O.k. we have all heard sayings about history repeating itself. Likely most of us are seeing things going on in society that quite honestly make us shake our heads and ask how long God will allow such to continue. A recent devotional dealt with the statement about "God will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah".
There are certainly lessons to be learned from history. As people of God, Christians, what better place to go than the Bible, and what better history than that of God's chosen people, Israel. As we know, Israel was enslaved by Egypt. We know about God using Moses to deliver his people from slavery. We know that Moses was symbolic of Jesus, who set us free from enslaving sin. Are we all on the same page so far?
So, we know that God has a "chosen people", being the nation of Israel, descendants of Abraham, the Jewish people. We also know that through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, we, by accepting the sacrifice of Jesus as a covering for our sins, became adopted sons, joint heirs with Jesus. Now let's broaden the scope a bit. America. This country was founded as a Christian nation, although the liberal left either tries to hide that fact, deny it completely or just try to muddle things up by getting into detail specific arguments about an individual founder's beliefs, etc. Being a nation founded on the principles that God set forth for His people to follow, this country has been greatly blessed and divinely protected. Just as Israel began to make idols for themselves and worship other gods, so America has turned from its foundations upon Jehovah, God. (Speaking of the moral climate of America, not the heart of every individual)
Let's take a look at a couple of passages as both a history lesson and a prophetic warning for America:
Jeremiah 2:11-13
New Living Translation (NLT)
11 Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones,
even though they are not gods at all?
Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God[a]
for worthless idols!
12 The heavens are shocked at such a thing
and shrink back in horror and dismay,"
says the Lord.
13 "For my people have done two evil things:
They have abandoned me—
the fountain of living water.
And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns
that can hold no water at all!
And one more:
Hosea 13:5-6
New Living Translation (NLT)
5 I took care of you in the wilderness,
in that dry and thirsty land.
6 But when you had eaten and were satisfied,
you became proud and forgot me.
Is it just me, or does anyone else see history repeating itself? America, a blessed and prosperous nation could just as easily be the focus of these verses. All too quickly, we as Christians will respond "that's not me... I don't have a golden calf in my house"... Oh, really? Maybe it's not a literal golden calf... maybe it's a bass boat, a turkey gun, a job... Uh, oh... I'm stepping on some toes... and some of them are MINE! We all need to examine what WE as individuals have allowed to become our gods (with a small "g"). We (myself first) need to recognize when and how we have "forgotten" God. It's often not a comfortable thing to examine where we are with God as compared to where He wants us to be. It is not an easy thing to face up to how many things we give higher place to than our God.
If you have some time, check out the whole chapters of Jeremiah 2 and Hosea 13 to see just how God felt about His people walking away from Him for other things.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hosea%2013&version=NLThttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%202&version=NLT
