"Who has been instructed by the LORD and can explain it? Why has the land been ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one can cross? The LORD said, 'It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law. Instead they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts; they have followed the Baals, as their fathers taught them.'"
Jeremiah 9:12-14
The past few weeks have provided some intriguing considerations and conversations, mainly because America was, by and large, obsessed with the highly ineffective, mean-spirited political discourse that took place in Washington D.C. in relation to the federal budgetary process. Polls and media stories centered on which political party, or representatives, should bear the brunt of the blame. Accusations were made, insinuating that various political factions were attempting to hamper the negotiations because of either a misplaced sense of civic duty or a misguided frame of mind. Horrendous labels and references were employed to make the political opponents look worse in the eyes of the public. I myself became consumed with the daily developments for a time. And I too became emotionally swept up in the political drama, attempting to mentally justify my perceived determination of culpability for the governmental dysfunction.
But the real crux of the matter is that the issues that plague America, and the issues that plague other nations as well, are not really political in nature. The national state of impairment and gridlock are symptoms of the underlying problem, which is spiritual in nature. And this truth is apparent in so many sections of Scripture, particularly Jeremiah 9. In this passage God explained why Israel (and Judah) would eventually be overrun and overcome by foreign powers. Why Israel (and Judah) would see a large portion of its population exiled to distant lands. Any why Israel (and Judah) would momentarily be stripped of its prosperity and peace. So why did it occur? Because it was the collective punishment for the personal accumulation of disobedient lives. Israel and Judah had become a people consumed with idolatry, wealth, sexual promiscuity, and alliances with pagan powers. None of this revealed a devotion to remain true to God, or rely on Him for wisdom, blessing, or protection.
Clearly, there is a spiritual boomerang effect portrayed in Jeremiah 9, specifically verses 12-16. In other words, if we, as the cherished creation of God, expel immorality and wickedness we should not expect to receive reward or favor, but rather disarray and misrule. If we dispel carnality we will be sure to take in chaos. This same vein of thought is reflected in Paul's epistle to the Galatians, a principle sometimes referred to as the law of the harvest. In Galatians 6:7, the apostle wrote, "A man reaps what he sows." A person cannot plant tomato seeds and presume that it will yield something wholly different, like cucumbers or carrots. Likewise, if mankind spiritually plants depravity we cannot assume it will produce delight and purity. And this knowledge, though easy to cognitively acknowledge, is difficult to accept for it forces humanity to realize that our attitudes and actions have consequences.
In Jeremiah 9:13-16 God points out that His covenantal followers refused to wholeheartedly commit themselves to His Word and ways. Instead, they embraced the worship of false gods and erroneously forged ideals. They chose the misleading desires of their heart and paid a steep, steep price. This episode confirms that God demands loyalty and will settle for nothing less. So why is this relevant to America, or the world? Because America, like other countries, is building and strengthening a government that enforces depravity, and believers of God cannot presume that a nation that advocates despicable behavior will ever enjoy God's blessing. The modern day examples where the sum total of a commonwealth's belief system has been corrupted utterly abound. For instance, abortion, the murderous prevention of a baby's birth, is recast as a woman's right to choose, which omits the gory, grisly details of its underlying brutality. Pornography, the vile rendering of the nude human form, is often made readily available across the Internet and on television programming, and its accessibility is so routine that society says little-to-nothing about its harmfulness and unscrupulousness. Debt, the dangerous enterprise of committing oneself to accepting more expenditures than a corresponding income can cover, is performed at the individual and corporate level without fear or negative outcome or concern.
All this to say, there is a lot of topsy-turviness occurring at the national stage, not just in America but across the globe. And the impactful lesson Jeremiah 9, along with other biblical passages, would teach us is that a nation that sows nefarious, offensive conduct will not experience a wellspring of God's blessing-filled hand. Christians must be the watchmen and women. We must observe the destructive road our fellow citizens are embarking upon and warn them. We must recognize danger and sound the alarm. We must be willing to take up a mantle of responsibility and help change the world for the better. We must call out, in love and compassion, unwholesome habits of people and principalities. We must voice the Word and will of God.
As the older chorus "Knocking on the Door of Heaven", written by Matt Redman and Steve Cantellow, states:
"We will give ourselves no rest 'til Your kingdom comes on earth. We've positioned watchmen on the walls. Now our prayers will flow like tears for You've shared Your heart with us. God of heaven on our knees we fall.
Come down in power, reveal Your heart again. Come hear our cries, the tears that plead for rain.
We're knocking, knocking on the door of heaven. We're crying, crying for this generation. We're praying for Your name to be known in all of the earth. We're watching, watching on the walls to see You. We're looking, looking for a time of breakthrough. We're praying for Your Word to bear fruit in all of the earth. All of the earth."
The real strength of any nation, America or otherwise, is not in the size or scope of its government. Rather, it is measured by the spirituality and sacrificial character of its people. And the real effective form of governance outlined in Scripture teaches us that a community led by the doctrine of God functions much better than a community led by the decisions of godless men. According to Jeremiah 9, the people of Israel (and Judah) were doomed because they had forsaken God. Forsaken reverence of the Lord. Forsaken the desire to cherish and honor His Word. There is a cause-and-effect relationship to our decisions, both individually and corporately. And we would do well to ensure that our hearts are fixated on the will of God.
Father, my heart aches for America. We, by and large, have chosen to turn to the reign of man for direction, rather than You. We have internally replaced "In God we trust," with "In government we trust". We have allowed the slaughter of defenseless babies to become commonplace. We have legally and culturally prevented the freedom to exercise God-based faith in schools and numerous other public forums. We have become a people consumed with wealth, status, blame, and borrowing. We ignore the underlying plague of personal sin, but attempt to ratify its symptoms with costly civic programs and institutions. In short, we have entrenched ourselves in the belief that government can, or should be, the source of satisfaction and prosperity. God, break us. Intervene and help us return to a recognition that You are the eternal King. And You are the true source of knowledge, truth, and wisdom. In short, may the people of this nation rekindle a passion to live for You. To know You. To serve You. To honor You. To allow You to reign over us. To restore balance in our homes, in our schools, in our workplaces, and in our leaders. Father, may our hearts be receptive to Your Word, will, and ways. For Your glory God, not ours. Amen.
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