The Conservative Cave
Current Events => General Discussion => Topic started by: CG6468 on July 03, 2012, 03:30:18 PM
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IS AMERICA FACING A “JONAH†MOMENT, OR A “NAHUM†MOMENT?
Posted: July 2, 2012 in Uncategorized
Last month, I had dinner with a group of Protestant and Catholic Christian leaders just outside of Washington, D.C. I was asked to briefly explain the research and analysis I had done while writing Implosion and share my conclusions with the group. I tried to summarize the book with this question: “Is America facing a ‘Jonah’ moment, or a ‘Nahum’ moment?†As we approach the July 4th holiday and the celebration of the founding of our dear country, let me explain.
>> UPDATE: New poll finds number of Americans who see U.S. as last best hope of the world dropping sharply
In the Old Testament book of Jonah, the Hebrew prophet was sent by the Lord to the wicked city of Ninevah — the capital of the Assyrian empire — in order to preach a message of imminent judgment. I asked the leaders to set aside for a moment the fact that Jonah didn’t want to obey the Lord and preach this messsage, and thus fled on a ship headed in the other direction. The point I wanted to make that night was that when Jonah finally did obey the Lord and did start preaching in Ninevah, he didn’t call the people to repentance. Rather, Jonah declared, “Forty days and Ninevah will be overthrown.†(Jonah 3:4) However, even though Jonah never called the people to plead to the One True God of Israel to have mercy on their souls and on their city, even though Jonah never called on the people to beg for forgiveness and turn away from their wickedness, that is, in fact, exactly what the Ninevites did.
The text says: “Then the people of Ninevah believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. When the word reached the king of Ninevah, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat on the ashes. He issued a proclamation and it said, ‘In Ninevah by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we shall not perish?’†(Jonah 3:5-9)
Sure enough, the Lord heard the earnest prayers of the people — and their king — as they repented, and He relented. “When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.†The promised judgment did not come. The people and their city were spared from God’s wrath. What an extraordinary moment. The pagan people heard the word of the Lord and it burned in their hearts. They believed God’s word, pleaded for mercy, and the Lord gave them mercy, even though He had never indicated that He would do so.
But this was not the only time the word of the Lord came to the people of Ninevah.
(snip)
These are sobering thoughts, I realize. But these are perilous times. As I note in Implosion: Can America Recover From Its Economic & Spiritual Challenges In Time? I believe time is running out. May we choose wisely, before it’s too late.
We have serious problems in this country (http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/)
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Is there ever a moment that isn't a Jonah/Nahum moment?
Seriously.
Whoever is pining for the "good ol' days" read the wrong ****ing history book and whoever looks for the glorious future is reading too much sci-fi.