Why would God judge America?
-Daniel Valles

In examining the many sources of Christian literature, preaching, and general Christian consensus, one does not have to take a very large poll to find that many Christians think that America is somehow exempt from the requirements of righteousness, and that America will proceed like a picnic right up to the Rapture.

Unfortunately, in order to get to that conclusion, you have to ignore or downplay many of the precedents that are set of God’s expectations of a people or nation.  Another contributing factor is that the churches no longer preach the concept of judgment.  It is deemed to offensive and disturbing.  Most of the social gatherings that call themselves churches preach little but fluff, tickling the ears of their patrons – what the Bible calls “sweet words” (Ezek.).

Well, some say, this is the age of grace.  Grace from what?  You cannot have grace or mercy without the concept of judgment!  Jesus blasted the Pharisees, in Matthew 23:23, and accused them of focusing on the small points of religion (such as tithing); and not, what he called, the weightier and more important matters – judgment, mercy, and faith!  He then points out in verse 26-27 that omitting those from teachings results in whited sepultures (graves), where they looked and acted good on the outside, but were spiritually dead and decaying inside.  This is the ‘Christian’ America of today.  What does this condition lead to?

In Proverbs 6, we find six things that God hates.  Yes, the God of Love is also a God with indignation – that is why He is Holy.  The six things God singles out expressly that He hates are:

1.       Proud look
2.       Lying Tongue
3.       Hands that shed innocent blood
4.       heart that deviseth wicked imaginations
5.       feet that be swift in running to mischief
6.       False witness

While there are six things God hates, one is enough, especially considering how ‘successful’ America has been with it.

Few people grasp how despicable God hates abortion and the shedding of innocent blood.  This can also include euthanasia and infanticide.  Unfortunately, Americans have been so used to being pampered that we are confronted with images of children being ripped apart in the womb that instead of indignation rising up in us against this despicable murder, we change the change, look the other way, or stop up our ears because it is ‘disturbing’, ’offensive’, and ‘I can’t believe they are showing pictures of that in public…’.  I don’t know what is more disgusting – people willing to commit murder, or a people relieved to ignore it.

How much does God hate the shedding of innocent blood?  Enough to destroy a whole nation?  Absolutely yes.

Do you think a people can ignore murder in their country, condone by silence its practice, permit its teachings in its schools, and fund the butchering with public money and yet remain unpunished?

Four times God destroyed a people group/nation, specifically for shedding innocent blood!

Joel 3:19 Judgment pronounced by God on Egypt and Edom specifically for shedding innocent blood

Egypt – Exodus 1:16-22 killing of Hebrew male babies
Edom – Obadiah 10-1 

Amos 1:13 The Ammonites were likewise judged: “I [God] will not turn away from the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border.”  Unfortunately, we do it for ‘convenience’.

In II Kings. 21:16, God mentions that Manasseh shed innocent blood “very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another…”  God pronounced judgment on Judah as a whole for this wickedness – why? Vs. 8-9 tells us they harkened not to God’s commandments, and were thereby seduced to do more evil than “the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the children of Israel.”  A righteous nation can stoop to level lower than even the unbelieving nations.

Prov. 24:11 reminds us in America that they who forbear or do nothing to deliver those being slain, are guilty also.

II Kings 24:2 remarks about God’s judgment on Manasseh specifically for shedding innocent blood –then vs. 4 soberly states “…which the LORD would not pardon.”

Jer. 7:16-19 Jeremiah was told not to pray for the people regarding the coming judgment – why?  In vs. 19, God asks Jeremiah the rhetorical question, “…do they provoke me to anger?”  Has America fallen to this level – I think, if we are honest with ourselves, we all know the answer.  Yes.

HOW  SHOULD  WE  LIVE?

If we realize that judgment is certain for sin, particularly for ones God has taken time to point out several times in the Bible, where does foreknowledge come into play?

Foreknowledge guards against thinking that God has dealt too hard with us.  Unless we know how bad we were and provoking, we would be tempted to blame God for the trials and hardship brought about by judgment.  Also, we would be blind otherwise to how God has showed mercy before judgment.  America has already continued for 3-4 decades in mercy on this subject.

WHAT SHOULD BE OUR REACTION TO EVIL?

Proverbs. 8:13 “Fear of the Lord is to HATE evil.”

Example: Exodus 1:17,20,21 “But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them….    …therefore God dwelt well with the midwives…   …because the midwives feared God, then he made them houses.”

In Psalm 94:16, David asks a rhetorical question of “who will rise up for me against the evildoers?”  Later in history, they didn’t speak up or rise up during the time of Manasseh, and they were judged for it.  The majority of Christians in America are content to ignore the problem.

Psalms 33:18-22 tells us that “the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him”, and then mentions how they will be kept alive in famine, from death, our help and shield, etc..  Again, Fear of the Lord is to hate evil.

Psalms 97:10 states “Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints.”  Loving the Lord involves hating evil.  Do you see a trend here?

Proverbs 8:13 also says, “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil…  and the evil way.”   The word ‘way’ is a direction, manner, habit, moral character, course of life.’ 

In short, as Christians see the end times drawing closer, and the resulting falling away and apostasy, we have to be constantly reminded to Love the Lord and Fear the Lord – how? - by hating evil.

We have seen the list of what God hates in Proverbs 6, also and throughout the Bible.  Ingrain those precepts as well and live accordingly.  Only then can we say we love and fear God, and be counted not as lukewarm or wicked, but righteous.

Can we say we fear God - and yet entertain movies, games, books, culture, or music that glorifies or promotes evil or evil way – with its direction, manner, habit, moral character, or course of life?

Unfortunately, the question of ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ is very subjective.

An easy thermometer to use in checking symptoms in your life is this simple question:

Does this object, person, idea, or activity contain or promote evil or an evil way?

Examples: Does this music glorify God or is it a style of music associated with the world’s music.

Do my friends, in manner and moral character, make light of what God calls evil?

Does this activity contain elements that provide direction and inclinations to what God calls evil?

Does this movie glorify an evil moral character and/or course of life?

If they do, is my response what the Bible says it should be?  The fear of the LORD is to hate evil.  Notice it does not substitute the word hate with tolerate.  Will God protect those who do not believe what He says He will do?  Those without faith in the Bible?

In Psalms 34:19 and 55:22, God promises to deliver the righteous.  He does not necessarily say ‘the saved’.  A saved or redeemed individual can be righteous, lukewarm, or wicked.  And we have already see the correlation between fearing God and deliverance by God.

When America is called upon to give account and pay the wages of its sin, will you be counted as the wicked, or the righteous.  There is no excuse for abortion – shedding innocent blood; and there is no excuse for ignoring it, either.  Live your life holy and acceptable to God. 

Proverbs 8:13
“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil…  and the evil way.”