And I will make boys their princes, and infants shall rule over them. And the people will oppress one another,
every one his fellow and every one his neighbor; the youth will be insolent to the elder, and the despised to the honorable. (Isaiah 3:4,5 ESV)
Fear Not… Then Do Not Be Surprised
It was obvious that I was going to get punched in the face. The drunk man had moved from car to car ahead of me, demanding windows be rolled down. I could not hear or clearly see what was occurring, but the general idea was right there. He asked for something, did not receive it, and so tried to attack the driver, being blocked by the windows being rolled back up.
When he arrived at my car, the process began the same. He asked… I refused… He reached… but I somehow thought he would not try to hit ME. I was so nice, so pleasant, so likeable, so polite.
So, I got punched in the face.
I was disappointed. I was angry. I was vengeful. I was disgusted. And I had every right to react in those ways.
But I was not surprised.
And I should not have been.
Throughout history societies, cultures, and civilization that reject God have run into trouble. Babylon fell, Rome fell, France fell, Britain fell, and even now…
And as disappointed, concerned, and righteously angry as we might be… we have no reason or right to be surprised. It has happened before. It will happen again.
Not because of a cyclical nature of governments, not because of any practical results of poor decisions, not because of anything, in fact but God’s promises.
Rejection of God will equal disaster. It should surprise no one.
It might be what is happening today. But today it is not merely a nation that is rejecting God, it is God’s people themselves. We turn to our favorite news to understand events, rather than turning to God’s word. We rely medicine rather than look to the Great Healer. We trust in the security of the US Armed Forces rather than trust in the Almighty God. We ignore or even praise the reigning false religions of humanism, equality, capitalism (or any economic theory,) or knowledge.
Isaiah describes what God imposes on such societies. Immature leadership… human cruelty… and disrespect of authority. Does that sound familiar?
We can be disappointed in our observation. We can be disgusted at those who participate. We can be dismayed at the downward slide of obedience to God…
But we have no reason to be surprised. It’s what God does. It’s what God promises.
But do not despair. Because that same God ALSO promises to always retain a remnant… to rebuilt His people… to bring us to the happy ending.
That should not surprise us either!
Fear not, then do not be surprised.