America in Crisis Part Six

We have seen a drastic change in the values and aspirations of the American people. Our leaders no longer have respect for the God of our Fathers. On the contrary they like the Egyptians of Moses day have said, “Who is the Lord that we should obey him”. Our people have turned from a people of moral convictions, to a society bent on following all the passions that the human heart can conceive.

As a result of this conscience decision we have seen a dramatic increase in the power of the demonic. Our people have become slaves to the power of an unsurrendered ambition. Any thing goes in the lust for personal gain and power. When a nation fits this description they are already suffering the judgment of God. Yet if in spite of all we have seen so far a nation still refuses to repent and turn their hearts back to God, the judgments begin to turn more ominous. We shall see from the example found in God’s dealing with the Egypt of Moses generation, America has entered into a new phase of judgment.

The fifth plague that God brought on the nation of Egypt was upon their livestock.

- “Go back to Pharaoh,” the LORD commanded Moses. “Tell him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. 2 If you continue to hold them and refuse to let them go, 3 the hand of the LORD will strike all your livestock—your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep, and goats—with a deadly plague. 4 But the LORD will again make a distinction between the livestock of the Israelites and that of the Egyptians. Not a single one of Israel’s animals will die! (Exodus 9: 1-4 NLT)
Cattle were sacred in Egypt in fact they were worshiped as gods. Yet more than this cattle in that society were the backbone of the economic system of that day. As an agricultural agrarian society their cattle were an integral part of their economy and livelihood. To remove the cattle in Egypt struck a hand of judgment at the very heart of their economic system and long-term security. When God brings this judgment against a nation for rebellion against him he strikes a blow at the economic underpinnings of a nation. Yet note saints of God in the midst of this judgment on Egypt God made a distinction between his people and the Egyptians. Not one calf in Goshen died. So even as God brings economic confusion and judgment on a nation he still makes provision for his own.
The sixth plague God brought on Egypt was a plague of boils.

8 Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a brick kiln, and have Moses toss it into the air while Pharaoh watches. 9 The ashes will spread like fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, causing festering boils to break out on people and animals throughout the land.” 10 So they took soot from a brick kiln and went and stood before Pharaoh. As Pharaoh watched, Moses threw the soot into the air, and boils broke out on people and animals alike. 11 Even the magicians were unable to stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and all the Egyptians. 12 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and just as the LORD had predicted to Moses, Pharaoh refused to listen. (Exodus 9:8-12)

This judgment brought an oppressive weakness for which the leadership of the nation had no answers. In other words the problems they were facing were so large, and to such a degree, that they could see no natural answers on the horizon to the problems the nation was experiencing. The problems just seemed to grow larger and larger with no hope of finding a way out. Yet let us also note that the boils did not afflict the children of Israel. So in this the Lord is showing us even in the midst of a crisis of judgment when the unbelievers are consumed with fear and dread God will provide for his own.