Observations©

By Donald S. Conkey

Date: October 9, 2008 - # 8841 - Title: Making wise choices. (812)

As I write this column more average Americans are watching our dysfunctional government in Washington than ever before and they don’t like what they see. In fact many of us are frightened by what we see.        Last week I wrote about how another nation, a nation raised-up by God, as was America, ancient Israel, was brought to its knees and self-destructed after rejecting the laws and statutes given them by God through Moses. They asked for a king to rule over them and Jehovah gave them a king: Saul. Jehovah’s prophesizes soon came to pass and Saul was replaced by David and David was replaced by son Solomon.

Solomon’s initial request of Jehovah was for wisdom, the wisdom to rule over his people in righteousness. After completing the temple Jehovah visited with Solomon and blessed his efforts and then counseled him saying: “If thou wilt walk before me,  as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statues and judgments: then I will establish thy kingdom upon Israel forever … but if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children … then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them. …” (I Kings 9)

            The years passed and Solomon eventually turned from Jehovah’s counsel while trying to ‘please’ his envious neighbors. He allowed their ways to become Israel’s ways. The history books are explicit in telling us what happened. It is an ugly picture. If this sounds familiar it should – it is what modern-day elitists would have the United States do: give up its ‘laws of God’ based Constitution, as did Israel, received via the Founding Fathers and adopt the secular laws of ‘other nations,’ namely the laws of the United Nations.

            Eventually Solomon went the way of all flesh leaving a nation to be ruled over by his son Rehoboam. But Rehoboam had little training in the ways of the Lord, or experience in governing.

            As Rehoboam was preparing to be anointed king Jeroboam, who had fled from Solomon to Egypt, arrived with his followers and asked Rehoboam what his tax policies were going to be. Rehoboam counseled with his older and wiser counselors who told him to lower the taxes and the people would all remain with him. But his younger counselors told Rehoboam to raise taxes. Rehoboam followed the counsel of his younger counselors placing a much heavy burden upon all the Israelites.

            This is how Israel, once a proud and strong nation, capable of fending off its enemies suddenly became divided, fiercely divided (does this sound familiar) over an issue, taxes, that would eventually lead to Israel’s eventual self-destruction and total demise and scattering.

            The Israelites were so divided over the issue of taxes that ten of the twelve tribes revolted and followed Jeroboam to Damascus where they set up their own government, with Jeroboam as their king. Israel was no more united, but now literally divided.

            Israel’s golden years lasted a mere 120 years. This golden period was short in comparison to Israel’s long history – from the time Moses freed the Israelites from Egyptian slavery to Judah’s final destruction in 70 A.D. And now, without the Hand of the Lord watching over Israel, Israel was ripe for destruction – and the Assyrians were the purveyors of the equivalent of America’s recent 9/11. The ten tribes were conquered and scattered never to be heard from again. Judah soon followed.

Could this story be a pattern for modern America? A study of the Founding Fathers writings, especially their words embedded in America’s three foundational documents, are the restored equivalent of Jehovah’s counsel to ancient Israel. Has America, like ancient Israel, strayed from their God’s counsel? Many believe it has and now finds itself in a situation that could serious divide the United States, not unlike that division that divided ancient Israel, and destroy America’s economy, and lifestyle.

America certainly has had its share of golden years, but has it had its 120 golden years yet – the number of years that seems to be the maximum years of prosperity before a nation self destructs?

Is America following that same road ancient Israel followed by rejecting the source of their freedoms or will they reject the urge to be all things to all people, and nations, and return to the safety of America’s cornerstone of freedom that Jefferson embedded in his Declaration – “the laws of nature and of nature’s God.” November 4 will determine the road America chooses to follow.

It is important to remember that free people are free to make choices, but we all must remember that every choice has its consequence, good or evil, and no one, not even nations, can escape the consequence of their choices. So choose wisely America.