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Judges 17:6. A Nation with a Broken Moral Compass

April 5 Judges 17 6

What happens when a nation throws out its moral compass? Everyone does just as each person wants to do. Without a moral compass, there are no absolutes. No absolute truth that guides and determines this is right and this is wrong. There is no absolute in gender and marriage gets redefined. Instead of One God, there are many gods and all are accepted. You’ve probably seen the popular bumper sticker that says, “Co-exist” and each letter represents a different religion. Certainly, we should love others as Jesus loves them, but that does not mean we accept anything that blatantly contradicts the Bible. America has lost its moral compass and without a spiritual revival our nation is doomed to more and more moral decay. How much decay has to happen before we are humbled enough to fall our knees and cry out for God’s mercy? Does it take 239,279 people infected with COVID-19? Does it take over 5,000 people dying in a matter of weeks from COVID-19?

Israel also spiraled down into moral decay and lost its moral compass. In Judges 17, we find a son who stole from his mother – 1100 silver coins. The mom, angry over the theft pronounces a curse on whoever stole the money, not knowing she was cursing her own son. The son hears about it and decides to return the money – not because he is convicted about the wrong but because he’s afraid of the curse. Then we see the mom do something that is becoming more and more common in parents today – she blesses the son. There is no discipline. No discussion about right or wrong. In fact, she is so happy to get the coins back that she says she’s going to dedicate to God and has it melted down and shaped into an idol.

What begins in the home will eventually spread to the community, the government, and the nation. At the point of Judges 17, we see that the nation lost its moral compass and in verse six we read: “In those days, there was no king in Israel. Everyone did whatever he wanted.” The eventual result is God’s judgement on the nation. And it always happens in the same order: Moral decay at home, then the community and the church, and then the government. Then God brings judgement and the people wonder what’s happening. They panic and buy up all the toilet paper. Well, there is a big mess that needs cleaning up, but all the toilet paper in the world will not clean the mess up. What’s needed is a spiritual clean up. We need for the Holy Spirit to sweep in and clean up the hearts of God people. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says:

2 Chronicles 7 14

So how do we bring back God’s glory to America? Perhaps you’re thinking that you’d love to see that happen – for America to truly be great again. But it won’t come from a president. It won’t come from the House, Congress, the Senate, or the White House. It will only come when God is invited back in to our homes, our government, and our nation. So where do we start? The best place is at the beginning.

Rebuilding our foundation:

As we read the story in Judges 17, the Micah mentioned here is not the prophet. This Micah is about as far away from being a prophet as he can get. He’s nothing more than a spoiled brat, used to getting whatever he wanted, taking whatever he wanted and without any consequence. His home is so messed up and spiritually blind that they had no clue that idolatry was strictly forbidden. In fact, his mother thought she was doing God a favor and honoring Him by making an idol to Him. But this home was steeped in idolatry. Verse five tells us Micah had a whole shrine of idols. What we have in this home is a very crumbled foundation. One that was broken to pieces by coveting, stealing, cursing, dishonoring of parents, and idolatry. And that’s just what this story tells us about this family. Only God knows what else was going on in the home. And yet if you were to confront them, they would probably try to take you to court, sue you for some kind of discrimination charge and claim they are entitled to their own opinion and can live any way they want. This is exactly what is meant in verse seven when the Bible says, “Every man did what was right in his own eyes.” 

Doesn’t this sound like America today? Everyone does whatever they feel is right. They have no regard for what God says is right. It’s as if people think they can pass or change laws to make something right, then it will be right and they don’t have to feel guilty. But God’s laws do not change and their guilt is still before the eyes of God.

The same is true about religion. If we don’t like what the Bible says, we choose to “interpret” it differently and start a new religion so we can live exactly the way we want to. We ignore the absolute truth, authority, standards, and morals that God commands in His Word and throw it back in His face in favor of living however we want to live. This attitude runs pervasively throughout the homes of our nation – even in many of the homes that consider themselves Christian.

If we are going to rebuild the crumbling foundation of our nation – it begins at home with parents humbling themselves before God, praying and seeking His face, and repenting of not bringing their children up in nurture and admonition of the Lord. When we as parents get our hearts right with God, we then need to live out the truths of God’s Word as an example for our children – to show them how to live. If you want your children to obey you, then you should be the example by being obedient to the speed limits and other laws. If you want them to be truthful and honest, then you need to be truthful and honest on your taxes. If you want them to speak with kindness, then you need to speak kindly to the person checking you out at the grocery store. If you want them to see church as important, they need to see you eager to go to church. If you want them to read God’s Word, they need to see you in the Word. We as parents need to stop making excuses or sweeping behaviors under the carpet and ignoring them saying, “Its just a phase. They’ll outgrow it.” Let’s call it what it is – SIN – and then be parents. 

If we want to bring God’s glory back to our nation, it begins in your house and in my house – not in the White House. No president can make America great again. Making America great again begins with rebuilding the foundations of our nation and the foundation is the American home that is built upon the Word of God and standing on the Biblical truths God has given us. 

Holy Spirit, convict our hearts of the sin of apostasy that has so befallen our nation. Open our eyes to both the lies of Satan and the truths of God’s Word. Create within us a longing for God to return as Lord of America. Lord, we humble ourselves before you with broken and contrite hearts, acknowledging our sin. Lord, cause us to seek you with all of our heart, mind, and soul for you’ve said in your word that when we seek you with all of our heart we will find you – and oh! how we need to find you! Forgive us, Father, for turning away from you and doing what is right in our own eyes. Forgive the perversity of sin within our land. God, we implore you to hear us from heaven and heal our land. Father, heal our land not only of COVID-19, but of the moral and spiritual decay and bring back your glory. We invite you to once more be God in America. 

 

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Don’t forget to learn this week’s memory verse:

Memorize and hide in your heart one memory verse each week in 2020. If you didn’t start the challenge at the beginning of the year, just jump in now and be sure to sign up to get our weekly Memory verse in your email so you don’t miss a week.

memory verse logoIn 2020 our emphasis is on revival for America with three key words: revive, renew, and redeem. You will begin to see the elements of our website and posts reflect this emphasis. We hope you’ll join us in praying for God to pour out the Holy Spirit with a mighty rushing wind of revival for our nation and around the world.

 

Our key verse for revival is 2 Chronicles 7:14. “If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.  For the past few  weeks, we have been focusing on repentance. This week, we look at the spiritual transformation that takes place when we surrender our heart to God.

This week’s memory verse:

Exodus 14:13-14

“Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” 

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