Whatever Happened To Civility?

 

 

Good king…..bad king…..good king…..bad king. It’s the kind of pattern we see with  the rulers of Israel’s Southern Kingdom (Judah) as we go through the Book of 2 Chronicles.  It certainly was not an ideal way to be governed. Much like living on a yo-yo! The Northern Kingdom (Israel) did not have such a pattern; they were all bad kings!

 

Today, let’s talk about the good king Jotham’s successor, the bad king Ahaz. We pick up his story in 2Ch 28:1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD, as his father David had done. 2 For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made molded images for the Baals.  3 He burned incense in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.  4 And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.  5 Therefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. They defeated him, and carried away a great multitude of them as captives, and brought them to Damascus. Then he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who defeated him with a great slaughter.

 

This wicked king sacrificed (killed) his own children! Note what the Lord calls this! It is an abomination, (something utterly detestable) to the Lord. Something utterly detestable has been taking place with the consent of the governed in the United States since January 22,1973 when the Supreme Court of the land gave the green light to abortion on demand. Since that time over 62 million defenseless unborn children have been sacrificed on the altar of convenience.

 

We rightly decry the lack of civility in recent events in our nation’s capital, but no one wants to talk about the lack of civility that has taken place in the womb for these past 48 years!

This week’s events in Washington D.C. were yet another low point in our nation’s recent history, but we shouldn’t be surprised. The seeds of an uncivil nation were planted long ago and now we are seeing some of its fruit.

 

2Ch 28:19 tells us how the Lord dealt with the morally declining nation of Judah. “For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had encouraged moral decline in Judah and had been continually unfaithful to the LORD.”

 

“Brought low.”  How much lower do we have to be brought before we repent of our moral decline in this nation? For that matter, will we repent? Or will we be like Ahaz who in the time of his distress became “increasingly unfaithful.” (2 Chron 28:22) and provoked the anger of God! It’s a choice God ever places before us.

 

De 30:19 "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;  20 "that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."

 

Let me add that there is no sin, no abomination, that Jesus didn’t pay for on the cross and if you are struggling with guilt over a past sin, know that God heals and forgives. Believe the promise found in 1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.