As some of you know, I have been systematically reading through the Scriptures chronologically since January 1 of 2015. My practice has been deliberate so that I ensure concentration on my reading rather than merely breezing through. I haven’t even crossed the midway mark of the Bible yet – which makes today’s reading all the more Divinely appointed.
My systematic reading brought me to Psalm 106, which the editors of my version described as, “A song of national repentance.” How fitting for this Memorial Day 2017! Though God had originally sent this word to His Chosen People of the Old Testament era, He’s sending it to America today. The depiction of Israel’s history and her consequent warnings serve as a fit admonition to our beloved nation. Just listen to a few excerpts from the chapter:
“Like our ancestors, we have sinned. We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly!… (We) forgot His many acts of kindness … (We) rebelled against Him… (We) traded our Glorious God for (pleasure, sex, popularity, drugs, alcohol, money, work, sports, entertainment, etc.).. (We])mingled among the pagans and adopted their evil customs… (We) have shed innocent blood (through abortion and euthanasia)… (Our) love of idols (anything that robs God of first place in our lives) (is) adultery in God’s eyes.”
Yet throughout this Psalm, the writer reminds His readers that for centuries, God had displayed undeserved Patience and Grace at every turn. Eventually, however, “(Israel was) finally destroyed by (its) sin.” The nation had crossed a point of no return. I wonder how close America sits in relation to that line??? God has “shed His Grace on thee” over and over again; and He will continue to do so, but only if we nationally repent and turn from our sin.
Two persons stand out in this Psalm as part of the reason Israel prevailed as long as she had. “Moses stepped between the Lord and the people” and “Phinehas had the courage to intervene.” God is issuing the clarion call for modern-day Moses’ and Phinehas’ to stand in the gap and intercede for our nation. Will you, will I, be a Moses or a Phinehas?
One verse, in particular, jarred me to full attention, primarily because it initially sounds so good; but it ends up with such dire prospect. Verse 15 reads, “(God) gave them what they asked for.” That’s good, right? God answering prayers. First of all, their requests weren’t prayers. They were unspoken lifestyles that had drifted far from God’s Holy Standard, such that their “requests” were nothing short of their selfish desires being paraded before God. And because He is so Patient and Gracious, He lets us live however we want – FOR A TIME!, which leads to a second observation: Eventually, a nation, our nation, must give account! What Israel really asked for but didn’t realize was Divine judgment. I believe America is begging for the very same.
I wonder, how near the midnight hour has America’s Judgment Clock ticked?? May the days of ” God shed(ding) His Grace on Thee” be in their waning moments? I implore you to not just read these words I’ve penned, but join with me in becoming a Moses or a Phinehas and plead to God that He “shed His (Mercy) on Thee,” O America – before we cross the point of no return.
“Father, forgive us for being so into ourselves that we have shoved You off Your Throne and taken Your Seat. We humbly give it back and plead for You to continue to shed Your Mercy on us.”
