Had God Had Enough?

It seems as if most Christians today have little regard for the Old Testament. We seldom hear sermons from it and almost never study an entire book. I believe we (Americans) are missing so much. The OT is in the Bible so that we can learn about the history of Israel and, hopefully, learn from their mistakes. I believe the Israelites in the OT are representative of the USA today. There are so many similarities that it is no doubt that is the case.

The Israelites were given the promised land. It was a land rich with everything. They had to take it away from those that were already inhabiting it. Those inhabitants did not worship the true God. They worshiped idols and gods of the earth. These people had to be displaced.

The Puritans were looking for a place rich with everything and where they could worship according to their beliefs without persecution. They found that land in America. However, America was also inhabited by people that did not worship the true God. They worshiped idols and earthly gods. These people too, had to be displaced.

The Israelites were a blessed people. As long as they obeyed God and His rules, they didn’t have to worry about anything. They were protected from other peoples and destruction from other sources. Unfortunately, by reading the OT we learn that they continually turned their backs on God. He would send plagues and prophets to get their attention. Finally, He had enough. I encourage you to read Jeremiah, Lamentations, Hosea, and Malachi, as well as other books in the OT and see what happened to the Israelites.

Now, compare the Israelites to us. There is no doubt the USA was a blessed country. It was founded on Christian principles. George Washington and the first Congress dedicated our Country to God. They all, every one of them, got on their knees and prayed immediately after his inauguration at St Paul’s Chapel in NYC.

Look at the history of our Country. We most certainly mirror the ancient Israelites. Has God finally had enough of our rebellion? Has He finally had enough of the slaughter of millions and millions of babies? Has He finally had enough of the mockery of His Word? The answer is, I don’t know. What I do know is that the only chance we have is told to us in 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 CSB:

If I shut the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the grasshopper to consume the land, or if I send pestilence on my people, [14] and my people, who bear my name, humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.