I have been reading the prophets at the end of the Old Testament, and I am struck by how well they mirror today. The Israelites were not taking their worship of God seriously. They were including idols in their lives, were taking advantage of the poor, were taking bribes, were selfish, were drinking too much, and more. The leaders, priests, and judges were dishonest. God gave them numerous chances to admit their sins and be genuinely sorry for them. When they did, He took them back under His care. When they didn’t, He hammered them. By the time 70 AD rolled around, God had had enough and destroyed the temple (again), and gave their city and land to others. It was a terrible time to be Jewish. Many, many people were enslaved, tortured, and killed – good and bad. The Jewish nation was destroyed, and the remaining people scattered.
Our current civilization looks very similar to me. Our politicians seem owned, our judges seem to rule for causes rather than justice, and our population seems out to get as much as they can for themselves. The rule of law is fading fast.
We need to take stock of our behavior and learn from the Israelites. God is very patient, but He will not be mocked. In those days, He sent drought, flood, and locusts to bring about correction. When it came to the whole nation of Israel, He sometimes used invading armies as His instrument of severe punishment. Several times, the Israelites were not simply spanked, but destroyed to the point where there was just a remnant left for Him to work with again. How much longer will God allow today’s sins to continue?
“Seek the Lord, and ye shall live;” Amos 5:6 (KJV). Let’s find a way to convince the people of our nation that we need to return to God and His ways before it is too late.