Who Should We Believe?

     Recall from Jewish history that the Jews became disenchanted with the governance of the Judges who ruled over them and they made known to Samuel the prophet that they wanted to be just like all the other nations, i.e. they wanted to be ruled by a king.  They wanted change.

     “Then all the elders of Israel…said, ‘Give us a king to judge us’…And the LORD said to Samuel… ‘Now therefore, heed their voice.  However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.’”  I Samuel 8:4-9

     Therefore, God in His sovereignty provided Israel with a king.  Israel’s first king was Saul who subsequently lost his kingship due to disobedience of God’s instructions.

     “…Samuel said to Saul, ‘…for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.’”  I Samuel 15:26

     Several hundred years later the Prophet Daniel recounted the lessons taught to Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon.  Nebuchadnezzar’s pride cost him greatly.

     “‘Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?’  While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from heaven: ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you!  And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field.  They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times (years) shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.’”  Daniel 4:30-32

     Nebuchadnezzar’s son Belshazzar didn’t learn his lesson from his father’s experiences.

     “But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this.  And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven…That very night Belshazzar…was slain.”  Daniel 5:22-30

     The Bible is not silent about kingdoms or nations going past the point of no return regarding pending judgment.  The major cause of such judgment is abandoning God’s word.  The Prophet Jeremiah writes about Judah’s apostasy:

     “‘O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us…for our backslidings are many…yet You, O LORD, are in our midst…do not leave us!’...Then the LORD said to me, ‘Do not pray for this people, for their good…But I will consume them…’”  Jeremiah 14:7-12

     Now fast forward to the present.  The United States was very dissatisfied with President George Bush and clamored for change.  The majority of voters did in fact vote for change and elected Barack Obama for president. 

     Those ungrateful ‘right wingers’ now say that America, under President Obama’s leadership is in a state of rapid decline and is headed for disaster.  Is America heading for prosperity or disaster?

     Of course it depends on who is asked.  There is a new book out by Peter Diamandis entitled: The Future is better than you think.  The book is very popular.

     Then there is Pat Buchanan’s latest book entitled: The Suicide of a Superpower.  The book extends the trend lines of America’s history and the current political climate and takes the reader right up to Revelation chapter 18, i.e. the fall of materialism.  The book is well researched and contains over 1100 reference notes.  Buchanan’s thesis on America’s decline is traced to several historic changes: ‘America’s loss of her cradle faith, Christianity; the moral, social, and cultural collapse that have followed from that loss; and the slow death of the people who created and ruled the nation.’  The content of Buchanan’s book was the reason he was fired from his association with MSNBC.  In other words, he was fired for telling the truth.

     Consider further that President Obama in his most recent State of the Union speech in January proclaimed boldly:

     “America is back and anyone who says America is in decline doesn’t know what they’re talking about.”

     So once again, everyone has the freedom to choose to either place their hope in Diamandis’ optimistic view of the future and the President’s assessment of reality, or in Buchanan’s view based on historical trends, current political priorities, and Bible prophecy.

     Who, or what, are we going to believe?