“And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy” (2 Chron. 36:15, 16).
The above passage ought to send chills down our backs. The Israelites were decimated by their enemies. They suffered horribly from starvation and war, as well as being taken captive. Zedekiah was forced to watch the death of his sons then had his eyes gouged out (2 Kgs. 25:7). What would it do to you or me if our last sight was that of our children’s murder? Do you think that would sear an image on your brain?
The suffering and pain experienced by the Jews was not merely the doing of man. They were facing the wrath of God Almighty. His anger at their sin and rebellion was no longer restrained as in years past. Yet, it was not in its fullness. If God desired He could have annihilated the Jews from the face of the earth after an extended torturous experience.
Has God’s nature changed?
Does He not still have a law by which He expects men to live?
Is He now deaf or blind to our doings?
Has He lost the power to move against His enemies?
Our nation is saturated with sin, much like ancient Israel. We have few who bow down to wood, stone, or gold statues. However, idolatry abounds. Multitudes continue to worship pleasures, possessions, and power.
If we hope to escape or avoid God’s wrath, our nation must change; slim chance for that. The best we can look for, perhaps, is to keep ourselves pure and help individuals change their wicked ways. Even if we do live righteously, however, let us not kid ourselves that we will escape the pain and suffering. Even righteous Jews suffered because of the sin of the nation at large. The thing is, though we may face the consequences of living in an immoral country, we will avoid God’s ultimate wrath—torture in hell.
God has sent us warnings in His Word, the gospel. He continues to use His people to warn us. Will we heed? Will you?