Four Ways God Judges Nations

Byron Foxx

Someone has wisely said that the Bible is a love letter from God to man. The greatest news anyone has ever heard is “God loves you!” God is love, but He is also righteous, holy, and just. He must be a God of judgment because His justice demands it. Ponder the reality of these sobering words: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Ps. 9:17). God will not be patient forever. God judged Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:16–24), and He destroyed the world with a flood (Gen. 6–7). Just think about what happened at the tower of Babel and Sodom and Gomorrah. The book of Obadiah was written to express His coming judgment against the Edomites. Nahum records the judgment against the Ninevites. God has judged nations and will continue to do so. The Bible reveals the wrath of God. Is our nation in danger? Yes, and we should heed God’s warnings. There are four primary ways that God judges the sins of the nations: war, natural disasters, pestilence and disease, and corrupt leaders.

THE SINS OF OUR NATION

Think through this list to see if this sounds familiar:

Pride: In Scripture we see repeated warnings about pride, boasting, and a haughty spirit. Psalm 10:3–4 reads, “For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.” What should a proud nation expect? According to Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

Greed: Scripture also repeatedly warns us about greed. First Timothy 6:10 says, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Think about how covetous our country has become.