Pay Attention to What is Written
If America would understand the importance of studying the Old Testament, our world would drastically change and head in a new direction. Why do we have that old covenant when we live under the new one? Listen to what God says. “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Rom. 15:4). We are a sick nation because we have not paid attention to those things written before.
Have you learned from what was written?
There is evil in our land as there was evil in the land of Noah. When godly people became intertwined with the ungodly, our holy God responded. “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart” (Gen. 6:5-6). At one time, we at least said that we wanted to be “one nation under God,” but now we have become a nation which longs to be “one nation out from under God.” How much longer will it be before God is sorry that He ever made America?
What things were written before? Read those verses from Genesis again and understand they were for our learning!
How do these words from Micah describe our land? “Woe to those who devise iniquity, and work out evil on their beds! At morning light they practice it” (Micah 2:1). They cunningly devise their plans and then carry them out as soon as the morning light comes. How good are they at it? “They do evil … successfully with both hands” (Micah 7:3). We are truly a land filled with ambidextrous people!
Once a nation starts down the road of evil it becomes more and more corrupt. Paul described it this way, “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3:13). Jeremiah’s words are so graphic: “And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know Me” (Jer. 9:3).
We hear that the economy is booming, and while that may be true, there is something far more important. Our land has become a place where “evil is booming.” Will we never learn? Is there no hope? The hope for us is found in the opening words of this article. Those things written before were written for our learning!
How do we respond to all of this evil? What values must we place in our homes? It’s very simple. We must not follow the multitude to do evil (Ex. 23:2). We must not be overcome with evil but overcome evil with good (Rom. 12:21).