“Thus says the LORD:
‘For three transgressions of Damascus,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they have threshed Gilead
with threshing sledges of iron.
So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael,
and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.
I will break the gate-bar of Damascus,
and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of Aven,
and him who holds the scepter from Beth-eden;
and the people of Syria shall go into exile to Kir,
says the LORD.
“Thus says the LORD:
‘For three transgressions of Gaza,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they carried into exile a whole people
to deliver them up to Edom.
So I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza,
and it shall devour her strongholds.
I will cut off the inhabitants from Ashdod,
and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon;
I will turn my hand against Ekron,
and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish,’
says the Lord GOD.
“Thus says the LORD:
‘For three transgressions of Tyre,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they delivered up a whole people to Edom,
and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.
So I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre,
and it shall devour her strongholds.’
“Thus says the LORD:
‘For three transgressions of Edom,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because he pursued his brother with the sword
and cast off all pity,
and his anger tore perpetually,
and he kept his wrath forever.
So I will send a fire upon Teman,
and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah.’
“Thus says the LORD:
‘For three transgressions of the Ammonites,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead,
that they might enlarge their border.
So I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah,
and it shall devour her strongholds,
with shouting on the day of battle,
with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind;
and their king shall go into exile,
he and his princes together,’
says the LORD.
“Thus says the LORD:
‘For three transgressions of Moab,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because he burned to lime
the bones of the king of Edom.
So I will send a fire upon Moab,
and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth,
and Moab shall die amid uproar,
amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet;
I will cut off the ruler from its midst,
and will kill all its princes with him,’
says the LORD.
“Thus says the LORD:
‘For three transgressions of Judah,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they have rejected the law of the LORD,
and have not kept his statutes,
but their lies have led them astray,
those after which their fathers walked.
So I will send a fire upon Judah,
and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem.’
“Thus says the LORD:
‘For three transgressions of Israel,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they sell the righteous for silver,
and the needy for a pair of sandals—
those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth
and turn aside the way of the afflicted;
a man and his father go in to the same girl,
so that my holy name is profaned;
they lay themselves down beside every altar
on garments taken in pledge,
and in the house of their God they drink
the wine of those who have been fined.’”
Solomon has written:
“Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a reproach to any people.”
[PROVERBS 14:34]
Ultimately, this proverb provides the reason the Lord God judges any nation. Sin is offensive to Holy God; and when sin is not only tolerated, but celebrated, it is but a matter of time until judgement must be unleashed. Let our own nation take note and turn from doing that which invites divine judgement. Of course, we aren’t likely to turn from our sins, since we have concluded, in our arrogance, that we are not sinful. I’ve lived a long time, and I observe that the course of nations is away from righteousness. During the years of my pilgrimage, I’ve seen societies turn righteousness on its head. We call evil good, and good evil. We pervert the course of justice, and imagine that the Holy One will be pleased with us.
Consider contemporary culture as a warning of behaviour that invites divine judgement. Our culture seems fluid, moving ever farther from a biblical worldview. Without a moral standard that was generally accepted in years past, our culture has embraced tolerance of all standards, which means that a fixed standard of morality is anathema to the majority. As an example of what I mean, consider that the life of a child in the uterus depends upon the subjective decision of that child’s mother. Moreover, she will be making her decision on whether the child can live or must be sacrificed at a time when she is most vulnerable.
Euthanasia is increasingly acceptable to the citizenry, including those who would claim they are “spiritual.” Tragically, this acceptance, or at least a refusal to speak out against the practise, has become common among the churches. The concept of the sanctity of life is foreign to contemporary culture, having been jettisoned for a concept that seems more at place with German governmental officials presiding over the purification of the race during the 1930s.
Contemporary society has redefined gender and marriage. In fact, we are no longer prepared to say what the sex of an individual is despite their biological makeup. Genetics no longer matter, as feelings must prevail over reality. For millennia, marriage was recognised as the union of a man and a woman dedicated to one another for life. However, that is no longer the case as social engineers reimagine what marriage might be. Rather than seeing marriage as a means to strengthen society through producing offspring, it has been reduced to a means of temporary personal gratification for those wishing to make a transient commitment.
What does God think of our culture today? That question leads naturally to a further question—What causes God to judge nations? Surveying the opening chapters of the Prophecy of Amos, the rude prophet from Tekoa, reveals eight reasons God judges nations. Perhaps realising that God does judge nations, and understanding the reasons for His judgement, will permit the people of God to become aware of what could take place in our lifetime.
EIGHT SINS THAT GOD JUDGES — The passage is extended, but essential. When read at one sitting, it becomes obvious that God is listing a number of sinful actions that bring judgement. Though we might imagine that the judgements are not immediate, they come quickly when they are not addressed by the people. Whenever one of the societies begins to tolerate the named attitude or action, or whenever a society begins to promote a given sinful attitude, God acts.
The first of these sinful attitudes is violence. As God spoke through Amos, He specifically pointed to Syria and Edom, neighbours of Israel and Judah. This is what God said.
“For three transgressions of Damascus,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they have threshed Gilead
with threshing sledges of iron.”
[AMOS 1:3]
“For three transgressions of Edom,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because he pursued his brother with the sword
and cast off all pity,
and his anger tore perpetually,
and he kept his wrath forever.”
[AMOS 1:11]
Violence incites God’s wrath. Damascus “thrashed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron,” and Edom “pursued his brother with the sword.” Edom had no pity, no mercy, but became a nation ruled by anger and a society that fostered wrath.
When one sees this warning, it is almost impossible not to think of the rise in violent crimes witnessed in modern society. Yes, I understand that violence has been with us in western society for many years, but excusing violence or tolerating that violence is a more recent phenomenon. The rise of groups such as Antifa and Proud Boys in recent years, groups that are noted for their violence, groups that are defended by segments of society, bespeak a change in contemporary culture that portends judgement.
The next sin that God specifically mentions is slavery. Again the Lord pointed to Gaza and Tyre, instructing Amos to write,
“For three transgressions of Gaza,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they carried into exile a whole people
to deliver them up to Edom.”
[AMOS 1:6]
“For three transgressions of Tyre,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they delivered up a whole people to Edom,
and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.”
[AMOS 1:9]
These two nations carried entire populations into exile, selling the people into slavery. Their despicable actions invited God’s judgement. There can be no question that slavery still invites divine judgement. And what must the Living God think of the sexual slavery that supplies young women and young men for the gross pleasure of the dark undercurrent of modern society. What is worse is that this dark business is no longer hidden. Pornography enslaves vast numbers of young women and men, destroying their lives for the filthy industry. Our children are inexorably drawn into participating in the destruction of the lives of others as they are seduced into viewing the poisonous fruit of the sordid sin. Then, when those trapped in this slavery are no longer young, no longer nubile and desirable, they are cast off like old rags.
God, through His prophet then speaks of the murder of the unborn. The LORD says of Amon,
“For three transgressions of the Ammonites,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead,
that they might enlarge their border.”
[AMOS 1:13]
Contemporary society not only tolerates the slaughter of the innocent, but we compel all to support it through tax subsidies to the abortion industry. We kill off those who could be scientists and scholars to discover cures for the societal ills that now plague us. We sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the temporary as we import people who do not share our heritage in order to pay for the social services we now demand. How foolish can a people be?
Amos then points to a culture of disrespect and ridicule. He cites Moab, writing,
“For three transgressions of Moab,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because he burned to lime
the bones of the king of Edom.”
[AMOS 2:1]
This was a violent act of disrespect and ridicule meant to diminish the Edomites in the eyes of the Moabites. In reality, it differs only in degree from the rancor, the animosity, the bitter vituperation that characterises political tribes in modern North America. Whether we speak of the rage expressed by the Democrat and by the Republican tribes in the United States, or the disrespect that is characteristic of the NDP, the Liberals or the Conservatives in our own nation. The idea of statesmen seems foreign to modern political life, though there are politicians aplenty. And what takes place in the political arena mirrors the disrespect and ridicule that marks contemporary entertainment. Our entertainment industry is built in no small measure on tearing down others rather than building up others. How must God see our sinful behaviour?
The Lord speaks through His prophet to expose the turning away from the Faith when Amos writes,
“For three transgressions of Judah,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they have rejected the law of the LORD,
and have not kept his statutes,
but their lies have led them astray,
those after which their fathers walked.”
[AMOS 2:4]
When the churches of our Lord are known more for their pursuit of normalising every deviant behaviour imaginable, refusing to speak out against wickedness and recasting righteousness as evil, should we imagine that the Risen Lord will overlook our descent into madness? Judah was exposed as turning aside from righteousness; and we, also, are being exposed for turning away from godliness in this day. When our nation embraces unbiblical actions as normal and the faithful are silent, can we actually expect that God does not see what we are doing?
God pointed to Israel as guilty of keeping the poor in poverty. Through Amos, God said,
“For three transgressions of Israel,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they sell the righteous for silver,
and the needy for a pair of sandals—
those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth
and turn aside the way of the afflicted”
[AMOS 2:6-7a]
Governments spend millions on foreign aid, and there may be a place for foreign aid. However, while spending those millions—nay, billions—we have people living in poverty in our own nation. I don’t support making people dependent on government assistance or encouraging sloth, but I do have a problem with children being born into poverty and compelled to grow up without opportunity to change their situation.
I know something about poverty, having been born into poverty and having grown up without much of what is considered necessary today. I know what it is to live in an unheated house, to have an outdoor privy, to have a single tap to bring water into the house, to have one pair of shoes for the year, to wear the same clothes for a week because there are no other clothes to wear while those are being washed. However, when given the opportunity, I was encouraged to break out of that situation and better myself. It is not apparent that youth today are always given that opportunity.
Let me speak somewhat pointedly to ask whether we really care about the children growing up on the reserves. I know there are serious social problems on those reserves. I know there is rampant nepotism and wasted funds, but surely we are capable of providing for the children of those societies to break out of their poverty, designing a system that is not contaminated by the sordid hands of politicians seeking only to enrich themselves so that the funds provided will permit the children to have a chance. Can we not make it possible for the elderly who built our nation to be cared for in their old age? What does God say?
Again, listen as the Lord speaks through Amos.
“A man and his father go in to the same girl,
so that my holy name is profaned.”
[AMOS 2:7b]
God condemns the epidemic of sexual dissipation in Israel. The churches briefly roused themselves to speak against the epidemic of homosexuality and transsexualism, but refused to open their mouths to point out the dreadful destruction of the social fabric brought on by the pervasive nature of adultery, pornography, and premarital sex.
I know that some wonder why I speak of the sexual dissipation that marks contemporary society. Some have questioned why I can’t just let matters go. How is it possible to ignore what is taking place when we are compelled to see the destructive attitudes on an ongoing basis? We cannot watch television without the actors and actresses normalising immorality through their acting. The music of the day normalises immorality, making the evil acts so common that we become casual about what they are selling. We use raw sex to sell our cars, to sell candy, to sell clothing. Few items are marketed without an appeal to sex. Let me admit that it is well nigh impossible to have Sunday School thoughts when watching scantily clad women parading about, or when watching the obvious flirting that takes place in order to make the product being hawked somehow more attractive. What do you suppose the Lord thinks of our sexual dissipation today?
Then, God condemns Israel because they denigrated religious commitment. Amos said,
“You made the Nazirites drink wine,
and commanded the prophets,
saying, ‘You shall not prophesy.’”
[AMOS 2:12]
The LORD had commanded the Nazirites not to drink wine, but the people compelled them to drink wine. This was an instance of trying to compel uniformity by making those committed to the Lord GOD conform to community standards. The prophets were supposed to prophesy, but because the culture no longer wanted to hear the warnings that the prophets would speak, they sought to keep them silent. Social pressure conspired to drive the committed out of their lane so that they would stop making others feel uncomfortable.
Something akin to that takes place today when we imply that religion is fine so long as it is practised within the confines of the four walls of the church building. “Don’t bring your religion into the marketplace,” seems to be the message of contemporary society. The tragedy is that in far too many instances, the faithful are willing to abide by these rules which are imposed upon us by a culture that is increasingly fearful of the faithful. What do you suppose God thinks about the decline of religious commitment in our nation today?
JUDGEMENT IS CERTAIN — Eight sins are named—violence, slavery, murder of the unborn, disrespect and ridicule, turning away from the faith, poverty, sexual dissipation, denigrating religious commitment. The Lord God deems these sins sufficiently heinous as to invite judgement of societies, as to invite judgement of cultures. If the Lord judged those ancient cultures named because of these sins, can we expect that our contemporary western culture is somehow exempt from divine judgement?
Even a casual review of modern culture should cause us to tremble at the thought of how our culture, our modern society, must surely insult the Living God! As the LORD began speaking through Amos, He named eight particular sins that ensured judgement. How do you suppose contemporary society fares when those particular sins are examined?
Consider the issue of violence. Our entertainment depends in great measure on violence. Television shows are built around the violence of society. The music that continually enters into our minds, assaulting the mind of our youth as they walk around hooked up to their air buds, contains a surprising underpinning of violence. The games that entertain our society are disproportionately built on the gamer’s vicarious participation in violence. The point remains, violence sells—almost as well as sex sells.
I know that psychologists, the priests of modern social trends, tell us that these violent games don’t really influence anyone. However, the assurances these high priests give somehow ring hollow. Despite all the strenuous efforts of modern educators to stop the plague of bullying of youth, news articles seem to pop up with disturbing regularity of youths taking their own lives because they were bullied.
Slavery, whether it speaks of taking advantage of the vulnerable through withholding what is due them for their labour or whether it speaks of taking advantage of those forced into prostitution, invites divine judgement. When a society tolerates such slavery, that society must be warned that there is a God who shall hold them to account. Whether that society receives the warning or whether that society disregards the warning will not change the outcome. Judgement, when it is unleashed, must devastate the entire social strata—no one will be spared.
And what shall we say of the murder of the unborn? Can our world actually justify killing the innocent in the one place they should be safest—their mother’s womb? Have we actually sunk so low that we are prepared no approve of killing these innocent ones even at the moment they are about to enter into this world? How do we differ from those ancient cultures that now horrify us—cultures that burned their infants in the fire, believing they were placating their gods that demanded this ultimate sacrifice for the happiness of those making the sacrifice. We burn our infants in utero by injecting saline solutions and chemicals into the uterus to ensure that the infants are killed by being tortured and expelled. How is that better than dropping them into a fire? How is tearing them apart in the womb more civilised than cutting them apart and arranging the parts on an altar we have erected? Those ancient cultures sought personal comfort from their gods; we seek freedom from responsibility and personal comfort to do whatever we wish without the encumbrance of a child.
Increasingly, common courtesy is ignored in any of a number of relationships today. Disrespect and ridicule marked the interaction between nations, between leaders of the land, and even between neighbours in that ancient day. Nothing much seems to have changed. It is almost a blood sport to express your views on Twitter or to post something on Facebook. If what you happen to post is the least bit controversial, people do not merely disagree, but they seek to destroy you. Perhaps this is not surprising in light of the fact that ridicule and callused remarks have become a major form of humour in our day. The caustic put-down, the sharp retort, the cutting dismissal are esteemed even among those who are friends. However, Christians need to be careful in employing disrespect and ridicule in casual conversation.
Doxing those with whom someone disagrees has led to violence in a growing number of instances, and those who perform this dastardly deed justify their actions with the dismissive statement that those who are exposed deserve what comes to them because of their views. Viewpoint discrimination has become a feature of the contemporary landscape.
It almost seems as if followers of the Christ have dismissed the Apostle’s admonition, You will undoubtedly recall that we who follow the Master have been taught, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” [ROMANS 12:14-21].
Deserting the Faith, walking away from responsibilities among the faithful, has become so commonplace that we are no longer shocked when it happens. We have a casual view of marriage, and it is witnessed in the manner in which we unite and the ease with which we cease to honour any semblance of commitment to one another. We no longer seek societal approval of commitment to one another, and therefore we feel no particular responsibility to make things work when marriage becomes demanding.
The same casual attitude marks union with the assembly of the righteous. We don’t feel particularly constrained to formally unite with a congregation, and thus, it is quite easy to walk away when something is said or done with which we disagree. The land is marked by people who used to be a Christian, or by people who used to go to church. Somehow, their needs weren’t met, so they just quit. Where is that famous verse that tells us to participate in the life of the Body so long as our needs are met? Where is that pericope that encourages us to share in the services of worship so long as we are being fed? Whatever happened to the responsibility to invest our lives in our fellow saints? Whatever happened to the responsibility to exercise the gift with which the Spirit entrusted us to build up others, to encourage others, to comfort others? Somehow, we Christians have made the Faith all about ourselves, when in reality the Word teaches us that our focus should be on the Risen Lord. When that is the case, we will be far more concerned about others than we are concerned for what we can get out of the church.
Shouldn’t we tremble when we recall the words that Peter drafted in the first missive he sent to the saints of the Diaspora. Peter wrote, “It is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God” [1 PETER 4:17]? If judgement begins with us, can we actually permit such a casual view of the Faith to take root in our lives? Shouldn’t we fear God who must hold us to account?
I’m all in for being benevolent; however, I am disturbed at the thought that government wishes to be benevolent by taking my goods and redistributing the wealth of the nation—wealth which the politicians did not create, though they did seize that wealth. It is as though politicians are afflicted with some sort of presbyopia that allows them to see needs in distant lands while remaining blind to needs in our own nation. To be certain, the politicians do grow wealthy through these redistribution schemes, it does cost money to dream up and to administer these schemes. Giving money to slothful people will never cure poverty. Investing time to instruct in sound principles of cleanliness, teaching people principles of wise management of time and finances, creating a thirst for knowledge in children will transform communities. Churches will not improve people’s lives by donating money—that is a form of cheap grace. Investing time and talent to lift people out of sin’s degradation, investing sweat equity in teaching those who do not speak the language to become competent in the lingua franca of the nation, teaching children to love the Lord God will change communities and move people out of poverty.
God judged the cultures because of a preoccupation with sex. And will He not hold us accountable for our focus on sex. We even train our children in the earliest grades about sexual themes as though this was the summum bonum of life. We bring in drag queens to read stories to our preschool children and we instruct our children in kindergarten about accepting those who flaunt their sexual predilections. Few items are marketed in our society without an appeal to sex. I understand that sex is a pretty basic desire in life. However, without balance, this preoccupation becomes utterly destructive. When sex has been elevated to the primary drive for life, even acting as though sex was the sole drive for our lives, it is well documented that we cease to enjoy the very gift that God gave us. The Creator gave us sex as a gift to be enjoyed, and through which we would propagate the race. Woman was created to be a helper for man, not a “thing” to be used for his increasingly self-centred desires.
Can it actually be that we never read the instruction of the Lord which teaches each of us, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband” [EPHESIANS 5:22-33].
And what shall we say about our culture when we denigrate religious commitment? Western governments seem intent on ensuring that any religion may be practised–so long as it is kept within the four walls of the church. Overwhelmingly the sentiment within society appears to be that religion has no place in the marketplace. Keep your ideas to yourself, except during an election campaign when politicians want to pander to religious people, pretending that they respect the practise of a particular religion. Let’s tell it like it is. Politics uses the Faith as though the holy Bride of Christ was a tawdry trollop at their disposal. Not much has changed since the day when Chuck Colson watched Richard Nixon beguile religious leaders by permitting them to sniff the heady aroma of political power. Suddenly, religious leaders who were prepared to tell the President a thing or two were suddenly tongue-tied and unable to string three words together to form a cohesive sentence.
Dear people, politicians are welcome to attend our services, just as anyone is welcome when we gather to worship. However, politicians must not expect that we will pander to them, and we must not defer to them simply because they hold the reins of political power. We respect the office, but we remember that the one holding office is a mere mortal who must answer to the Living God. And we worship that Risen Saviour. Politicians who visit our services may be assured that their presence will be respected, but they will be shown no more deference than any individual who comes in among us. Moreover, just as society rushes to make concessions to every momentary fad that sweeps through our culture, so society must be prepared to permit the faithful to have a voice in the conduct of society.
JUDGEMENT WILL BE SEVERE — When judgement comes—and judgement inevitably comes, that judgement shall be severe. Review what the Lord GOD said through Amos. Violence characterised Damascus and Edom; therefore violence would be visited upon these violent people. Fire would devour them, and the cities would be left vulnerable while the people would be sent into exile.
The Philistines were guilty of slavery, as was Tyre. The cost to these peoples would be fire and destruction; and they would be wiped from memory when the Lord judged them.
Amon had promoted the slaughter of the innocent. Therefore, Amon would be conquered by ruthless invaders, and their leaders would be sent into exile.
Moab had fostered a culture of disrespect and ridicule; therefore, the leaders of the nation would be killed, and the peoples would be destroyed by invaders from a foreign land.
Judah was charged with the sin of turning away from the Faith. Thus, the land would see their strongholds destroyed and their nation ruined as heartless invaders decimated the land.
Israel had promoted poverty through suppressing the poor. In addition to this vile evil, they were guilty of sexual dissipation. Perhaps it is not surprising, but these sins were the result of the denigration of religious commitment. Therefore, Israel would be unable to stand before the invaders who were coming into the land. God warned the nation,
“‘Behold, I will press you down in your place,
as a cart full of sheaves presses down.
Flight shall perish from the swift,
and the strong shall not retain his strength,
nor shall the mighty save his life;
he who handles the bow shall not stand,
and he who is swift of foot shall not save himself,
nor shall he who rides the horse save his life;
and he who is stout of heart among the mighty
shall flee away naked in that day,’
declares the LORD.”
[AMOS 2:13-16]
I tremble at the thought of divine judgement. I know from what is revealed in the Word that when God unleashes His wrath on a nation, on a people, on a society, it is always worse than we could ever imagine. As we read the accounts of the Assyrian and Babylonian invaders ravaging the lands, we read of people being branded with hot irons, of women brutalised and raped without regard to age, of young men and old slaughtered in the streets, of people compelled to purchase wood for a fire and water to drink from those who conquered them, of those who would be deported to foreign lands being disfigured—hooks driven through their nose and ropes around their waists as they were dragged away.
The accounts of the atrocities committed by Nazi invaders in conquered European lands is matched only by the retribution visited on Germany by the Russian conquerors as they swept in from the east. Those living in Nanking, Hong Kong and Singapore were brutalised by the rapacious Japanese soldiers when they were victorious. Do you suppose that our nation, or that the United States would be spared the indignities that have always characterised conquerors? Judgement, when it comes, is always severe. Mercy is absent when God at last withdraws His mercies toward a nation.
JUDGEMENT CAN BE AVERTED — Why do you suppose God warned so often of pending judgement through His prophets? Isn’t it apparent that God warns of what must come so that those who hear the prophecy can flee to Him for succor? Isn’t it obvious that God calls us to turn from our sin and to turn to Him? Maybe we should ask why people wouldn’t listen to the prophet of God! I suppose one reason is that falsehoods seem to abound. False prophets abounded in the days when the Old Testament prophets delivered their messages calling people back to faith in the LORD. While there are no court prophets in this day, those who preach the Word should speak prophetically insomuch as they are responsible to deliver the message of the Living God to this generation, calling the people to turn to the Lord so that He can bless them.
Will God judge our nation? No one can say where to locate our nation on God’s prophetic timeline. Nevertheless, I do know that if there is to be reprieve from judgement which is richly deserved by contemporary culture, Christians within our nation must pray for spiritual awakening and for moral renewal. Our prayers must be seasoned with urgency and passion. And we must be prepared to work, doing what God has commanded if we will avert judgement. God’s nature does not change–He is the same yesterday and today and forever [see HEBREWS 13:8]. Any sin the Lord has judged in the past is a sin He will judge in the present and it is a sin He will judge in the future. Our rampant individualism that tolerates what the Bible forbids is leading our nation further and further from his blessing and ever closer to his judgement.
Nevertheless, know this—divine judgment begins with Christians. Peter warned, “It is time for judgment to begin at the household of God” [1 PETER 4:17a]. Christ followers cannot ask the culture to repent of sins we commit in our own lives. We cannot be catalysts for spiritual renewal unless we are experiencing spiritual renewal. Leonard Ravenhill is correct when he said, “As long as we are content to live without revival, we will.” If we will not repent, we must know that we shall be held to account by the very God who has redeemed us in mercy. It is precisely because God loves us that He will discipline us.
The Word of the Lord stirs us when we listen to what He has said. God has said, “Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.’
“It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
“Therefore, lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint” [HEBREWS 12:3-13a].
Through Ezekiel, God determined to judge Jerusalem, He condemned the false prophets who had deceived the people, and He condemned the people for choosing to pursue their own will. Then, the LORD revealed, “I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none” [EZEKIEL 22:30]. I must believe that God is seeking just such people now. Will it be us? Amen.
