FORGET NONE OF HIS BENEFITS, volume 8, number 11, March 12, 2009

How the faithful city has become a harlot, she who was full of justice! Righteousness once lodged in her, but now murderers. Your silver has become dross, your drink diluted water, Isaiah 1:21-22.

Why Are You Angry?

The staggering loss of wealth in stock portfolios and real estate values that we all are experiencing elicits fear, worry, and anger. We are angry about the greed of the subprime lending debacle. I am not saying our anger is unjustified. I will have more to say about this in a later article. However should we not ask ourselves, “Why am I angry?” Why am I fearful and worried?”

Isn’t it true that we are angrier about our loss of wealth than we are the myriad of social sins that plague our nation? Are you angry, grieved, brokenhearted over the epidemic of sexual sins that are destroying whole families?

Are you angry about:

· rampant addiction to pornography

· the ravaging affects of pedophilia

· the acceptability of co-habitation before marriage

· the brazen promotion of homosexuality

· the growing acceptability of adultery

· the shamelessness of  high school and college age fornication

· shameless, unwed mothers wearing their children like trophies

· eugenics and the coming of “designer children”

· the disdain for children with birth defects, leading to abortion

· the holocaust of abortion

· the normalcy of sexual assault

· the growing acceptability of incest

· pornographic magazines in checkout lines, easily seen by your children

· commercials pushing sex shops on conservative television programming

· accessibility to internet pornography at public libraries

· sex solicitation on popular websites used to buy and sell goods

· middle school girls engaging in oral sex

· high school girls competing to see which one can get pregnant first

· solicitation of prostitutes by public officials

· the Oval Office used in the past for illicit sexual activity

· Christian ministries accepting money, giving recognition to known adulterers

· sexually explicit preaching and teaching to mixed audiences

· work-out facilities having sexually suggestive programming on exercise machines

· music played in public places with sensual lyrics

· pastors preaching against adultery while cheating on their wives?

Why do these things not bother us in the same way that massive de-valuation of our wealth does? Could it be that we are in bed with the harlot? Isaiah, writing from 740 to 701 B.C. at the height of Assyrian imperialism that threatened both the northern and southern kingdoms, was serving as a covenant prosecutor on behalf of Yahweh. He was charging Israel with idolatry and harlotry. He pronounces judgments and covenantal curses upon them. He says that He has had enough of their burnt offerings (1:11), that He cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly (1:13), that when they spread out their hands in prayer, He hides His eyes from them (1:15), that their rebellion and refusal to repent will bring the devourer’s sword (1:20). He later promises the balm of Gilead through the Suffering Servant, even the Lord Jesus who will bear their iniquities, who will remove His anger from them forever (53:12, 54:7-8); but He is in the distant future. In the meantime there must be sincere contrition, repentance, and restitution.

Our once great nation, founded on the God-centered, Christ-exalting, Spirit-anointed, man debasing preaching of the Puritans is a paper lion. We are rotting from the inside, just as Gibbon noted the Roman Empire’s fall. Indeed, the faithful city has become a harlot. We have sold ourselves to the false gods of secularism, affluence, and peace. We are at ease in Zion while false preachers say, “Peace, peace.” We are paneling our dens while the church of Jesus lies desolate. The City of God in America has been invaded by enemies of the gospel, the walls are torn down, and unlike Nehemiah, we grieve not. We once were a nation of justice and righeousness, but we now call evil “Good”, and good “Evil”. We champion “might is right” that fuels corporate greed and the abortion industry. Those in power ride roughshod over individual rights, and if things continue unabated, we will be serfs very shortly.

Can there be any doubt that our idolatry, our harlotry, and our consequent injustice are causing our “silver to become dross”, our “drink to be diluted with water?” Our wealth is being taken from us because we have forgotten our great God, the One who brought us to America in the first place, being led by God-fearing Puritans who fled persecution and injustice, who made a covenant with God, saying that they would serve Him only.

God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, this he shall also reap. We have sown ungodliness and we are reaping a whirlwind. Are you angry? About what? Go deeper than the loss of your wealth. Go deeper than the epidemic of sexual perversion in America. Begin with the household of God. Will you repent of harlotry? Will you allow the Holy Spirit to break your heart, to drive you to humiliation, repentance, and prayer? I simply cannot believe that God is finished with us, though He certainly should be. In wrath, may He remember mercy (Habakkuk 3:2). Perhaps He will relent of the coming calamity, but one thing is sure— our iniquity has made a separation between us and our God, and He will not hear us (59:2). We are storing up wrath for that day (Romans 2:5). Come now, let us reason together, though your sins are as scarlet, they will be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool (1:18). How? If we consent and obey (1:19). Without this repentance we will continue onto economic, political, and military collapse, becoming serfs like Judah and Israel before us. May God show us the mercy of deep conviction and grant us the grace of evangelical repentance.

FORGET NONE OF HIS BENEFITS is a weekly devotional by Reverend Al Baker, pastor of Christ Community Presbyterian Church in West Hartford, Connecticut.

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