In its earliest years, the nation of Israel was enslaved by Egypt for 400 years. In its earliest years, the nation of America was economically enslaved by England for 150 years.
For another 480 years, God ruled Israel from a nomadic tent. For five years, America fought to settle itself in freedom from tyranny, while God ruled from a Declaration of Independence that all are endowed by the Creator with inalienable rights to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.
For seven years, Israel built a permanent house for God under the inspired genius of Solomon (Chapter 6) with dozens of symbols representing God and gilded with solid gold. For thirteen years, America built a permanent house to honor the Creator enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. What was America’s gold? Dozens of symbols of God stand in its public buildings, gilded with something more precious than gold – liberty; government of the people, by the people, and for the people; checks and balances against tyranny; democratic and free elections; and the rule of law.
As we will see in Kings and Chronicles, Solomon’s reign ended in rejecting God, and Israel was eventually thrown into exile from its homeland on the judgment of God. In 1954, America rejected prayer in schools; over the ensuing 62 years, America has systematically erased God from the public square.
Do you follow the parallels? Just as it took time for Solomon to reject God, so it has taken time for America to reject God. Or more accurately it has taken time for America’s leaders to reject God. When does God’s judgment come upon America in parallel to Israel’s story in the Bible?
The parallel continues dramatically:
“…[I]f you walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all my commandments by walking in them, then I will carry out my word with you…I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel” (1 Kings 6:12b-13, NASB).
Israel did not and it paid a devastating price in God’s judgment. America has had its failures and judgments, but never yet to the level of total destruction like Israel.
These parallels jumped off the pages of 1 Kings in light of the current election cycle in America.
How did we come to the point where we are about to elect a leader from a slate consisting of a crook, a communist, a reality star, and a man whose colleagues all hate him? Each of these candidates personifies disunity of America. How did we get here?
This has forced me where I did not want to go, to question our electoral process. I have always trusted the two party process of choosing our President using primaries, a general election, and the Electoral College – on faith. But these parallels demand another look.
Israel ended up with a failed monarchy. I must ask if America has ended up with a failed oligarchy – defined as rule by the few, not by, for, and of all the people. It turns our leaders are selected by the rich, on both sides – money against money. And by the time we do get to cast a ballot, the only candidates left standing are the ones with the most money and influence of the oligarchy.
Israel had two extreme makeovers – first in building the magnificent temple and second in its utter annihilation and exile to a foreign land.
America must peacefully undertake its extreme makeover now – from oligarchy back to one person, one vote democracy. If we do not, the parallel of judgment will repeat.
For another 480 years, God ruled Israel from a nomadic tent. For five years, America fought to settle itself in freedom from tyranny, while God ruled from a Declaration of Independence that all are endowed by the Creator with inalienable rights to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.
For seven years, Israel built a permanent house for God under the inspired genius of Solomon (Chapter 6) with dozens of symbols representing God and gilded with solid gold. For thirteen years, America built a permanent house to honor the Creator enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. What was America’s gold? Dozens of symbols of God stand in its public buildings, gilded with something more precious than gold – liberty; government of the people, by the people, and for the people; checks and balances against tyranny; democratic and free elections; and the rule of law.
As we will see in Kings and Chronicles, Solomon’s reign ended in rejecting God, and Israel was eventually thrown into exile from its homeland on the judgment of God. In 1954, America rejected prayer in schools; over the ensuing 62 years, America has systematically erased God from the public square.
Do you follow the parallels? Just as it took time for Solomon to reject God, so it has taken time for America to reject God. Or more accurately it has taken time for America’s leaders to reject God. When does God’s judgment come upon America in parallel to Israel’s story in the Bible?
The parallel continues dramatically:
“…[I]f you walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all my commandments by walking in them, then I will carry out my word with you…I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel” (1 Kings 6:12b-13, NASB).
Israel did not and it paid a devastating price in God’s judgment. America has had its failures and judgments, but never yet to the level of total destruction like Israel.
These parallels jumped off the pages of 1 Kings in light of the current election cycle in America.
How did we come to the point where we are about to elect a leader from a slate consisting of a crook, a communist, a reality star, and a man whose colleagues all hate him? Each of these candidates personifies disunity of America. How did we get here?
This has forced me where I did not want to go, to question our electoral process. I have always trusted the two party process of choosing our President using primaries, a general election, and the Electoral College – on faith. But these parallels demand another look.
Israel ended up with a failed monarchy. I must ask if America has ended up with a failed oligarchy – defined as rule by the few, not by, for, and of all the people. It turns our leaders are selected by the rich, on both sides – money against money. And by the time we do get to cast a ballot, the only candidates left standing are the ones with the most money and influence of the oligarchy.
Israel had two extreme makeovers – first in building the magnificent temple and second in its utter annihilation and exile to a foreign land.
America must peacefully undertake its extreme makeover now – from oligarchy back to one person, one vote democracy. If we do not, the parallel of judgment will repeat.
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