherish and can have no sanction by our Republic. This is not selfishness, it is sanctity. It is not aloofness, it is security. It is not suspicion of others, it is patriotic adherence to the things which made us what we are.”

This points to God’s desire of His people to be in the world, but not of the world (John 17:15; 1 Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 2:15). A nation sanctified (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 1:15; 2:9), sharing the Gospel of Liberty (John 8:31-32).

Continuing in his Inaugural address, Harding rededicated America to the concept that the Founders envisioned of a ‘city on a hill’ which would stand as an example to the nations. This was also one of the reasons Israel was brought down into Egypt so that the Lord could use them as an example (Exodus 11:7).

“We would not have an America living within and for herself alone, but we would have her self-reliant, independent, and ever nobler, stronger, and richer. Believing in our higher standards, reared through constitutional liberty and maintained opportunity, we invite the world to the same heights.”

He spoke of this responsibility as the ‘God-given destiny of our Republic.’

“One cannot stand in this presence and be unmindful of the tremendous responsibility. The world upheaval has added heavily to our tasks. But with the realization comes the surge of high resolve, and there is reassurance in belief in the God-given destiny of our Republic.

I have taken the solemn oath of office on that passage of Holy Writ wherein it is asked: “What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” This I plight to God and country.”

Harding is referring to the Scripture verse Micah 6:8 which speaks of the Lord’s desire of His people to walk before Him in a humble manner. This is the lesson that Israel learned when they were brought low in Egypt (Genesis 15:13; Exodus 1:11-12). The Lord afflicts His people that they might learn His Word (Psalm 119:67, 71, 75) and receive His blessing in the end (Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 16; Zephaniah 3:19-20; Romans 8:17).

Harding oversaw the Washington Naval Conference and Disarmament Treaties of 1921-1922 which nine countries agreed to limit naval armaments preventing a post WWI arms race.
This Treaty was a temporary pause to conflict as eventually the nations involved would go to war in World War II. This points to Pharaoh welcoming Jacob and his family into Egypt but a Pharaoh who “knew not Joseph” would arise in the future.

For more on the parable of the Presidents Code: