Saturday, July 09, 2016

The Crossroads we are at as a nation


Turn weapons into garden tools

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It seems that we at a crossroads in America. In a way, you can call it prophetic if you want, there are two verses that I see that seems to be where we are at in American politics.
Isaiah 2:4 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

However, I wonder if the US will choose this verse instead. I hope not.

Joel 3:9-11 Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare a war; rouse the mighty men! Let all the soldiers draw near, let them come up! 10Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, "I am a mighty man." 11Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, And gather yourselves there. Bring down, O LORD, Your mighty ones.…

The first is referenced as a future prophecy concerning the Messiah coming peace. The other is in the context where Israel was mistreated by the surrounding nations and was judged by God for harming His chosen people. It was more about having a weaker nation rise up to take on six stronger nations that were unjust in the eyes of God. My view though is in any war, lives on both sides are lost. In a sense, a call to war was also a judgement on Israel However, this is the kind of people they were:
They have also cast lots for My people,
 Traded a boy for a harlot
 And sold a girl for wine that they may drink. (Joel 3:3)

The enemies of Israel had no value on human life thus were so judged as to receive their value of others. My fear though is that someone like Trump or Hillary will use such a verse to drive us into a war under the false premise we are the just ones and have the right to give out the justice to those we deem unjust.
The saddest thing is that Jesus message on the Cross-was of being the Just and the Justifier. Meaning, in Christ Jesus we already have the judgment of being loved and accepted and have no need for more war and blood. I hope we all choose the right path.