As a nation Israel had forgotten God. They had decided to follow the ways of other nations and to go after the gods of other nations. This, they thought, would help them get more food and water and wool and flax and other things they needed for living. They forgot that it was God who gave them life and breath and all things, that it was God who supplied their needs and took care of them.
Yet, they continued on with a form of godliness. They continued to observe their feast days and their new moons and solemn feasts and sabbaths. But these were just a form. Really, they had forgotten the Lord.
We are just like this in America. Immorality is rampant. Prostitution and similar means of “earning” money are on the rise due to hard times. Many leaders from mainline denominations have swallowed the false religion of environmentalism, a religion that brings enormous and unnecessary burdens upon the people. Many leaders from mainline denominations have also departed from their compassion on Israel and from doing good to Israel. They also think it is good to take government money for the people’s needs, and they support government subsidized health care. They have gotten caught up with the false religion of socialism.
I have heard of some churches up north that have a huge attendance. During the sermon, people can do whatever they want. They can even play basketball during the preaching. The only requirement is that they must pay their tithes. Pay tithes to whom? for what?
God promised that grave punishment would fall upon His chosen people Israel because of their transgressions. He would destroy her crops and take away her food and water and wool and flax. He would cause all her mirth to cease. He would keep her from being able to observe her feast days and new moons and solemn feasts and sabbaths. She was not keeping them for the Lord but only for ritual. God would bring her down to nothing so that the only thing she could do was to turn to the Lord. Everything else would be gone.
Would it be unjust for God to do the same to America? If God would do this to His chosen people Israel, why would He not do this with a Gentile nation? God has had compassion and brought blessing on America more than any other nation in the history of mankind, aside from Israel which He blessed as His chosen people. We do not well to forget God and to follow the ways of Baalim, to go a whoring after the gods of money and of lust and of power. If God judged Israel so severely, what will He do with America?
But God was merciful to Israel. He held out to her the opportunity to repent. He promised to do things to allure her to Himself. Israel had loved other gods; but God was willing to take her back, to betroth her to Himself for ever. And these are the blessings He promised her if she would return unto Him, “And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali. For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name. And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD. And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel. And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.” (Hosea 2:16-23)
If Israel would but return to God, God would restore her peace and her prosperity and her safety. Will He not do that for America too? Oh, America, return ye unto God! For why will ye die? “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?” (Ezekiel 33:11)