Moral Rot

 My wife examines the problem of moral rot in America:

Sometimes, given America's Judeo-Christian heritage, it's easy to equate America with a kind of "Israel model": We were, at our inception, chosen by God to do His work in the world and are still commanded to do so.

The patriotic songs I sang as a child in the 60's combined faith in God with a love of our country. In school, we sang "God of Our Fathers," "My Country 'Tis of Thee" and "America the Beautiful."

Our country put a man on the moon. Our government fought poverty with housing projects and it was no longer acceptable to pollute the skies, rivers and lakes. Racism was no longer funny or acceptable. Women demanded an equal seat at the table and largely got it.

Growing up when I did, it looked like America cared about progress--trying to right the wrongs of the past, and doing so in a timely and just way. We also were in a war in a country I had never heard of, and it was becoming more and more obvious that we needed to remove our troops. It divided us and made us angry with each other, while body bag after body bag was delivered stateside and devastated families had to cope with their loss.

A perfect country? No.

But to quote Ayatollah Khomeini, a leader in Iran, we weren't the "great Satan" either....

So, if we see ourselves as modelled on Israel in the Hebrew Scriptures, then Josiah, the last good king of Judah before the Babylonian exile, has a valuable lesson for us. If, as I do, believe God saves people, not nations, then these passages of Scripture hold valuable lessons for us.

God expects His people, in whatever nation they are in, to act like citizens of the Kingdom of God.

Josiah was only eight years old when he assumed the throne of "his father David." He is the last "godly king of the Davidic line prior to the exile." [1] Unlike many of his royal predecessors, "he did right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father David, not turning to the right or to the left." (2 Kings 22:2)

No compromise. He followed God. ..

If you haven't already, please note the parallel to America. God's Word is still the standard, and it points to how far we have fallen away from what God expects out of those who call upon His name.

But we have to read it. Understand it. Apply it. ...
He cleaned house. He didn't just decry the practices, but got rid of all the things that allowed those practices to go on and he removed all the people who supervised the practices.

The prophetess Huldah told Josiah that he would die before the terrible day of judgment would fall on Judah. God spared Josiah the pain of watching his country destroyed. God honored Josiah's attempt to redirect his country back to the covenant and serving Him alone.

If we are like Josiah, and we really seek God and obey what is in His Word, will God's judgment be stayed? God judges nations if they flagrantly disobey His moral order. It's not that the nation is somehow special or chosen, but He will eventually judge sin in individuals and in nations. But He also will renew, revive and restore His people when they seek His face and repent.

Even though Josiah was sincere and obedient, God did judge Judah, because after him, several kings "did evil in the eyes of the LORD."

I am not sure I wantb to compare Trump to Josiah.  He might well be successful in removing or at least modern idols: sexual mutilation of children;  men (excuse me, women with male sexual organs) in women's locker rooms and sororities; promoting racial hatred through DEI.  We are going to have to do what we can to undo 40 years of moral rot.