Good Morning!
In my Bible reading today I happened to be in Isaiah 20 which has to be one of the weirdest chapters found anywhere in Holy Writ. Kind of hidden in the story of the Assyrian general Tartan and his taking of the city of Ashdod is a statement that the prophet Isaiah has been walking around practically naked for three years as a sign against Egypt and Ethiopia. These two nations are being prepped for judgment by Jehovah through the instrument of this army of Sargon of Assyria. While neither the leader of Nineveh nor the residents of the Nile Valley were aware of what the Creator had in store it does not change that God’s sovereign hand is in the midst of it.
Is there not a calamity in the city and the LORD has done it?
While the gentile nations at this point in redemptive history are not yet in the full covenant kingdom it cannot be said that they are not entirely unaware of the LORD and His works. Not only has the earth itself declared the glory of God they have had other instances of seeing the hand of Jehovah in action in history. As we see throughout the Old Testament this supposed “ignorance” is no excuse for any person’s or land’s idolatry and of their general moral wickedness. Egypt and Ethiopia are being held to account in the person and work of the king of the North.
Though there has to be a question percolating in the minds of all fair people: Why are these nations facing the wrath of God if they had not the special revelation which Jehovah had shown unto Israel and Judah? Why do we continue to see His judgment poured out?
The answer is really not that hard, though it has several layers.
First of all in the case of Egypt had they not seen the power of God in the destruction of the plagues and the swallowing up of the army of Pharaoh in the Red Sea? How many times had the LORD provided opportunity for them to witness the signs and turn away from idolatry and become as the children of Abraham? In fact one could go back to the days of Abraham himself and then Joseph. In light of all of these things there was no justification for their considering themselves to be neutrals in the war between holiness and unrighteousness. Choose whom this day you will serve is not just the call of Joshua to the people of God. That reality is for all men. Psalm 2 echoes this in David’s call for all kings and princes throughout the earth to bow the knee and kiss the Son lest He be angry. Leaders of every country will be held to account for how, and if, they obey Christ’s law word. If you are not pro-Jesus you will lose.
Those who rise up against Jehovah will be cut down.
Second when you consider Ethiopia remember the Queen of Sheba came forth to give praise unto Solomon for his wisdom. Chance was plenty to seek the source of that understanding. In fact we know from Acts 8 that a God-fearer from that land was moved to go to Jerusalem to give praise, and had the very book of Isaiah in his possession. Here we see that the Scriptures, that special revelation spoken of before was even itself available to all who were interested in taking hold of it for life and knowledge. Their place alongside Egypt on the gallows of Heavenly execution was duly earned, not unlike the two men flanking the Lord Jesus Christ at Golgotha.
There was no pretext for the nations to claim Jehovah had no right to bring His power down upon them for their transgressions, and yet there was another reason why God did this through another Pagan ruler: and that was to show Israel once more that placing oneself in the debt and protection of man-made kingdoms is foolhardy. Every nation which does not covenant itself openly to the LORD will cease to exist. Where is Assyria today? What of the Hittites or of Imperial Rome itself? All in the dustbin of history because they thumbed their nose at the Creator and were crushed by Him.
In these United States we are well on our own way to destruction because we thought ourselves able to establish a non-established land and not “take sides” in the religious debate, and what has been seen, to quote a famous essayist, is if you choose not to decide you still have made a choice. Our precarious Republic is crumbling because it has no foundation, the one it has, the Constitution, as wonderful as it is, has been so violated by the whims of legislature, judicatory, and executive as to be almost unrecognizable to those who framed it. The parable of the houses built on sand and rock is not just about our own personal lives. Any society with pillars sunk in the wisdom of man is born for obliteration. We must reconsider our handshake with Deism and return to a Theistic Covenant bond. How is that accomplished though? Nancy Pelosi ain’t going to pass no legislation which declares Christ as King, and Joe Biden wouldn’t autosign it.
The good news is we get that done the same way we are called to do all things. Prayer, Preaching, and Prophesying. Offering the random call to Heaven will not bring about what we seek. Consistent corporate congregational prayer is the instrument we need to play. Likewise the lukewarm winsome weakness of so much of the ministerial labors of today will be laughed off by our Satanic world. Strong, direct, and Biblical preaching must be the order of the day. And lastly the Kingdom of Glory, the Church, needs to make sure that we ourselves are living out the life we’d like to see our nation inhabit. We can’t be giant hypocrites. If we would see holiness in the world, reformation begins in the house of the Lord.
For our own safety and health we’d be wise to heed the signs of the prophet Isaiah found in this 20th chapter. Our nakedness is being exposed and we’d best be seeking the only covering which is available. It is far past time for our nation to repent of its codified atheism and turn unto Christ and seek His rulership and peace. For if we would see America turn back from the abyss it is running headlong into as the pigs of Gadarene the only answer is not electing more Republicans, but humbling ourselves before our God and resting in His means for victory.
Here is a word to consider this morning:
https://seventeen82.blogspot.com/2021/02/whats-deal-with-covenanting-very-short.html
Blessings in Christ,
Rev. Benjamin Glaser
Pastor, Bethany ARP Church