The Slippery Slope

“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”  Proverbs 14:34

I have been studying the book of Jeremiah for a few months.  As I have stated before, there are many parallels between the ancient kingdom of Judah and America.  Jeremiah was a prophet who was sent by God to warn the people of Judah who were caught up in idolatry and all sorts of perversions.  They were advised to pack up and prepare to leave what they considered to be their fortress, the city of Jerusalem.  They believed Jerusalem to be indestructible because it was the holy city where the temple of God was located.  All the people who boarded the Titanic went on the statement that it, too, was indestructible, but we all know what happen to that grand ship.  I suppose the thought went through the minds of some of the passengers that there was always a possibility that the ship could sink, but surely it wouldn’t be on this maiden voyage.  The people of Judah, even after numerous warnings, also likely believed that death and destruction couldn’t happen to them.  Folks tend to think that things happen to others until it happens to them.  In the minds of these rebellious Judeans, they believed that since they were God’s chosen people, He would always protect them from their enemies.  (We always need to be cautious about assuming things because much of the time we are wrong.)  Secondary to the sin of idolatry and the abandonment of God, was the sin of unbelief–they didn’t believe what God told them through the prophecies of Jeremiah.

When the main thrust of God’s wrath would come upon the people, they would feel the pain.  The people of Israel and Judah had, in the past, experienced God’s displeasure from time to time because of disobedience, but this time would be different, a much harsher judgment.  Judah’s sister kingdom, Israel, had suffered captivity at the hands of the Assyrians, but that had been several generations ago likely leaving no one who had personally experienced that particular judgment of God still alive to tell the tale.  The generation to which Jeremiah prophesied had not experienced great suffering.  Even the idolatrous and evil reign of Manasseh, Hezekiah’s son, had been nearly 90 years prior to the time of Jeremiah.  I suppose the 20’s and 30’s somethings of that time were like the millennials and those in the generation Z group of today, who, generally speaking, have not really experienced tremendous hardships as the folks of the WWII Great Generation and their children, the Baby Boomers have gone through.  The younger generation of today, again generally speaking, have been pampered and praised (can anyone say “safe spaces” or “your speech offends me”?), but they lack emotional fortitude and critical thought processes.  I am not painting these entire generations of young adults with a broad brush, but the evidence is clear that there has been a big change in attitudes, education, and morals.  At my age, I have seen a huge change, even just over the last ten years.

After the evil reigns of Manasseh and his son Amon, Josiah became king and ruled righteously for 31 years which would have brought a measure of peace and blessings upon Judah, but after his death, the remainder of those who ruled Judah until they were taken captive were evil men.  Their combined reigns were less than 23 years.  The people lost the influence of a godly king and came to accept the evil rule of those who came after Josiah.  Those who were born around the time of Josiah’s passing would have been in their early 20’s and would have known nothing but a nation ruled by wicked men.  There are some folks who have developed a “herd” mentality, that is, they just follow the crowd and often behave in ways that are unacceptable in a civilized society, or at least what used to be unacceptable.  Never really having experienced real hardships, this generation of Judeans would not have been able to cope with the coming destruction.  Their attitude likely would not have been one of accepting their punishment because they realized that they deserved it, but rather accepting it in a begrudging attitude because they felt unfairly treated, perhaps asking, “Why me, LORD?”  They didn’t understand that this punishment was designed to bring repentance of their sin and a return to the God who loved them and cared for them.  Instead they would have exhibited a very selfish attitude only thinking of themselves and their devastating situation rather than owning up to their self-inflicted wounds caused by their willful sins.  They preferred the “slippery slope” to destruction and despair rather than peace with their Creator and Sustainer.

I dare say that it will likely be the same outcome when the seven year period of tribulation takes place before the return of Christ.  The people living at that time will have been unaccustomed to hardship because they have been catered to and had their desires met without struggling and working for those things which they possessed.  They will have depended on their parents or the government to provide those things to which they believed they were entitled without giving in return.  When the world situation goes from bad to worse, as described in the book of Revelation, they will demand an easy way out, and the antichrist will provide one for a time.  However, once the world’s population will fall under his leadership, he will make harsh demands upon them.  Not having any strength or courage to fall back on, they will submit and suffer extreme misery.  We have all heard the old saying, a truthful one, that if people do not learn from history, they are doomed to repeat it.  The people of Judah were warned just like the people today are being warned that God’s judgment is coming and likely has already begun, but again, like Judah, the majority of the world’s inhabitants do not believe what God has said in His word.  Thus the cycle repeats, but will eventually end when Christ destroys evil and rules in righteousness.  However, many will suffer simply because they didn’t believe God and put their trust in Him.