Does God Use Evil Governments as Judgements Against Nations?

Does God use evil governments that rule in nations as a form of His judgment against them?

God’s Rod of Correction

Does God use evil governments that rule in nations as a form of His judgment against them? If you look at ancient Israel, we must say, “Yes.” God does use evil nations to judge other nations. God called Babylon His rod of correction (Isaiah 10:5; Habakkuk 1:12) so that the Jews would repent and turn again to God (which they did not). God allowed Israel to have the kings that they deserved, and nearing the time of captivity, all of the kings of Judah were evil, as were the kings of Israel which split from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (with the Levites). The Northern Kingdom (Israel) had even more wicked kings which is why they went into captivity first by Assyria, a nation God used to judge Israel. Later, God would judge (punish) the Assyrians by use of the Chaldeans or the Babylonians. God declared through Isaiah the Prophet, “Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger; the staff in their hands is my fury” (Isaiah 10:5). The word “woe” is a word of judgment; sure and certain, so even though Assyria did not know the One, True God, God used them as His rod of correction as “the staff in their hands is my fury.”

Evil Kings

God used evil kings in the Northern Kingdom as a form of judgment against them. These kings were cruel to their own people and how far they had departed to loving God and loving their neighbor. It had grown so evil that they would “burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind” (2 Kings 3:26-27; Jer 7:31b). One of the pagan religions (the Moabites) had child sacrifice as part of their religious services, so how much more satanic can you get where a living child is offered by fire? When you’re government’s doing that kind of thing, you know it’s evil, so we should not be surprised that God brought judgment upon them. Today, the United States and other nations customarily take the life of a child and we justify it by calling it “health care.” Abortion is just like child sacrifice. The child is aborted or really, sacrificed on the altar of inconvenience, not-cramping-my-life-style; or “I want to live my own life without consequences.”

Child Sacrifice

Over sixty-five million babies and counting have been needlessly murdered and if that’s not child sacrifice, I don’t know what is! Why shouldn’t God judge America and other nations who are heartlessly murdering innocent babies as if it’s just another medical procedure? I believe God already has been and will continue to judge this nation in the hopes that they would repent. That’s what we all pray for but so far, it appears the nation is growing even more secular and even more hostile to the things of God. America has the leadership it deserves; no better. It is getting what it is like itself. A nation’s leadership can often resemble the people governed.

God of this World

I find it interesting that when Satan tried to tempt Jesus in the Wilderness, Satan offered the kingdoms of the world to Him. The only requirement would have been for Jesus to worship Satan. Of course, Jesus rebuked the Devil by reminding him that “… it is written; ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve” (Matt 4:10). The point of this is Satan could not offer what he did not first control. Saint Matthew writes about Jesus and Satan where “the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me” (Matt 4:8-9). Satan could not give to Jesus what he did not have in the first place. The Apostle Paul understood who the little “g” god of this world was, writing that “even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing” (2 Cor 4:3). By why is it veiled to the lost? It is “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor 4:4).

The Invisible Enemy

Every Christian is in enemy territory. This is not our home. We are still living in the world, but certainly not part of the world. Even so, we must be vigilant against the powers of darkness, many of which today hold high political offices. The Apostle Paul warned believers that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12). These rulers and principalities mean those who have power in this world. The world will hate us just as it hated Christ, so we must realize that God is sovereign; even when evil governments are in power. And that seems to be the case by the way. We may face a choice someday. And that choice will be, will we be forced to obey God over man’s law (Acts 5:29)? It may come to that. Even though we are to be subject to those in authority whom God has placed in such positions of power (Rom 13:1-5), we never put man’s laws over God’s laws where there is conflict.

Conclusion

God is surely judging America right now, and not only for the genocide that they call abortion, but for the rapid decline in morality and biblical principles. Today what is good is now seen as evil and what we believe is evil is now embraced by the world. This day is very similar to Isaiah the Prophet’s day where good is bad and bad is good. Isaiah declares a “woe” to those who believe that sort of thing (“woe” is a sure and certain judgment of God).

Isaiah would warn America and any ungodly nation just as he did ancient Israel (who refused to repent), “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (5:20). It was in ancient Israel that “the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them” (Isaiah 5:25a), and I believe the Lord’s anger is kindled against America, and that even as I write this, “his hand [is] against them” and indeed He will strike them. I pray you are saved because to be saved is to be saved from God’s righteous wrath. Trust in Him today and no “woe” will come near you.

Here is some related reading for you: Biblical Signs of the Declining Morality of America and the World

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Tagged as: Abortion, America, Evil Governments, God's Judgment, United States