Articles
The Judgments of the Lord
In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln delivered what many consider the most remarkable speech ever given by a President. Our country was amid a great crisis. The Civil War raged on, and hundreds of thousands were slaughtered. Lincoln observed, "Neither party expected for the war the magnitude or duration which it has already obtained." He noted, "Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes his aid against the other." At the time the speech was delivered, it appeared that the end of the war was near, and Mr. Lincoln observed, "With high hope for the future, no prediction in regard to it is ventured." The war taught him he was not ultimately in control of its outcome. Lincoln saw the judgment of God in the bloodletting. Lincoln said,
"Fondly do we hope--fervently do we pray--that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and every drop of blood drawn by the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said, 'The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.'"
Mr. Lincoln saw the war as a judgment of the Lord. We would do well in our time to take his observation to heart. "The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. " (Psalm 19:9)
Mr. Lincoln chose words from Psalm 19. Psalm 19 teaches that God has declared his existence and wisdom. The opening says, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." The vast expanse of space and all its celestial glory reveals God without uttering words, yet their witness of the Creator "goes out through all the earth." The sun, stars, and planets give their witness to us "day to day" and "night to night." To ignore their witness is foolish. "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" (Psalm 14:1)
Verses 7-11 of Psalm 19 inform us God has given voice to his character and purposes. These verses tell us God has spoken to humankind, saying, "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple, the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules (judgments) of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." (19:7-9). David concludes, "Moreover, by them is your servant warned, and in keeping them there is great reward." (19:11).
David wanted to discern his errors and be innocent of "hidden faults." He asks the great Creator and Lawgiver to "Keep your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless and innocent of great transgression." When David had committed covetousness, adultery, and murder, he said of God's judgment against him, “Against you—you above all —I have sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. So you are just when you confront me; you are right when you condemn me." (Psalm 51:4 NET)
Western civilization has lost all reverence for God and his judgments. Since the Enlightenment, our civilization has deliberately secularized its culture, undermining humanity's bedrock underpinnings. Our courts have redefined marriage. Unmoored from an ancient understanding, everything has become fair game for those wishing to pursue their lusts. The shunning of God is evidenced by declining religious interest and the rise of pernicious ideologies. June is now "Pride Month" for the LGBTQ community. Paul observed, “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.” (Phil. 3:18-19)
My dear brothers and sisters, we must prepare for God's judgment. Inhuman, race-based bondage brought the slaughter of the Civil War. The prophets tell us that God brought Israel, Judah, and the surrounding nations to judgment. David's family suffered for his grievous sins against God. The Creator and Lawgiver sees our sins (Numbers 32:23). Our leaders are befuddled and corrupt, our military suffers defeat, and wave after wave of natural disasters crosses our land. Amos thunders the words of God, "yet you did not return to me." (4:6, 8, 9, 10, 11). The country is heedlessly awash in iniquity. We are not a Christian nation, but we should remember God's judgments against Assyria, Babylon, and Rome. God cares what every nation does.
Brothers and sisters, when judgment comes, and come it will, remember, "The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. " Fear God and keep his commandments.
