Have you
taken a look at those in charge of individual Nations and their Governments?
The American Presidential elections is taking front and centre attention of
moral, ethical and character values and we forget leaders elsewhere. Whoever
wins the coming U.S.A Presidency the Nation will actually lose! On what
assessment is that made? Proverbs 14:34: ‘Righteousness exalts a nation, but
sin is a reproach to any people.’ The word for ‘sin’ points to the evil nature
of a person which has no Godly restraints on it.
What is meant by Righteousness?
Being an
Israelite the writer views it from a covenant relationship and the Pentateuch. That meant amongst other things observing the
Law, statutes and judgements given by God to and through Moses. This is
beautifully summed in the Ten Commandments. When the Western Nations turned to
Christianity they wove these Commandments into their National psyche. The best
summary of these is actually from the lips of Jesus. Love God and love your
neighbour as yourself. Righteousness therefore isn’t a theory but an inner
condition lived out in a social context.
What is
being demonstrated today in many nations previously influenced by the Christian
faith is a repudiation of the Ten Commandments. With that emerges a society
without a cohesive framework of relationships. In fact, the best description of
what is emerging is found in Judges 21:25: ‘In those days there was no King in
Israel; everyone did what was right in their own eyes.’ The result as recorded
was chaotic and depressive. May I be allowed to paraphrase that verse for our scene
today. ‘In our day there was no Ten Commandments in operation in our Society.
Governments and individuals did as they pleased.’
Another
aspect of Righteousness which exalts according to the Bible is found in Genesis
12:2-3. ‘I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name
great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I
will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth will be
blessed.’ Nations bear testimony to this
truth in their histories. As Israel is
being isolated more and more and that even by some Christian Denominations so
too the downside of what God said to Abram is evident.
Proverbs
14:34 is stressing more than personal responsibility. It confronts corporations,
National Governments and communities regarding true righteousness. Therefore
this requires leadership from Governments founded on principles of Justice and
Truth from a higher authority than pressure from lobby groups. The Nations who
once held individual lives as sacred from the womb to the tomb have surrendered
to abortion and euthanasia. Why? Evolution has usurped the mystery of Creation
according to Genesis. The complex issue of refugees is compounded by terrorism
and mass infiltration which changes national culture. However, the delays in
processing claims and the neglect to provide for their basic needs is an
indictment on the World. In saying that, it must be stressed that it is those
nations influenced by the Christian faith who are in the forefront of caring.
More could be said about marriage, family, morality, child abuse, corruption in
high and low places and family violence. Whether we want to admit it or not
these are symptoms arising out of a walking away from righteousness, truth and
justice.
As Christians
we live in a morally and spiritually decaying world. In facts, according to 1
John 5:19 it is a world under the dominance of the Devil. Can you wonder,
therefore, why righteousness, justice, truth and Bible based morality are
frowned upon and undermined! In such circumstances we have a choice. Capitulate or agitate! Silence is safe
but is frowned upon by our Heavenly Father. Not
all of us can articulate our convictions but we can live out those famous words
in Joshua 24:15b “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
©Ray
Hawkins October 16 2016.
No comments:
Post a Comment