The Fall or Revival of the USA
Golden Text: If My people, which are called by My Name, shall humble themselves, and pray,
and seek My Face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from
heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.- II CHRONICLES 7:14
Hurricanes, earthquakes, famine, drought, flood, war, economic crisis, dependence on foreign sources, oil and some food. We watch as the USA is in a free fall, that looks much like the fall of past nations and empires. Like the Roman empire, we were not conquered from without, we are decaying from within. What does the future hold? Will the USA become a note in history, a byword? What can we learn from the Bible? What can we do to make America great again? Pump oil? Establish nuclear plants? Or is it almost easy and uncomplicated, if we will do what needs to be done.
DEUTERONOMY 8:1-20
1) All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers.
2) And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, [and] to prove thee, to know what [was] in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
3) And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every [word] that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
4) Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.
5) Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, [so] the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.
6) Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.
7) For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; 8) A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; 9) A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any [thing] in it; a land whose stones [are] iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass.
10) When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.
11) Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:
12) Lest [when] thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt [therein];
13) And [when] thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;
14) Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;
15) Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, [wherein were] fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where [there was] no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;
16) Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;
17) And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of [mine] hand hath gotten me this wealth. 18) But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for [it is] he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as [it is] this day. 19) And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. 20) As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God.
Scriptural Explanation and Questions:
1) There is a reason for you to keep ALL the rules that I, God have set out for you to hear, learn, follow and totally obey. The reason to keep my decrees IS that I, God, want you keep the rules. If you do, you will have a wonderful life on earth in the Promise Land and have life eternal in heaven. This earthly land is what I promised by an oath to your ancestral fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. IT IS YOUR LAND._________________________________
2) Remember how I, God was with you in the wilderness? Who supplied your food? Who brought water from the rocks? Did your clothing wear out? Did you have to wonder when to move and when to stop? Was there not a pillar of cloud to lead in the day and a pillar of fire at night? And when you wanted to do it in your own strength, when you wanted to take over? You were being tested. Could I trust you to keep My commandments? You had to be humbled, your pride had to go. The rules, I, God laid down, had to be followed._______________________________
3) But God fed you with this strange round small, sweet bread, “manna” (Heb. Strong’s Number 4478 -what is it) for forty years. It was on the ground in the morning six days in a row, every week. On every Savbbath day there was no manna (Exodus16). But, it was not just to eat but for you to learn that man does not live on bread alone. Focus on God, the Provider of the manna. When the devil tempted Jesus, after a forty day fast in the wilderness, Jesus quoted this phrase: It is written man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. Luke 4:4 (See also Matthew 6:33 - how does it apply?)________________________________
4) The clothing that they were wearing did not wear out in forty years. Neither did your feet become larger (as when filled with water). How long does a pair of pants and shoes last you? For forty years? _________________________
5) Okay, did you know that God is your Father? HE is your ancestral Father as HE physically created our first father, Adam. And HE, as Creator of each man, is a father. As a father (who loves a son and does not want him to grow up to be a rebellious, lying, schemer) will punish, discipline and correct. If you do not obey your Heavenly Father, HE also will correct and discipline you. _______ _______________
6) Since HE will punish you, we had better keep HIS commandments and laws or face the Living God for punishment. Fear not him that can kill you, but fear God, who after your death can send you to hell. (Matthew 10:28) ___________
7-8-9) God intends to bring you into the Promised Land, a good land of water, springs and valleys and hills; wheat, barley, grapes, a fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey. NOTE: From this point, notice the similarity to, the United States. We live in a land more prosperous or at least as prosperous as the Promised Land of Israel upon their first arrival. Look at God=s instructions. Have we, as a nation, obeyed God? Have we given God the respect and glory that HE and only HE deserves. 9) Here is a land where you shall have plenty and there are mineral supplies of iron (iron ore) and brass (cooper ore). Is the US rich in natural resources? _________________
10) What you are supposed to do, is eat and enjoy the blessings of God. But, when you are full, then you are to praise and thank God for the land and all that HE (only HE) has given us.
11) DO NOT FORGET to thank God! If you act like you did it all as if God had nothing to do with it you are in "pride." Pride comes just before man falls. If you keep God's laws and in humility bless Him and thank Him, God will bless you. BUT if you think its all you, you fail to allow God to be God. Who gave your ground the nutrients? Who gave you and your animals oxygen to breathe? Who gave plants wind, rain, the sun, & carbon dioxide?
OF THINE OWN HAVE WE GIVEN THEE.
12-14) WARNING: When you are sitting down after harvest and have eaten turkey, stuffing and a Christmas goose, when you have added on to your home (or purchased a new one) of which you are now proud, when your animals, cattle, sheep, goats, dogs, multiply and your money increases and all that you have has multiplied, if you then allow your 'head to swell' become overly proud and give not the thanks to God to which HE is entitled. If you forget the days when you worked long hours and did not know from year to year whether you would be able to make it, when you openly relied on God, even when you were in bondage to the banks and others, THINK!!! HOW DID YOU MAKE IT? WHO helped you then? ___________________
15-16) God led the children of Israel through a dangerous wilderness where were snakes, fire breathing serpents and scorpions (Strong says this is a word of unknown derivation, it must not be the insect. It must be some dangerous creature, that by the late 1800s, when Strong complied his Concordance, perhaps these had gone extinct. The wilderness also had drought: waterless, dry land. 16) God fed them they had to be totally dependent upon God. There was no room for "bigger barn," "more fields," "newer tractor" pride that says I did it all my self. God tested them. ___________________________
17) Beware of saying inside you prideful self MY strength, power and MY ability is what got me this wealth, this acreage, this number of bushels per acre, this truck, this house, this business, this machine. I cleared the land. I fought the Indians. 18) REMEMBER it is God who gives you, your strength, your intelligence, your reasoning your ability to obtain wealth.
19) If you forget the Lord your God (and kick Him out of your schools and your government, just after HE won a great victory for you over the three most militaristic nations on earth in world war II) and go and serve the gods of "it all happened without God by accident" you will surely perish (be destroyed, exterminated, vanquished). 20) That is what happened to the nations before you. (American Indian worshiped other gods, just as the countries that God drove out from the Promised Land. WHAT ABOUT THE USA?_____________________________