ONE NATION UNDER GOD?
Judges 1:1-2; 2:1-4; 16

(Rom 15:4) "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."

Introduction:      The book of Judges describes a period in Israel ’s history when they were without a strong, godly leader.  It is best summed up by Judges 17:6, “In those days there was no king in Israel , but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”  When man is left to himself, it will not be long before he finds himself in deep trouble. This was the case in Israel . They were a favored people. They were the chosen ones of the Lord God Almighty. He led them; He fed them and He protected them. Eventually, God led them into the land of Canaan . God gave them a Lord. He gave them a land; He gave them a Law. But, Israel denied the Lord, defiled the land and defied the Law. As a result, God was forced to judge this people He loved so very much. Israel ’s saga is not limited to their experience. Looking back through the corridor of time, one can see nation after nation that had a great beginning, achieving tremendous success only to suffer a horrible fall and a tragic end. Friday, we celebrated our nation’s 232^nd anniversary as a free, sovereign country. There is no doubt that America had an amazing beginning. Our great nation was forged on the anvil of truth with the hammer of the Word of God by men who held tightly to their convictions and who were held in the strong grip of their faith in Almighty God. There is no disputing the fact that America was founded, not as a religious nation, but as a Christian nation! There is no question but that God Himself had His hand in the formation of this country. Yet, like Israel of old, America has denied the Lord Who formed us. We have defiled the land He gave us and we have defied the Law He established us upon. There are those in this country who are bent on seeing that we are no longer “one nation under God.” Like Israel , this nation has turned away from the God Who made us great and we have gone after gods of our own design. We are a nation that has experienced the great and manifold blessings of God in the past and we are a nation that will face God’s hand of judgment in the future! In these verses we can see a portrait of our nation as it is today and we can get a glimpse of what lies in store for America , if she does not return to God. We are facing a real crisis in our nation. We have religion, but there is no fear of God. We have civilization and culture, but they are built on the shifting sands of human philosophy and wisdom and not the firm foundation of the Word of God.  Notice the comparison between Israel and America . Both were Nations:

I.          MARKED BY GLORIOUS CONQUEST
When Israel entered Canaan , the sky was the limit! God had promised them the land and all they had to do was claim it by faith. In those early days of victory they enjoyed:

A.        God’s Providence (v.2) “I have delivered…”

God was going before them, preparing the way for certain victory. There was no way they could lose as long as God was all around them, Rom. 8:31.

B.         God’s Protection (v.19) “And the LORD was with Judah and drave out…”  God was actively involved in helping Israel conquer the land of Canaan .  He not only prepared the way; He also protected them in the way.

C.         God’s Power (v.4) “and the LORD delivered…”

God was the real power on the battlefield. He is the God of all power, Matt. 28:18; Eph. 3:20!

D.                 God’s Promises

For hundreds of years, beginning with Abraham, Gen. 12:1, God had been promising to give the nation of Israel a homeland. He is in the process of fulfilling that promise in these verses. I know that America is not Israel but we see in Israel what the Lord did for America . Just as surely as Israel was a nation formed by God and formed around God; the same can be said about the United States of America .  I don’t have time to share all the evidence that is available to support that statement, but just let me briefly share a quote or two.

America is not an accident! She is the product of the sovereign, providential will of Almighty God. She was founded on His Word and down through the years God has blessed America ! This nation has enjoyed God’s protection, His power, His promises and His provision. Many would love to rip these facts from the fabric our nation’s history; but they are true. America was a nation marked by glorious conquest!

II.         MARRED BY GRADUAL COMPROMISE
All did not remain well in Israel . Notice Judges 2:7, 10.  The old generation that had seen God move in power and glory died out. A new generation came of age that forgot their heritage and denied the God that had made them what they were. Israel began a slow, steady descent down the slope of compromise. When they entered the land, they had been commanded to utterly destroy the people of Canaan , Num. 33:51-56. If they fail to drive out the nations, they themselves will be afflicted and God Himself will turn against them. This became a reality in Israel . Compromised with:

A.        The Canaanites They Feared (v.19)

After some initial success, 1:4-19a, Judah came up against some people that he feared.  They did not drive these people out due to fear.

B.         The Canaanites They Favored (vv.27-30)

We are told here that many of the tribes did not drive out the people of the land, but merely put them to tribute. That is, they enslaved the Canaanites and forced them to work for Israel .

C.                 The Canaanites They Frequented (vv.32-33)

It gets worse!  In these verses we are told that some of the Israelites “dwelt among the Canaanites.” They became accustomed to the vile and wicked ways of the Canaanites and accepted them for who they were (**see note).

Well, as they did in Israel , America is busy compromising with the Canaanites of our day. There are some that we cannot seem to overcome. They have “chariots of iron.” 

·         When we face these Canaanites that we fear

We simply adjust to them and accept them as “being part of life.” We cannot seem to deal with drugs, crime, abortion, immorality, sexual perversion and moral decay.

·         Then there are the Canaanites that we favor. 

Things like legalized gambling, lotteries and alcohol are accepted by society because they are supposed bring revenue into the hands of the community and the government. But what about their enormous cost?  What about broken homes?  What about shattered innocence? What about a system that preys on the poorest among us? Look at the price America is paying economically for turning away from God and walking off into compromise! Look at our world! People are playing with vices that are destroying our young! Still we tolerate these Canaanites because they are supposedly working for us!

·         Then there are the Canaanites we frequent.

We fear some Canaanites; we favor others; but there are some that we frequent. That is, we live around sin so much that we begin to get desensitized to it.  Instead of maintaining our spiritual purity, we begin to adopt the ways of the world.  We talk like them; we walk like them; we do what they do; go where they go; watch what they watch; like what they like; smoke what they smoke; drink what they drink. We have adopted the attitude that sin is not all that bad anymore. Friend, don’t be fooled, you cannot play around with sin and not get burned, Pro. 6:27. Things have a way of getting out of hand quicker than you can imagine. We have become a nation of compromisers. We are afraid to take a stand against sin for fear of being labeled “intolerant.”  We are so politically correct that we are afraid we might offend someone with our “religion.” We are already paying a high price for our disobedience; but I am afraid that we are slated for far harsher judgment as a nation.   

III.       MAIMED BY GRIM CONSEQUENCES
Because of their sin, Israel faced the Lord’s judgment. Notice what happened to Israel and what may await America , if we do not repent.

A.                 They Endured A Divine Sentence (2:3)

God vowed to remove His protecting hand from Israel . He would allow the Canaanites they had compromised with to be a thorn in the side of Israel . He would allow the false gods of Canaan to be a snare to them.

America can expect no better treatment. Even now, we can see that our nation is under a sentence of divine judgment. 

·         Militarily we are stretched to the limit. All the while our enemies grow bolder every day.

·         Economically we are in serious trouble. People are struggling.

·         Culturally, we are fighting a losing battle. The divorce rates have quadrupled in the past 30 years. Teen suicide has doubled and violent crime has risen 500%. One out of every three children is born to a single mother.  In some cities the illegitimacy rates are as high as 80%!

·         Morally we are totally bankrupt. Our government spends nearly 200 million dollars per year teaching kids how to use condoms instead of promoting abstinence based sex education. 56 million Americans are suffering from a venereal disease of one form or the other.

·         Spiritually we are in a deplorable condition. The Bible and prayer have been removed from our schools. The Ten Commandments continue to be attacked and relegated to the dust bin of history. 

·         We are under attack in the natural realm as well.  Look at the hurricanes, the earthquakes, the floods, the tornadoes, the fires and fierce storms that are afflicting every part of our country.

·         These are but a few of the signs that we are facing impending judgment from God.  The fact is, our Protector has removed His hand of protection. But, it is not God’s fault. We have no one to blame but ourselves, Jer. 2:19! We are reaping the crop that we have been sowing for the last 100 years, Gal. 6:7! We have sown to the wind and we are reaping the whirlwind.

B.         They Expressed Deep Sorrow (2:4-5)

That generation called on the Lord because of their sins. Repentance is the only hope this nation has!  The only thing holding this country up today is the prayers of a remnant of godly people. I challenge you to seek the face of the Lord for your nation!

C.         They Evidenced Deepening Sin (2:6-15)

The day came when Israel totally walked away from God, 2:11-15. Their compromise was transformed into wholesale sin and total disregard for the Word or will of Almighty God.  For this, Israel paid a terrible price. Judgment came and they suffered the awesome wrath of a holy God. Look around America today and you will see a nation that has forsaken God; rejected His Bible and thumbs its nose in defiance of the God Who formed her. God is given mere lip service in the public arena; while the same people who declare His Name in vain deny Him by their works and their walk. This trend is only going to get worse as the end times draw closer. Judgment is coming and America is going to pay a terrible price for her transgressions.

Conclusion:       I realize that this has been a hard message. I love this nation and I want to see America spared the judgment that I think has already begun. I do not want to end on a down note. I want you to look at verse 16, “Nevertheless.”  In spite of their failures, God still sent them men to lead them and to speak to them. Sometimes they listened, sometimes they did not.  But, it still reminds us that God is patient, loving and was giving them every chance to set things right. Today, I want to challenge you to do a few things for me as we prepare to close. First, I wonder who might feel led to come and pray for our nation, its leaders, and for God to send revival one more time. Second, there may be some people here who have never trusted Jesus as their Savior. Jesus loves you and died for you. If you would like to be saved and He is calling you to come to Him, you can come right now. Third, some of God’s precious saints have been guilty of walking in compromise with the world and you need to get that matter straightened out with the Lord today.