Old Testament America

Many of us miss the point of the Old Testament. Unbelievers think it displays a spiteful, wrathful God, while many believers prefer to simply skim over its more unpleasant parts--understandably so.

But the OT is more than just the bloody history of Israel; it is God’s warning against wicked nations. It is also the map that can lead wayward people back to Him.

Israel is God’s chosen nation, yes, but in the OT this chosen state acts as a stand in for all nations, the precedent from which we can and should learn. Countless times throughout the OT we see how God brought devastation and destruction on Israel whenever she turned her back on Him. Whenever Israel said no to God’s will and yes to idolatry, God would use her enemies to punish her, bringing foreign militaries to her borders, devastating Israel’s crops, or afflicting her people and livestock with plagues. Sometimes He would bring its population into captivity by raising opposing kings; and at other times God would respond to Israel’s wickedness and depravity by letting her false prophets lead her people into self-destructive lives.

  

IS ANY OF THIS SOUNDING FAMILIAR, PEOPLE?

America has turned her back on God, plain and simple.

As a result of our moral depravity, of our rejection of God’s love, of our refusal to honor Him in our public spheres, of our systematic marginalizing of the Almighty, we are now suffering.

We’ve never faced more dangerous, hateful enemies. We’ve never been more exposed to devastation from threats both foreign and domestic. We have never been as defenseless as we are today, because despite our vast military resources, God is no longer fighting our battles for us. How was Israel able to defeat armies of vastly superior numbers? Her righteous leaders obeyed God’s Word and called on God. There’s a lesson here—a pretty obvious one.

Psalms 9:17 provides this warning: ‘The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.’

Think about the correlations between Israel and America. Then search the OT (just open it up anywhere from Exodus on through Nehemiah) to see what happened each time Israel veered off the path of obedient righteousness to serve other gods (idolatry comes in many forms). Joshua 23:16 pretty much sums it up.

Hebrews 10:30-31 warns of God’s wrath and vengeance, closing with this disturbing verse: ‘It is a terrible thing, to fall into the hands of the living God.’

If that didn’t shake you, see Judges 10:13-14. ‘Ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: therefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.’ This is what God is saying to America right now.

If this is all true and if we are witnessing God’s wrath against America today, what can we do about it? The answer is not ‘out there’ in the world, but in the Word. Secularism cannot save us. Liberalism cannot redeem us. Military strength cannot protect us from God’s wrath. Our only hope still lies in our Savior, in His redeeming grace. Salvation and redemption He freely offers. They are ours to be received. But before we can receive His saving grace, we must first repent (Acts 2:38 and 2 Corinthians 7:10).

Our political leaders need to repent for lowering the bar of morality set by God’s commandments. One bill after another has denigrated this nation’s once great faith in GOD’S DESIGN.

Our pastors, preachers, and celebrity teachers need to repent for feeding us false doctrines designed to comfort rather than convict.

We need to repent for placing every little thing in our lives before God's will, for putting a priority on 'important' appointments and 'busy' schedules rather than placing emphasis on service to the Kingdom, on lending our God-given time and gifts to help those in need.

Of course I could be wrong in these claims. Don't take my word or the word of anyone else as gospel. Search the verses above and see for yourself. Pray for guidance. Pray for America.