What Might God's Judgment For A Sinful Nation Look Like?

A distorted image of God has evolved in the minds of modern Americans. It's no longer acceptable to believe that God hates sin and that his justice demands sin be punished.  We eagerly embrace a God who created heaven but we soundly reject a God who warns of impending hell for the disobedient and rebellious.

God is love.  He is also a God of wrath.  A.W. Pink addressed this issue:   “The wrath of God is His eternal detestation of all unrighteousness. It is the displeasure and indignation of Divine equity against evil. It is the holiness of God stirred into activity against sin.” Put even more simply, Divine wrath is God’s righteous anger and punishment, provoked by sin.

God loves purity and hates sin.  There is a marvelous balance between his mercy and his justice, his compassion and his wrath.  “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations” – Exodus 34:6-7

The wrath of God is measured in proportion to the sin that provokes it.  The wrath of God is a demonstration of his holiness, his sinlessness, his intense hatred for all things evil.  We, too, should hate sin as God hates sin.  As it is a stench in his nostrils so should it be in ours.  As it breaks his heart and stirs his anger so should it also break our hearts and stir our anger. 

In this post-modern age it’s just not cool to speak of God’s wrath.  It is the one attribute of God that we seem to be ashamed of.  We cover our lips and whisper of his wrath as if it is a character flaw.  We act like the children of a father with a gambling problem or a father who spends his weekends tipping the bottle and ignoring his family.  The truth is that the wrath of God affirms his holiness.  He would not be holy if he was incapable of love, nor would he be holy if he failed to demonstrate his hatred for all that is sinful and unholy. 

He demonstrates his love for us by sending his only begotten Son to hang on the cross and become a target for the wrath of the Father.  When John the Baptist saw Jesus approaching he said to his disciples, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)  While Jesus hung on the cross with the weight of the world’s sin on his shoulders, he was pummeled by the severe wrath of God.  Christ, in his humanity, was feeling the weight of the Father's wrath when he cried, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”  (Matthew 27:46)  

God is merciful and loving but even God’s rope has an end.  It’s not as if he boils with anger until he finally has a temper tantrum and explodes like a volcano.  God is never ‘out of control’ in his anger.  The Psalmist spoke of the endurance of God's mercy by indicating that it lasts all day long.  But at the end of the day God must be true to his nature.  He ceases to be God if he is all mercy and no justice or if he is all justice and no mercy.  God’s children, who rejoice in his love, may also rejoice in his wrath because it has provided us with salvation fro and it promises to place us beyond the reach of sin in the eternity to come.

What will God’s wrath for the sins of America look like?  Our culture has become more and more sinful and we have become a nation that has forgotten God.  Not content to lie in our own bed of corruption, we have provided a means for others to share in our sinfulness.  America used to export steel and textiles, now we export abortion and pornography.  There is a word in the book of Revelation for nations that do such things:  “"Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries." (Revelation 14:8)  There is no good ending for a nation that is proud and haughty, a nation arrogant enough to lift her fist to the face of God.  If only we would humble ourselves and pray and seek his face and turn from our wicked ways, then he would hear from heaven and forgive our sin and heal our land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Must we also “drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath” (Revelation 14:10) or shall we “Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent?” (Revelation 3:3)

Millions are praying that America repent and turn its heart back to God.  But if we harden our hearts (Hebrews 3:8) as the Israelites did during their desert journey we, too, will invite the wrath of God.  What might the wrath of God look like?  In what ways could God bring a judgment that would turn our hearts toward him?

God might demonstrate judgment on a rebellious nation by allowing us to default on our debt.  Some of our Congressmen think default could be as near as five to ten years.  What would a bankrupt America look like?  Would it be Greece II?  Would suicides increase as people lose jobs and retirements they have worked for all their lives?  Will the next generation live by a lower standard of living because we have spent their future?  Will there be violence in the streets as lines form for the unemployed and the hungry? 

During a nationally televised debate presidential candidate Newt Gingrich declared an EMP attack “would literally destroy the country’s capacity to function.” (WND, Nov. 2011)  Electric Magnetic Pulse is generated by a nuclear explosion in the atmosphere.  The pulse generated by the explosion can fry electrical grids and cut off energy to millions in our densely populated cities.  It may take months or years to rebuild and recover.  Economic activity would grind to a halt.  With no electricity the internet would shut down.  Cell phones could not be recharged.  Food would spoil and gas would lie useless in underground tanks.  During the darkest nights imaginable, crime would skyrocket.  The grocery shelves would empty in hours and chaos would reign.  The angel of death would sweep through the streets of our largest cities.

  God could demonstrate his wrath for our impenitence by allowing us to be victimized by nuclear or biological weapons.  If an illegal immigrant can so easily cross our southern border carrying a knap sack, a terrorist can cross the same border carrying a nuclear device in a brief case.  Our world will become more and more unstable if Iran gets a nuclear weapon.  Their success in doing so will only motivate Turkey, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Egypt to acquire nuclear weapons.  Imagine a successful terrorist plan to detonate nuclear weapons simultaneously in New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. 

The Black Death destroyed 1/3 of the population of Europe during the Middle Ages.  In the early 1900’s the Spanish flu may have killed as many as 100 million people.  There are at least 20 nations who now belong to the biological weapons club.  (Federation of America Scientists Intelligence Resource Program)  Many of these nations are hostile and are capable of causing the death of millions.

God doesn’t cast missiles and release viruses on the disobedient masses.  He simply lifts his canopy of protection and allows the evil hearts of men to plan destruction for their enemies.   He allows us to realize the consequences of our own sin and disobedience. 

We must pray as Abraham Lincoln prayed for a nation in peril during the Civil War; “Fondly do we hope -- fervently do we pray - that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue, until all the wealth piled by the bond-man’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash, shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said ‘The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.”  

Kevin Probst - Teaches History, Government and Apologetics at the high school level in Columbus Georgia.

Is God Warning America?

What is the secret of America’s great success?  America’s freedom and prosperity didn’t happen by chance.   We are a nation blessed by God.  We have been blessed beyond any nation in history but now we have forgotten God.  Psalm 9:17 "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God."  We continue to fill the cup of God’s wrath with our corruption.  God is saddened when a man seems content to live in the filth of his own corruption.  A man should tremble at the wrath he stirs in the heart of God when he attempts to destroy the hearts of others, especially the young and innocent, with his corruption.  As a nation we have awakened the wrath of God by exporting our corruption to other nations.  We use to export steel, textiles and technology.  Now we export pornography, abortion and homosexual rights.

We have banned the Bible, prayer and the Ten Commandments from our schools and institutions.  We have banned the very mention of God’s name.  Do we expect God to slump his shoulders and walk away?  What is God’s reaction to America’s rejection of him?  Because he is the same yesterday, today and forever and he never changes, we can learn how God will react to America today by looking historically at how he reacted to countries of the past that committed such sins. 

What do Israel and America have in common?  They are the only two nations in history that were founded upon God from their very inception.  America was called to be a light to the nations just as ancient Israel was.  God’s plan for countries that he has chosen to be light and salt is that if we continue to follow him we will be blessed but if we turn our backs on him and forget him we shall be removed. 

Dr. Luke recorded these words of Jesus; “…to whom much is given, of him shall much be required."  (Luke 12:48)  We were established on the foundations of the very word of God and he blessed us for our efforts, for our obedience.  We became the wealthiest, most powerful nation on earth.  We were blessed with resources, we were blessed with ingenuity and innovations and a standard of living that other nations could only dream of. 

Israel experienced similar blessings over 2500 years ago.  Israel was chosen of God to be that “city upon a hill”, that nation that would be the flag ship for all other nations, pointing them toward God.  But Israel was influenced by the pagan practices of neighboring nations.  They lost their hunger for God and they began to yearn for frivolous things that would temporarily satisfy the lusts of their hearts.  They began to live for the moment rather than for eternity.

God allowed Israel to suffer an attack from Assyria from the north.  This was a wakeup call.  But rather than respond to this warning from the Almighty, Israel continued in her waywardness.  When God spoke against the sons of Jacob and his judgment fell on Israel they said, “The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.” (Isaiah 9:10) 

God removed the umbrella of protection from Israel.  He meant this attack form Assyria to be a warning.  It was a wake-up call.  He was pleading with his chosen:  “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)  But they were a rebellious people, they had “eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear.” (Ezekiel 12:2)

The attack of the Assyrians didn’t move them to repent, rather, it revealed their arrogance.  “We will replace the damaged bricks with dressed stone.  We will replace the fallen sycamores with tall and noble cedars,” they said.  The first stage of judgment was completed and it resulted in no conversion.  Therefore, God will try again to awaken the hardened, sleeping hearts of the Israelites.  What is more serious than to lift one’s fist to the face of God and refuse his call to repentance?  God could not ignore this blatant rebellion.

When God smites he means to humble us and turn us back to him.  When the reaction is pride instead of humility we are setting ourselves up for a greater smiting.  Matthew Henry says of this verse:  (Isaiah 9:10) “The people turn not to Him who smites them, therefore he continues to smite: for when God judges, he will overcome; and the proudest, stoutest sinner shall either bend or break.” 

Messianic Rabbi Jonathon Cahn identifies 8 harbingers in this verse. (The Harbinger, Jonathon Cahn)  A harbinger is anything that foreshadows a future event.  Cahn makes a convincing comparison between God’s treatment of Israel and God’s treatment of America. 

The first harbinger was “the bricks have fallen.”  This bricks were weak, sun dried and easy to destroy.  There was damage but it was limited.

The second harbinger; “but we will rebuild.”  God is encouraging repentance but they are defying this and choose instead to display their arrogance.  They will apply human effort to undo the judgment of God.

The third harbinger:  “we will rebuild stronger.”  “If you destroy our bricks we will replace them with strong and ornate stone.  If you destroy our sycamore trees, trees of little value, we will replant great cedars.  We will make what you destroyed greater than it was before,” they said.

The fourth harbinger:  “the hewn stone”.  “The bricks have been destroyed but we will rebuild with hewn stone.”  The weak bricks made of clay will be replaced by stone hewn and cut from the mountain.  They shook their fist in the face of God and said, “You destroyed us in our weakness, we will come back stronger than ever.”

The fifth harbinger:  The spirit of defiance.  God recognizes this attitude and he is trying to purge them of this sin.

The sixth harbinger:  “The sycamore has been cut down.”  This tree was a type of fig mulberry tree.  They were common, they were weak.  The Assyrians cut them down when they attacked.

The seventh harbinger:  The strong Cedar tree.  “We will replace the weak sycamore with the strong cedar.  You sent the Assyrians to attack us.  You thought it would weaken us and turn us to repentance.  Instead, the weak will be made strong and we will do this by our own effort with no help from God.”

The eight harbinger:  The leaders of the nation say that they will rebuild.  “We will be stronger yet.”  They failed to humble themselves in the eyes of God and because of their arrogant reaction, “his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.” (Isaiah 9:21)

Cahn compares this first judgment of God on the Israelites with America’s 9/11 experience.  What was 9/11?  It cast our country into shock.  Seven years later our economy came crashing down.  Was this God sending a warning across the bow? 

The Rabbi draws our attention to the next chapter in Isaiah:  “Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger, in whose hand is the club of my wrath!”  (Isaiah10:5)  God is using the Assyrians to warn the Israelis of judgment yet to come.  He then says that after he is finished with this ‘rod’ he will “…punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes.”  (Isaiah 10:12)

As God allowed the Assyrians to wake up the Israelis, has he not allowed the terrorist of 9/11 to wake up America?  Are we going to humble ourselves and repent or are we going to be arrogant and ignore his judgment?

The Harbinger, Jonathon Cahn

The Harbinger, Issues in Education, Bob and Geri Boyd

Matthew Henry’s Commentary – Isaiah Chapter 9

Kevin Probst - Teaches History, Government and Apologetics at the high school level in Columbus Georgia.

Hurricane Irene: Wrath of God?

Hurricane Irene: Wrath of God?

The speculation will begin. Was hurricane Irene another judgment of God upon America? Some will claim that the hurricane is an expression of God’s anger and disappointment in a nation of millions who once sincerely pledged their loyalty as “one nation under God” and claimed indivisibility. The god we serve now is an ecumenical god. It is the god George Bush promoted shortly after the 911 attacks. He declared his god was the same god of the Muslim and the Hindu and the Buddha. Who can know if Irene is a demonstration of God’s judgment? What is known is that Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) It is also known that God made a strong declaration about serving other gods, “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)

Does God select natural disasters and throw them at rebellious countries like darts at a dart board? Is he aiming darts at Washington D.C.? Last week the city experienced a ‘once in a hundred years’ earthquake that measured 5.9 on the Richter scale. A week later they are bracing for hurricane winds and possible flooding? It wouldn’t take much to convince many that those natural events are a warning from God?

James Boice tells of an old woman in the bush country of Rhodesia. She spoke to a visiting missionary, “You have brought us the light but we don’t seem to want it. You have brought us the light but we still walk in darkness.” Jesus declared himself to be the “light of the world”. (John 8:12) “In him was life and the life was the light of men. The light shines in darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” (John 14-5) It is a phenomenal thing to observe. The light shines all around us and yet most fail to see the light. They are blinded by their own disbelief. They choose darkness over light and then suffer consequences for their poor choice.

It seems America is being run down by a darkness that will soon overtake us if it hasn’t already. “Walk while you have the light, before the darkness overtakes you.” (John 12:25) Hurricane Irene is but a minor distraction compared to the social hurricane that has twisted and corrupted our morals and seems intent on destroying American culture. The darkness is a result of confusing the true God with the inferior gods of false religions, the growth of atheism, the murder of 50 million unborn babies and the economic confusion and chaos caused by greed and graft. We have forgotten God and his many blessings. “You will suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD." (Ezekiel 23:49)

Every unbelieving heart will one day believe. The God who is light will not allow his creatures to continue in darkness. Unfortunately, believing alone does not bring salvation to the soul. Satan and his imps believe strongly in the existence of God. Believing must be accompanied by humble confession in order to receive full salvation from sins and inherit eternal life through the Savior, Christ Jesus.

Is Irene a judgment of God? Perhaps. We are so blinded in our darkness that we fail to see the bigger hurricane that is destroying us. We can’t see the forest for the trees. We are suffering tremendous moral decline, we are politically polarized, we are an economic train wreck and we may well be on the brink of social unrest. We’ve been hit by a hurricane and it most certainly must be the judgment of God upon us.

There is refuge available for this great, destructive hurricane that is ripping our country apart. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Hurricane Irene will slam the east coast of America. It will rain its wrath on the just as well as the unjust. It will affect those who have embraced the light as well as those who have chosen darkness. But for those who are Christ followers they may find comfort in the words of the Psalmist and the Prophet.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.” Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. (Psa. 46:1-3)

“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10 nkjv)

Kevin Probst - Teaches History, Government and Apologetics at the high school level in Columbus Georgia.