Show, Then Fell: Judah and America (Part 2)

 

See the series here

See the Ponder This... series here

Part 1 puts the spotlight on Hezekiah, a king of ancient Judah—the two southern Jewish tribes that remained in Palestine after the 10 northern tribes were invaded by Assyria, and their remnant populations were carted off to serve as slaves in Nineveh. Some time after The Lord healed him from a deadly illness, he was visited by a royal delegation from Babylon. He decided to showcase to his visitors, ALL of Judah’s great wealth, and its armory as well. (See: Isaiah 39) That was an echo of how King Solomon (King David’s son and successor), had once showcased Jerusalem’s splendor to the Queen of Sheba. But unlike Solomon, who honored The Lord in his explanations, Hezekiah’s prideful display lacked spiritual discernment—failing to realize that not every guest should be shown the nation’s treasure and means of defense. That moment, like many in history, may have become a divine tipping point. About 125 years later, Babylon did to Judah, what Assyria had done to ‘the 10 lost tribes’ of Israel.’

In light of America’s large military parade (celebrating the president’s birthday that coincided with the 250th anniversary of its army), and Judah’s experience, I began to wonder: what spiritual and strategic parallels might exist between ancient Judah, and modern-day America?

America and Judah both…

• Declared, but largely feigned faith in the same Judeo-Christian God, both having long benefitted from His Grace-blessings;
• Had long-standing exposure to The Lord’s Word, though with its declining effectiveness in national affairs.
• Were entrusted by The Lord to be, and reflect His Light to onlooking nations, and to judge internal affairs according to His righteousness.
• Had religious rituals, but lifestyles were hollow of devotion as both nations served various idols—Judah its multitude of carved images, and America its ‘in God we trust’ money, economic, military and cultural might. In both nations, public piety masked deep, national idolatry.
• Became increasingly corrupt, with self-serving, self-preserving leaders. Judah’s kings ignored The Lord’s Word, forged sinful alliances with neighbors; and America’s leaders politicize truth, enrich themselves, deflect spiritual accountability, and promote political survival, rather than Biblical righteousness.
• Allowed moral decay to become normalized and monetized, Judah with gross child sacrifice, sexual corruption, and priestly greed; and America with its sins tolerated and institutionalized, including wide-spread abortion, gender confusion, sexual exploitation, and an expansive prosperity gospel culture—sinfulness, tolerated, then institutionalized.
• Rejected, then silenced prophetic voices, Judah having slaughtered many prophets, and America’s Truth-tellers labeled as divisive and fanatical, and some were outright canceled in favor of those who preach acceptable soothing, social gospel and lies, in lieu of Truth.
• Had enemies who were preparing, while internal divisions grew, Judah, which became fractured, politically divided, and was unprepared for Babylon’s rise, and eventual invasion; and America which is staunchly, politically polarized and internally destabilized, while enemy nations strategically align against it, its ‘less-mighty’ currency, and its dissolving national unity, just as external threats solidify.
• Had ‘kick-the-can down the road’ leaders, with both Judah’s and America’s leaders living for glitzy, glory moments, rather than leading for Godly movements, in matters of morality, justice, righteousness, fiscal management, and foreign affairs, prioritizing personal legacy over generational responsibility.
• Suffered from irrational beliefs in special immunity from collapse, with Judah’s insistence that ‘The Lord would never let Jerusalem fall!’; and America’s ‘We’re the greatest nation in history—too big to fall’ rhetoric. In both cases, beliefs in national exceptionalism became a national, spiritual blindfold.
• Were blessed with the presence of a righteous remnant, with Judah’s faithful saints whose lives The Lord spared, some of whom became exalted exiles (e.g., Esther as Queen of Persia, and Daniel as the #3 ranked in the Babylonian Empire); and America’s Truth-loving prayer warrior remnant who discern well-deserved, approaching national judgments, and who cry out to The Lord for grace and mercy to lead us to national repentance, spiritual revival, and moral clarity. 

When asked if he was concerned about a day of reckoning for America’s national debt, Donald Trump replied:

‘Yeah, but I won’t be here.’

Globally well-known for his great pride, I perceive this president effectively shouts to the world that America’s trust and confidence belies what’s printed on its money, but are squarely in its:

Military might

Political personalities

Economic dominance

National exceptionalism

Technology and surveillance

Debt-fueled illusion of prosperity

Dollar as the global reserve currency

After parading Judah’s wealth to high-level strangers from Babylon, Hezekiah had a curiously odd reply to a message The Lord sent to him via the prophet, Isaiah, about the future Babylonian invasion of Judah, because of her gross sinfulness.

‘The word of The Lord which you have spoken is good!

At least there will be peace and Truth in my days.’

(Isaiah 39:8)

 

In this odd reply, do you hear echoes of Donald Trump’s above-noted reply? In the manner that King Hezekiah’s ‘static’ parade seems to have confirmed Judah’s future fall, the military parade and many other prideful things President Trump has ordered, may not spark America’s pending fall, but I perceive they will very likely help to justify and confirm it.

Like Judah…

America’s ‘Show and Tell’,

Might become her ‘Show, Then Fell’.

Here’s why:

Judgment does not always fall in fire and fury.

Sometimes, it walks calmly, behind a parade of pride.

~~~

Ezekiel 38:13 predicts the fall of every military ally of modern Israel.

Daniel 2:44-45 predicts the fall of every post-Roman Empire nation.