Friday, November 2, 2012

Their Protection is Gone

As my wife and I read through the Scriptures, specifically the account of the Jews in the desert marching around the land of Canaan, I can't help but wonder if I see a similar pattern happening today in America.  In recent years, when catastrophes happen, we will periodically hear pastors and preachers on television say that these are God's judgments on our country.  This usually brings a public outcry.  But are they right?  If they are, we need to be paying attention and finding out what we can do.

Paul writes in Romans 15:4, "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

So what can we find in Scripture that was written in the past that could teach us today and bring us hope?  One of the things I've found is what was happening to the Canaanites, what choices they had, and what choices do we have.

In Leviticus chapter 18, verses 24 and 25, after God had given the Jews a long list of  "don'ts" concerning sexuality, He says to the Jews, "Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled.  Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.

And we find in Numbers chapter 14 verse 9, after the 12 Jewish spies came back from spying out the land of Canaan, Joshua and Caleb said to the people, "And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up.  THEIR PROTECTION IS GONE, but the LORD is with us."

Now, no matter how much the uproar may be, the fact is that our country is full of immorality.  It's undeniable.  There is pornograpy, adultery, homosexuality, sex and sexual inuendos on television, etc.  It's widely accepted. 

The Canaanites saw the judgement of God approaching them for 40 years and had every opportunity to repent.  The Scriptures even teach that the the Canaanites were fearful of what was coming.  They saw the miracles of God in the desert.  They saw God protecting His people.  Yet they refused to repent.

In recent years we have been seeing major events and catastrophies happening to our country.  Thousands have been killed.  2 major cities have been devestated, as well as surrounding communities.  Are these events chance, or is God warning us? 

One more point:  from what I have read in Scripture, God has never judged a nation that was walking with Him.

So we have a choice to make.  Will we refuse to see what is really happening, or will we repent and get back to our Christian roots.  Will God return His protection, or will we lose it.  It's time for us to wake up.