There are many times in life when we look back to things in our past, and this isn’t always a bad thing. I think there is a time and place for this in certain cases. We can learn so much from how far we’ve come and even the bad experiences and mistakes we’ve made. I know there are several references in Scripture about the consequences of looking back. (see Lot’s wife and Y’shua’s words of putting your hand to the plow) This is why context in Scripture is so important.
This month I want to look at something that I’ve seen mentioned a lot on social media and more in the comments of other folks. People are definitely not happy with the way the U.S. has been administrated for the past few years. This problem goes further back than Clinton, Bush Sr. & Jr., and Obama. Many times we look for scape goats to point the finger instead of really doing some soul searching. The political atmosphere, in my opinion, is ripe for a dictator and tyrant to come on the scene and do his or her thing. We must control our emotions and really be diligent in this hour that is upon us. I don’t want to get deep into politics, but the candidates understand that everyone is upset. They also understand how to say the right things in order to play on everyone’s emotions. We are living in such a touchy-feely society where facts and truth have been thrown out the window. If it makes you feel good, then just do it. That is the yard stick by which many measures everything today. This isn’t just in worldly society but in the religious society as well.
Could we step back for a few moment and set our emotions and party loyalty aside? Let’s focus on looking back. The desire and hope that many God-loving conservative people have in this upcoming election is a good one. Why can’t we go back to being like it was in the past when we were prosperous and the head of all nations? In some form or another many people on both sides of the parties are looking for something similar. I think an appropriate word to define most of the folks who are feeling this way can be summed up in one word – restore. People are tired of politics as usual and want to “return” to the good ole days. I think this is a fair observation on my part. Would you agree with me that in some form you feel the same way? I know I do.
I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but the soon-to-be-elected president of the U.S., whomever it will be, probably isn’t going to do too much to “restore” the country back to greatness. Why do I say that? It comes back to the people of the country. The heart of a nation can be found within its citizens. If we think that a President or Congress is responsible for all the bad things, maybe we should go back and read the life of Moses. Read again all the prophets and what they dealt with. In the end, it came down to a rebellious, backslidden nation. This is where we are today, in my opinion. The nation can’t return to greatness until its citizens as a whole return, and this is where restoration comes into play.
The Creator speaks in many different ways and uses many different avenues to do so. Politics in its current form isn’t the answer, and with the current attitude of the masses, I’m not very optimistic. Why is that? It is because in order for us to “return” to greatness, the citizens must be “restored” back to Scriptural principles that have been set in place since the beginning of creation. This probably takes none of you by surprise and is a no brainer.
Iniquity has been at play for a long time and is still at play today. Abraham was promised by YHVH in Gen. 15:16 that He would give Abraham a land. There are many reasons for this promise of land to him, but I want to look at something else. The only catch to possessing the land was the iniquity of the Amorites had to be completed or full. This fullness of iniquity concept is why I believe the U.S. is in big trouble. Again, the only hope we have is full repentance and a restoration, or returning, to Scriptural principles from Genesis to Revelation.
Fullness of iniquity is an interesting concept. It is a principle in scripture that oversees the transition as one people group gives up the ability to keep and protect their nation as it is taken over by others. We need to take a step back for a moment and look again exactly where we are at as a nation. This is why I’m making a bold statement to say that nothing is going to change with the new elected president unless great repentance breaks out.
Iniquity in Hebrew is “avon” and can mean punishment, misdeed, sin, or guilt caused by sin. In Leviticus 18, Israel is warned not to defile the land by committing the sins of the nations that were there before them. It goes onto say that the land will vomit or spew them out if they act like the nations. How in the world does a land literally vomit its inhabitants out? This happens when a nation no longer militarily can protect its borders and is overrun by foreigners. This was the principle in the Old Testament and can be positive or negative depending on which side you are on. For example, Israel did it to the Goyim (nations outside of the covenant modernly referred to as Gentiles) when they possessed the Promised Land and had it happen to them when YHVH sent the nations to overrun them and take them into exile. Why? The answer is found in YHVH telling Israel not to act like nor partake in the ways of the goyim.
In other words, there are four things mentioned in Leviticus 20 that defile the land and cause it to vomit out its inhabitants. First is offering children to Molech. This isn’t necessarily practiced today, but it could be said that abortion is an offshoot of this practice. Second is divination. Number three is dishonoring parents (rebellion through the drug culture). Number four is sexual immorality (homosexuality, adultery, beastiality, and incest).
These four areas fill the cup of iniquity and cause a nation to lose its ability to keep and protect itself.
“You are therefore to keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them, so that the land to which I am bringing you to live will not spew you out. Moreover, you shall not follow the customs of the nation which I will drive out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I have abhorred them.” Leviticus 20:22-23
Is our problem really foreigners and Islamic refugees invading our country, or is the problem the cup of iniquity being full? Building a wall around the States will not stop impending judgment. Only repentance and a return in OBEDIENCE to ALL of the Word of YHVH from Genesis to Revelation will halt judgment. Shalom and blessings.
