Isaiah goes on in his description of a nation that has forgotten God, “…your cities are burned with fire…” (Isaiah 1:7) Jeremiah also gave the same description of Israel’s cities, “Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave? why is he spoiled? The young lions roared upon him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burned without inhabitant.” (Jeremiah 2:14,15) Why did such a sad thing come upon Israel? The answer is in the same passage, “13) For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water… 17) Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, when he led thee by the way?... 19) Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.” (Jeremiah 2:13,17,19) There were three specific things that Israel did that caused this trouble to come upon them. They forsook God, their fountain of living waters; they went about to establish their own means of satisfaction, but their cisterns were broken and their water supply failed them; they had no fear of God.
Do we see any of this happening in our nation? Are people unhappy and unsatisfied? Are there any cities that are being burned, that have businesses closing down and inhabitants leaving? Minneapolis perhaps? Portland? Could we think of some others? But this is not happening only in the USA. There are protests in France, Belarus, Hong Kong, Barcelona, parts of Germany, Guatemala, Mexico City, Liverpool, Manchester and more. All of these areas have unreasonable restrictions due to various things, or there are protests due to real or perceived injustices. Many might say, “Well the government is being unjust and unfair to its people.” Perhaps so. However, the Bible says, “For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof.” (Proverbs 28:2a) If these things are happening in countries that were previously free and prosperous or in such a widespread manner across the world, the question that comes to mind is, “Why? Why is all this evil and unrest coming upon the lands? Is it because people have forgotten God and the transgressions of their lands are many?”
With all this going on – evil, protests, violence, oppression of the people – is there any remedy? Oh, but there is. The last part of Proverbs 28:2 says, “…but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.” There is a great need for someone to stand in the gap. When God was ready to destroy Israel during their wanderings in the wilderness, Moses stood in the gap. He fasted and prayed and interceded for the people, even offering to give himself in their place so that they would not be judged. In the case of the city of Abel of Bethmaachah, the one who stood up to speak with understanding and knowledge was a woman. Joab and his men had besieged the city because of Sheba the son of Bichri who was stirring up insurrection against king David. This woman stood up and spoke wisely and interceded for her people. In doing so, she prevented an angry man and his troops from acting unwisely and hastily. This resulted in the person who did wrong being punished and the rest of the city being saved. The woman said, “19) I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD? 20) And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy. 21) The matter is not so: but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David: deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall. 22) Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.” (See II Samuel 20:19-22; or the whole chapter for the complete account)
The sad thing is, when Israel came to the point that they had forgotten God and depended upon themselves and had no fear of God, there was no one to stand in the gap. God said, “I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.” (Ezekiel 22:30). That does not have to happen to us. That does not have to happen to the other nations of the world. The remedy is for one who has the fear of God to step up before it is too late, while there is still time to prolong the state of the nation or nations? Things may look dark, but there is still a ray of hope.