Guess Who Part II

Guess Who Part 2

This portion of the sentence is very interesting because it is very specific in who it is talking about and who it is referring towards.  “and became strangers to God” simply states that the people chose to place God out of their lives and through the mentioning’s of the previous sentences in this passage it is very clear that it was the people who did this and NOT God.  This presents a picture of framed ideas from the people that voluntarily chose to ignore God and His ways and to do things their own way.  God allows this to occur since He shall never force His Ways upon us, it has been, is now and shall always be our choice to serve Him or not.  It is not a good position to be in when a nation deliberately rejects God, the dangers are endless.

In no way does this portion of the sentence mention that God becomes strangers to us and we should really understand what this means to our lives.  When we choose to ignore God and to push Him out of our lives we will arrive to the point that we cannot hear what God is saying or wanting for our lives.  We will not understand what is occurring around us and even though we have nothing to do with Him, we will curse him when times become tough.  But what about God?  What is He doing while we are thumbing our noses at Him?  He is still watching us and calling out to us because as any good parent will do, they will watch out for their children no matter what the circumstances of that child’s heart may be.  God never stops or ends His relationship with us.  He continually yearns for direct communication with us and it is His desire that we restore our communication with Him on a daily basis.  He knows us like no other and through this understanding will try His best to grab our attention at all times.

“And as for their innocent, their little children, they offered them up as sacrifices.”  While this may be the last sentence in the addressed passage, it surely is not the least or even less intense as the previous ones.  In all honesty, this sentence serves as the accumulation of all the previous sentences within the passage and presents the inner state of said nation.  To answer the question that many of you are asking, yes, this nation actually offered up their children as sacrifices and ended their lives all in the name of what they believed to be right; the same name that they had allowed into their lives and had placed before God.  You want to know the real reason God stated not to have any other gods before him…..there you go!

The value of this nation’s own future was downgraded so much that they believed that their own actions could be mimicked well enough that the true meaning of life itself was overridden.  This was not forced upon them; it was their choice even though their belief in their idols “demanded” these sacrifices.  This action also inhibits and demolishes any concept of life within God’s laws for His values on life were not thought about.  One would think that such a nation would not adopt laws of this nature or be tolerant of such practices.  Yet, it is clearly stated throughout history that many individuals, groups and nations have adopted this practice for their idols or “supreme beings.” 

What is harder to fathom is that many people within this nation in the passage actually believed that their idols were being perfectly served through this action of sacrifice and that their personal future would somehow be rewarded for doing such deeds.  This practice became so common that these rituals were publicly celebrated and became a popular course for each worshipper of that belief.  This action meant that other idols had to find other methods in order to stay up with the others, so added techniques and dress must have been introduced into the ceremonies.  We must also contend that not everyone within the defined nation accepted or participated in these rituals and it is reasonable to wonder how they were looked upon and treated by those who differed in opinions.

Have you guessed who this nation is that the passage is referring to?  If one is not familiar with the Bible it would be difficult to figure out because so many nations have these characteristics and traits within their boundaries.  But the nation that is being referred to in this passage is a true nation and it is one that is still in existence today.  It is once again a thriving nation and has representative all over the world, but this representation has not been around very long.  This nation, while it has been around for millennia has only recently given its own recognized state.  This nation that the passage is referring to is the nation of Israel.  And while this nation is considered to be an ancient one, the path that she chose to take caused her many millennia of heartache, pain and grief and she would not see freedom and statehood again for a very long time.  Her existence and standard of living was totally destroyed and from their freedoms came slavery and subjection to their enemies.  It would seem like this portion of Israel’s history would be hard to accept and to swallow, but we must understand that this nation was created by God, for God and through God.  It was created and established through a divine covenant which can never be broken, only violated; there is a huge difference in those two words that many of us do not understand.

The nation of Israel did live in this vile and evil condition and the events that surrounded this time are recorded in history and the time frame of when it all came crashing down around them was in 732 B.C.  The people of Israel did know their roots and how these roots were created yet they came to the belief that their own physical ways were more important that God’s divine ways.  The Bible states that Israel had fought many wars over their tenure and had won war after war with decisive victories.  But for some reason at this time in human history their spiritual strength was so weak that their physical capabilities were actually inhibited enough to be defeated by an enemy.  The nation of Israel was defeated so soundly by the Assyrians that their way of life never again was the same.

What was so humiliating about this defeat was that the Assyrians were considered a “nobody” people with very limited talents, military and structure.  They were considered to be weak in every area and were not even wanted as an ally in other regional ways due to their lack of strength and influence in the region.  So how did this unknown warrior kingdom rise up enough to destroy God’s own people?  It was not because of their physical abilities or capabilities but it was due to their spiritually dead hearts.  It must be understood that God’s laws are in place for our own protection and not as and inhibition and if we understand this concept it is easier to know why God allowed this process to occur.  He does not like allowing this but it is necessary in order to engage a process of restoration between God and mankind.

It was this time in history that an unknown nation rose up against a divine institution and dealt a life changing blow to the nation of Israel.  This event also served as the launching pad of a violent yet well organized empire that would expand over a vast amount of territory.  The Assyrians became known for their warriors and their militaristic definitions and served their constituents with a heavy hand.  So much so that their ways of power centered around a single term that is commonly used today but had not yet been defined, terror.  They struck fear into their enemies, conducted brutal and unconventional raids to enforce their hold within the world and demonstrated no mercy even for the innocent.  After such a time of rule on the earth, Assyria was defeated and fell just as hard as they had conquered.  To this date the Assyrian nation or empire has not returned but some of its legacies do remain.  One in particular is their language, which is an advanced tongue that over a billion people use today, Arabic.

Even through these events God did not like the Assyrians but allowed them to conquer His people in order that they might understand the importance of the line-up of their priorities and what those priorities meant to their survival.  This is a nice piece of history one might say and for those who cannot stand the name of God or who do not believe in Him might have the attitude of “good, those people are no longer able to preach their god to me and they got exactly what they deserved.”  Many will not put the connection together with today and how it affects our individual lives here in America either, and this is their choice as well.  I cannot foresee God continuing His blessings on a nation that voluntarily snubs their noses at His laws; however, it is quite easy for me to believe that Israel believed that God’s protection would always be upon them and that they could continue to live in such a manner as they thought was right, without God being present.

If one reads the history of Israel it cannot be denied that the majority of their lives have been rigorously tortured.  Many nations have rejected the Jews from their lands even though each country has benefitted from the Jewish presence.  The majority of these countries has eventually shunned the presence of Jews and has in some ways contributed to their scattering and death.  What is striking to me is that the majority of those countries on this list “invisible” claim to be Christian or is lands in which the Church had or currently has a strong presence.  All of these examples and circumstances were part of Israel’s struggles and pains that they were still living because of the decisions that had made millennia before and one must consider the results of those countries that also persecuted the Jews as well, for they too were not left out.

I know this is somewhat an interesting example about Israel and how they got things wrong but the question that some might have is how does this apply to our lives today?  Where does America and western ideologies fit into this concept of destruction, for we are not God’s chosen people and in no way can we ever take their place.  It is well known and accepted that for the majority of the people that are currently alive in the west have heard something about God and His existence.  The Church is spread out all over the world and has a well known presence in most countries.

When the question of what occurred in 1492 is asked of us, our minds are quickly jarred into Christopher Columbus and the journey that he and his men took with royal instruction to seek out a new world.  I do not believe that it is coincidence that while Columbus sailed out to seek a new world with the blessings of the royalty of Spain, and at the same time the actions of the Catholic Church against the Jews were playing out.  There was a reason for these two events and while mankind believed that they were completing both settings in the name of God, only one of them had a divine purpose.

I have always wondered about why the United States was created and then blessed so greatly over these past few centuries.  It was not until I read about the two incidents in Spain that opened my eyes to what was really going on behind the scenes of human actions.  It is well known that god works in mysterious ways and that those who follow His ways will be blessed beyond measure.  It is evident that this country has fallen into that category and even though many may not even believe in God, His mercy and blessings have been present in this country.  I wish that I could say that we have graciously accepted the responsibilities that come with these blessings, but to be honest we have taken these blessings and turned into our own idols and have dismantled the foundations that were laid a long time ago.  Can God really use just one single event to establish a long lasting plan?

Yes, I do believe that this single human act turned the tide of humanity forever and yes I believe that this country was founded on values that allowed everyone to enjoy the freedom desired by those who wished for it.  For God had to start somewhere didn’t He, and this could be considered a mysterious way, right?  I have witnessed many activities in other people’s lives that is hard to explain other than “it is God” as an explanation and I cannot argue that point.

In what manner does this story about Israel have to do with the west of today, and especially America?  I understand and acknowledge that America and her fellow ideological allies are not Jewish in any way and that they do not represent Israel in any way either.  We as a society have not replaced the Jews or Israel as God’s chosen people by any means and we shall never do this either.  However, God does not provide refuge for people to serve Him and then forget about that place of refuge.  And with this remembrance status the blessings will be great and the judgment will be just as great, for God loves His children and He is just in all ways.

It is no coincidence that the discovery of this portion of the world centuries ago was ordained by God and I also know that this country has been blessed beyond belief for seemingly non specific reasons.  If we place God’s perfect ways into the picture it becomes clear, with an appropriate time table, that these events were divinely put into place.  The blessings that have been given to our lives and the allowances that we have freely given over the past three centuries or so have been astronomical.  Yet while our fiscal responsibilities have been un-proportioned our spiritual responsibilities have been laid waste.

I challenge you to jot down this paragraph of sentences that I have used as the reference of this article and then after you have completed this small task begin to search the news for some similarities.  Forget about the politics, forget about who is right or is wrong and on which side you believe and just compare our activities to that of ancient Israel.  It will not take you long to find the answers if you use your heart instead of your emotions.  America and her allies have fallen right into the same trap that Israel did and it is going to cost us our lives, literally.  No, we are not God’s chosen people but our land was chosen by God to serve as a safe haven for all those who wish to seek His ways for their lives, and we have blown it!  Israel sold her heart to the world, not over night but it took time to complete, and we as a spiritual harbor will suffer the exact same fate if we do not change now.  God allowed her choices to occur and to be obtained and Israel forgot what would be coming after these choices were made laws within their existence.  God is a just God and will deal with His children accordingly and righteously.  As any good parent would, He will start out small and try to grasp our attention, but when we ignore Him, He must delve deeper in getting our attention; and this He shall do for we have flat ignored Him.

It is a proven fact that when humans change the course of their hearts, their entire lives change course as well.  It is obvious that America has done this exact feat and we have inkling of an idea of what we have done to the foundation of our lives.  We as a nation still have a very short window of opportunity to change things back to where we once were before God has to foundationally wake us up.  It does not matter what political affiliation one is associated with, for God deals directly with both parties according to their hearts and not their physical memberships.  God cannot look upon worldly beliefs and laws then judge His people, He must rule according to His truths and ways.

Here is another tidbit for one to think about.  It has always been puzzling to the person from the west to read about the end times in the Bible and consequently find no reference or any type of symbolism that would suggest that America was participating in these events.  If Israel was beaten enough to be scattered abroad the entire known world at that time, wouldn’t it be feasible for us to understand that our demise would be so significant that we could and would lose our current status within the world’s stage?  God has done this before and He shall do it again on the same scale if we do not change our course.  It would make sense that our nation was not around during the important times in the history of humanity, and yet it is sad that such a land that was created as a harbor for those who wanted the true freedom to know and to worship God would not be included in the final act of God’s plan for humanity.

God has always had a plan for humanity when it comes to second chances or refuge.  God has never been a one and done creator when it comes to humanity and each one of our lives is a testament to that truth.  This nation was built upon strong godly principles and we have done our best to miss the boat and water down these ideals from the moment we stepped foot on these shores.  We have progressed so much over the last few centuries that we have turned into almost identical twins with ancient Israel.  This is scary folks and if we do not listen to what God is saying to us now, our future could be in serious doubt.  The existence of our country as we know it can be placed into an entirely different category, one that mimics other countries that have been ripped apart by human deeds that they thought were in the best interests of their country.

We can voluntarily choose to have God restore our spiritual lives before the physical portions have to be included in this process or not.  As I close this article I am reminded of a question that I asked my mother a while back and it was this: What kind of state does a person have to be in if restoration is warranted?  Her answer still rings loud in my spiritual ears and it something like this: total destruction, or in ruins.  God is God and there is nothing that we can say or do to change that fact and truth.  He can do whatever He sees fit for the world and He will allow many unusual events to occur in order to grasp our hearts back to Him.  It will not be the Green Party that destroys this country, nor will it be the Democrats or the Republicans, but it will be the nation itself, made up of individuals that have shunned God’s laws and ways in order to please themselves that shall allow for destruction to come.  We have a chance to change this course but we need to do this now.  Restoration is a good thing but it is strictly up to us of how much we have to restore.

The passage that I referred to in Part I of this article comes from the book entitled "The Harbinger" by Jonathan Cahn, Chapter 3 pg 17.

DLB